Characters Dreamgirls Curtis Taylor, Jr. Curtis Taylor, Jr. Dreamgirls See more characters from Tom Eyen Henry Krieger Breakdown Key Information Character Curtis Taylor, Jr. Show Dreamgirls Gender Male Age Range Adult Role Size Lead Dancing Mover Voice Tenor, Baritone Vocal Technique Legit, Pop Time & Place And gangs of boy dancers are strictly a Broadway convention; the R&B world was far too cash poor to afford such extraneous luxuries. [8] This release made Dreamgirls the first American feature film to have a roadshow release since Man of La Mancha in 1972. Some might even remember the 1981 Broadway production with Jennifer Holliday. Instead, says Whitall, it was more of a movie studio system. [49] Both DVD versions featured alternative and extended versions of the musical numbers from the film as extras, including the "Effie, Sing My Song" scene deleted during previews. At the 64th Golden Globe Awards, it won three awards, including for the Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.[9]. "Love You I Do," with lyrics by Siedah Garrett, is performed in the film by Effie during a rehearsal at the Rainbow Records studio. [39] During post-production, composer Stephen Trask was contracted to provide additional score material for the film. 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This is a hit with the audience until Jimmy goes too far and drops his pants. In an era of cultural upheaval, girl groups helped articulate the personal experiences of teenagersof all raceswho were living through tremendous political upheaval. Certainly whites (particularly young people) had been listening to black music before girl groups came on the scene, and black artists had made the pop charts before. The post-war baby boom had produced more teenagers than ever before, and the 1950s brought the explosion of a new teen culture with its own music, clothes, movies and dancing. 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. The film, and the original Broadway musical, are based heavily on The Supremes (later known as "Diana Ross & The Supremes"). ", In Motown, Berry Gordy had a specific formula for making a hit song. "[64] A review for The Celebrity Cafe echoes that Hudson's voice "is like nothing weve heard in a long time, and her acting is a great match for that power-house sound. "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. "For them to be on Ed Sullivanalmost every week it seemed likethat was a tremendous, incredible influence," Whitall remembers. Towards the end, Curtis notices Magic in the front row, realizing she is his daughter. Schumacher planned to have Lauryn Hill[18] portray Deena and Kelly Price play Effie. The Broadway show had been had been partly financed by music mogul turned film producer David Geffen, who retained rights to produce the movie. . During the course of production, Paramount's parent company, Viacom, would purchase DreamWorks, aligning the two studios under one umbrella (and giving the senior studio US distribution rights on behalf of DreamWorks). "[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". Because of events like this, says Warwick, the figure of the non-white teenage girl was being politicized in America. He eventually drops Effie, hiring his secretary Michelle Morris to replace her beginning with their 1966 New Year's Eve debut in Las Vegas as "Deena Jones & the Dreams." And we were fourth. The film adaptation features an ensemble cast, starring Jamie Foxx, Beyonc Knowles and Eddie Murphy with Jennifer Hudson, Danny Glover, Anika Noni Rose and Keith Robinson in supporting roles. 2023 Smithsonian Magazine [38], Shooting was completed in the early-morning hours of April 8, 2006, after four days were spent shooting Jennifer Hudson's musical number "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", which had purposefully been saved until the end of the shoot. They sang to mixed audiences about courtship, boys, parties, parents and parents not letting them go to parties to court boys. Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. There is even a brief appearance by a group resembling the young Jackson Five. Deena Jones is based on the Supremes' lead singer Diana Ross and two former Supremes members Scherrie Payne and Jean Terrell. [105][106] Several references are also made to Mafia-backed loans Curtis uses to fund Rainbow Records. Dreamgirls is the first live-action film to receive three nominations for Best Song; previously the Disney animated features Beauty and the Beast (1991) and The Lion King (1994) had each received three Academy Award nominations for Best Song; Enchanted (2007) has since repeated the feat. "Dreamgirls" is the fictionalized story of the creation of The Supremes and the rise of Berry Gordy and Motown. The fantastic wigs look right, too. See the gallery Photos 536 Known for Dreamgirls 6.6 Effie White 2006 The Secret Life of Bees 7.2 Rosaleen Daise 2008 Sex and the City 5.7 Louise 2008 Respect 6.6 Aretha Franklin 2021 [16], While Condon had intended to cast relatively unknown actresses as all three Dreams,[13] R&B singer Beyonc Knowles lobbied for the part of Deena Jones,[22] and was cast after a successful screen test. [5][47][48] The film's national release, at regular prices, began on December 25. head songwriter. A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials. [8] With