"It's sort of the female corollary to doo-wop at the beginning," says Jacqueline Warwick, author of the new book Girl Groups, Girl Culture: Popular Music and Identityin the 1960's and professor of music at Dalhousie University. [66] Holliday in particular objected to the fact that her 1982 recording of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" was used in an early Dreamgirls film teaser trailer created before production began. Adapted from the 1981 Broadway musical of the same name, Dreamgirls is a film clef, a work of fiction taking strong inspiration from the history of the Motown record label and one of its acts, the Supremes. Deena and Effie reconcile, with Effie telling her that Curtis is Magic's father. As much as Deena Jones, Beyonc Knowles ' character in "Dreamgirls," was modeled on Diana Ross, the film's main character, Effie White, was based on Etta James, according to composer Henry Krieger. [76] On the other hand, director Bill Condon stated that "I think academy members just liked the other movies better"[77] and that he believed that "we were never going to win even if we were nominated. It was a time for people to forget who they are and just get with each other to be happy and loving and dance and rejoice. Jennifer Kate Hudson was born on September 12, 1981 in Chicago, Illinois to Darnell Donerson (ne Hudson) & Samuel Simpson. The film's nominations included Best Supporting Actor (Eddie Murphy), Best Supporting Actress (Jennifer Hudson), Best Achievement in Costume Design, Best Achievement in Art Direction, Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, and three nominations for Best Song ("Listen", "Love You I Do", and "Patience"). [17], When Geffen co-founded DreamWorks in 1994 and dissolved Geffen Pictures, the rights to Dreamgirls remained with Warner Bros. Warner planned to go ahead with the film with director Joel Schumacher and screenwriter Tina Andrews[7] in the late 1990s, following the success of Touchstone Pictures's Tina Turner biopic What's Love Got to Do with It. How many of these performances do you remember? That same year, Motown got its first pop hit with The Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Based on the rise of the 1960s Motown girl-group trio The Supremes and Motown impresario Berry Gordy Jr., the 1982 Tony-winning hit musical Dreamgirls seemed to be a shoo-in for a movie version. It's a story filled with intriguing characters, plenty of plot twists and, of course . On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Detroit, the early 1960s. They watched performers on stage who were their age. The groups, usually made up of three to five singers, often formed through glee clubs and high schools, with many having backgrounds in church gospel music. In 1960, he founded Motown Records, which went on to become the most successful black-owned company in the country. [5][47][48] The film's national release, at regular prices, began on December 25. As much as Deena Jones, Beyonc Knowles' character in "Dreamgirls," was modeled on Diana Ross, the film's main character, Effie White, was based on Etta James, according to composer Henry Krieger. With Tom Eyen having died in 1991,[7] various lyricists were brought in by Krieger to co-author the new songs. Gordy also packaged Gaye, at one point, as a supper club entertainer -- a common strategy for R&B performers hoping to cross over to white audiences in those days -- a scene repeated in the movie with Early. The limited edition program guide accompanying the Dreamgirls road show release was made available for retail purchase in February. But The Beatles themselves were obsessed with American girl groups and even sang girl group songs, including "Please Mr. Postman," The Shirelles' "Baby It's You" and The Cookies' "Chains. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Dreamgirls (Blu-ray, 2006) Jamie Foxx , Beyonce Knowles at the best online prices at eBay! Who was the main character in Dreamgirls based on? Curtis Taylor, Jr. represents Motown Founder Berry Gordy. The Dreamgirls cast of the Broadway version namely Jennifer Holiday, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Loretta Devine were the original members of "The Dreamettes" (later "The Dreams). Both men worked in the automotive industry before focusing on music, and integrated aspects of the automotive business into the music making process. URL: Nader, Juli (Nov. 21, 2006). The success of girl groups had much to do with the market. Presenting himself as their new manager, he recruits them as backup singers for Chitlin' Circuit R&B star Jimmy "Thunder" Early. In Motown, founder Berry Gordy aimed to make music with widespread pop charts appeal. The DVD version was issued in two editions: a one-disc standard version and a two-disc "Showstopper Edition". But for many girls, fame also offered an array of new opportunities. 18 no. [8] Dreamgirls earned a total of $851,664 from the roadshow engagements, playing to sold-out houses on the weekends. We were into, or going into the Vietnam War. Their first several singles for the label bombed, but once the group changed lead vocalists and hooked up with songwriters Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland, the Supremes exploded with five consecutive No. And the same non-threatening, pure quality that was letting black girl groups cross over into white culture was giving young women force in the civil rights movement. "[22] Another Dreamgirls veteran present in the film is Hinton Battle, who was a summer replacement for James "Thunder" Early onstage and here portrays Curtis' aide-de-camp Wayne. [78], At the Academy Awards ceremony on February 25, 2007, Dreamgirls won Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Best Sound Mixing. He appoints the slimmer, more conventionally attractive Deena as the new lead singer, renaming them "The Dreams". Sometime later, C.C., who feels Curtis is undermining his songs' artistic merit by making them into disco music, quits the label. That isn't to say teenagers weren't also listening to the original Little Richard. Diana Ross left the Supremes in 1970 to pursue other projects such as film work, in 1972 she starred in her first motion picture, the Motown-produced Lady Sings the Blues. [7] Willie Reale wrote the lyrics for "Patience," a song performed in the film by Jimmy, Lorrell, C.C., and a gospel choir, as the characters attempt to record a message song for Jimmy. The production ran into problems when Houston wanted to sing both Deena and Effie's songs (particularly "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"), and the film was eventually abandoned. [36] The award-winning