Product Description
In the 20 years since it opened on Broadway, DREAMGIRLS has acquired a mythic reputation few musicals achieve. With a vibrant score by Henry Krieger that captures the Motown sound of the 60's, coupled with a backstage story full of ebullience, sadness, and soul, and legendary staging and direction by Michael Bennett, it told the story of a singing group's rise from obscurity to pop stardom. The original cast album spawned the #1 R&B single, "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going," (sung by Jennifer Holliday), a Grammy Award, won six 1982 Tonys, and played more than 1,500 performances. What made it great can be experienced COMPLETE for the first time in this 2 CD anniversary recording of a one-time only performance produced by The Actor's Studio and starring a host of today's most coveted Tony Award-winning talent: Heather Headley (Elton John/Tim Rice's AIDA) as Lorrell, Audra McDonald (three-time Tony winner and RAGTIME star)as Deena, Lillias White (THE LIFE) as Effie, plus Darius De Haas (as C.C. White), Norm Lewis (as Curtis Taylor, Jr.), Billy Porter (as James Thunder Early), James Stovall (as Marty), and Tamara Tunie (as Michelle Morris), plus Brian Stoke Mitchell (RAGTIME, KISS ME KATE) and others.
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A Chorus Line may be better known, but Dreamgirls was a towering achievement for director Michael Bennett. Loosely based on the Supremes' story, the 1982 musical told a typical show-biz tale of fame, backbiting, and survival. As is often the case for one-night only events, the cast in this concert version (recorded in New York on September 24, 2001) is led by an eye-popping assortment of Broadway powerhouses: Lillias White (The Life), Audra McDonald (Ragtime, Marie Christine), and Heather Headley (Ragtime). McDonald reveals a previously undisclosed comic streak, while Headley confirms her status as a rising star. Reprising the role of Effie Melody White (created by Jennifer Holliday), White belts the classic "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." But the beauty of Dreamgirls is that it's so packed with catchy, Motown-influenced R&B numbers that each lead can sink her teeth into some prime material and get a turn in the spotlight. This double-CD set really makes you wish you'd been there when the show was recorded: you can hear the crowd going berserk at times, and the temptation is strong to do the same thing in the comfort of your living room. --Elisabeth Vincentelli
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