Broadway lighting team of Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer were brought in to create theatrical lighting techniques for the film's musical numbers. Dreamgirls Directed by Bill Condon Produced by Laurence Mark Written by Bill Condon Based on Dreamgirls by Henry Krieger Tom Eyen Starring Jamie Foxx Beyonc Knowles Eddie Murphy Danny Glover Anika Noni Rose Keith Robinson Jennifer Hudson Music by Stephen Trask Cinematography Tobias A. Schliessler Editing by Virginia Katz Studio harder for the industries that marginalise them". When Jimmy bombs in front of an all-white Miami Beach supper club audience, Curtis sends him out on the road alone, keeping The Dreamettes behind to headline in his place. [citation needed]. Terms of Use A black-owned recording company having such a hit was, at that time, revolutionary. dreamgirls.movie. [43] "Listen" was the first official single from the soundtrack, supported by a music video featuring Beyonc. With three Golden Globe awards and eight Academy Award nominations, Dreamgirls has renewed interest in the girl groups of the 1960s as well as Motown Records, the Detroit-based company that became one of the most influential labels of the time. 214,187 people follow this. ", Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture, Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards, Best Actress Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture or Television, Best Song Written for a Motion Picture or Television, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards, "STAGE TO SCREENS: "Dreamgirls" Composer Krieger and Co-Star Rose; Plus David Warren". Destructive 'Super Pigs' From Canada Threaten the Northern U.S. Did an Ancient Magnetic Field Reversal Cause Chaos for Life on Earth 42,000 Years Ago? For instance, "Please Mr. Postman" is in some ways a classic girl group song, with a girl waiting for a letter from a boy. 2. [93][94] A later scene features Curtis and the Dreams recording in the studio, while a riot rages outside. [42] Among this footage was one whole musical number, C.C. Screenwriter and director Bill Condon, who wrote Chicago's screenplay, met producer Laurence Mark at a Hollywood holiday party in late 2002, where the two discussed a long-held "dream project" of Condon's adapting Dreamgirls for the screen. [68] Three months later, twenty minutes of the film specifically, the musical sequences "Fake Your Way to the Top", "Family", "When I First Saw You", and "Dreamgirls" were screened at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, with most of the cast and crew in attendance. In casting Hudson, Condon recalled that he initially was not confident he'd made the right decision, but instinctively cast Hudson after she'd auditioned several times because he "just didn't believe any of the others. He created a thick, roaring, echoing sound, like The Ronettes' recording of "Be My Baby. "Introduction". We had a lot of young men that were leaving home for the first time going into the military, and, of course, some never returned. Just as it's gaining local radio play, Curtis uses payola to force radio stations to play The Dreams' disco cover of the song. However, Deena clandestinely hopes the film will never come to be, pursuing other acting gigs. [16] That same year, Geffen, who ran his Warner Bros.-associated Geffen Pictures film production company at the time, began talks with Broadway lyricist and producer Howard Ashman to adapt it as a star vehicle for Whitney Houston, who was to portray Deena. Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. Among the more direct references are the uses of adapted Supremes album cover designs for albums recorded in the film by the Dreams. InWomen of Motown, The Marvelettes' Schaffner says, "I loved going on the road. In 1967, Martha and The Vandellas were singing in Detriot when the riots broke out. Company Credits Meanwhile, The Dreams have become superstars and Rainbow Records, having moved to Los Angeles is now the biggest pop business in the country. ", The girl group era was also the civil rights era. [citation needed] A scrapbook, entitled Dreamgirls: The Movie Musical, was released on March 27, 2007. [46], Similar to the releases of older Hollywood musicals such as The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, and West Side Story, Dreamgirls debuted with three special ten-day roadshow engagements beginning on December 15, 2006 at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City, the Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles, and the AMC Metreon 15 in San Francisco. "[59], On the December 10, 2006 episode of the television show Ebert & Roeper, Richard Roeper and guest critic Aisha Tyler (filling in for Roger Ebert, who was recovering from cancer-related surgery) gave the film "two thumbs up", with Roeper's reservations that it was "a little short on heart and soul" and "deeply conventional". As much as Deena Jones, Beyonc Knowles' character in "Dreamgirls," was modeled on Diana Ross, the film's main character, Effie White, was based on Etta James, according to composer Henry Krieger. Lorrell Robinson. Aided by new songs and a new image, Curtis and C.C. Cast & Crew; Dreamgirls - Full Cast & Crew. The fantastic wigs look right, too. [35] Meanwhile, the music production crew began work with the actors and studio musicians recording the songs for the film. [23], The most crucial casting decision involved the role of Effie White, the emotional center of the story. Of course, some of the girls were so young that chaperones accompanied them on toursometimes their parents. 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In 1962 Detroit, Michigan, young car salesman Curtis Taylor Jr. meets a Black girl group known as "The Dreamettes", consisting of lead singer Effie White and backup singers Deena Jones and Lorrell Robinson, at an R&B amateur talent show at the Detroit Theatre. Based on the Broadway musical, a trio of black female soul singers cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960's. 216,688 people like this. She is an Academy Award-winning actress, Grammy Award-winning recording artist and best-selling author. Gain full access to show guides, character breakdowns, auditions, monologues and more! "[34], After Hudson was cast in November 2005, the Dreamgirls cast began extensive rehearsals with Condon and choreographers Fatima Robinson and Aakomon "AJ" Jones, veterans of the music video industry. Dreamgirls is a fictional work, adapted from a 1981 successful Broadway musical inspired by the real-life story and success of The Supremes. 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