a production budget of $80 million, Dreamgirls is one of the most expensive films to feature a predominant African-American starring cast in American film history. Of course, some of the girls were so young that chaperones accompanied them on toursometimes their parents. Florence Ballard was the alcoholic member of the Supremes who finally became too much of a problem and was unceremoniously replaced in the trio at the height of their career. Dreamgirls eventually grossed $103 million in North America, and almost $155 million worldwide. And it wasn't only menRuth Brown's "Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean" was number one on the R&B charts in 1953, and number 23 on the pop charts. Congratulations to Santos, the entire cast and production team for bringing "Dreamgirls" to the MunOpCo Music Theatre stage. [56], Rolling Stone's Peter Travers gave the film three and a half stars (out of four) and the number-two position on his "best of 2006" list, stating that "despite transitional bumps, Condon does Dreamgirls proud". [55] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale. In what was considered an upset, Murphy lost the Best Supporting Actor award to Alan Arkin for Little Miss Sunshine. They force Curtis to nationally distribute Effie's record to avoid being reported to the FBI. In Dreamgirls, Eddie Murphy plays James "Thunder" Early, a character who's part James Brown, part Little Richard, and all Eddie Murphy. [25] After briefly considering R&B singer Omarion,[26] singer/actor Keith Robinson was eventually cast in the role. transform The Dreams into a top-selling mainstream pop group. Initially, Deena is a shy . [53], On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 79% based on 206 reviews, with an average rating of 7.30/10. Schaffner of The Marvelettes talks about the song's political significance in Marc Taylor's book The Original Marvelettes: Motown's Mystery Girl Group. He writes and produces a comeback single for her, "One Night Only". 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. 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Gain full access to show guides, character breakdowns, auditions, monologues and more! [4], Mark and Condon began pre-production with the intentions of casting Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy, both actors with record industry experience, as Curtis Taylor, Jr. and James "Thunder" Early, respectively. Outside Motown, The Shangri-Las were singing songs about good girls loving bad boys, such as "Leader of the Pack." [97] In a snapshot, Ed Sullivan appears presenting the real Supremes on his show. The success of girl groups had much to do with the market. [80] It was also named as one of the American Film Institute's top ten films of 2006. Laurie, Timothy. 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. Your Privacy Rights [41], Four new songs were added for the film: "Love You I Do", "Patience", "Perfect World," and "Listen. That same year, four teenage girls were killed in the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. The girl group phenomenon reached its height between 1960 and 1963, though many scholars recognize The Chantel's 1958 song "Maybe" as the beginning of girl groups' commercial success. Though a music video with all-original footage was once planned,[44] the video eventually released for "And I Am Telling You" comprised the entire corresponding scene in the actual film. [21] Murphy, on the other hand, accepted the role of Jimmy Early after being convinced to do so by DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg. [50] As of 2017[update], total domestic video sales to date are at $95.1 million. Character description, analysis and casting breakdown for Effie White from Dreamgirls. ", It wasn't uncommon for a group to get its big break at a high school talent show or, like The Dreamettes in the movie Dreamgirls, at a local talent contest. Both the Blu-ray and HD DVD versions were issued in two-disc formats. [6] The story follows the history and evolution of American R&B music during the 1960s and 1970s through the eyes of a Detroit girl group known as "The Dreams" and their manipulative record executive. [7] "Listen", with additional music by Scott Cutler and Beyonc, and lyrics by Anne Preven, is presented as a defining moment for Deena's character late in the film. Geffen, taking the role of co-producer, brought Paramount Pictures in to co-finance and release Dreamgirls. [16], Warner Bros. had retained the film rights to Dreamgirls, and agreed to co-produce with DreamWorks. Premiere of Dreamgirls, Weekend Box Office Results, Dec. 15 17, 2006, Press Release: Paramount Home Entertainment Presents the Critically-Acclaimed Smash Hit and Winner of Two Academy Awards: DREAMGIRLS Two-Disc Showstopper Edition, "DREAMGIRLS Director's Cut Extended Edition Coming to Blu-ray Combo Gift Set This October", "Bill Condon reveals what's exciting about Dreamgirls: Director's Extended Edition", http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13504630.2012.667603, Exclusive: Jennifer Holliday Says She Created Role in, "'Dreamgirls' snubbed for Oscars best film nomination". But in Motown, Berry Gordy knew he could achieve both the musical and social aspect of crossover with well-groomed, sweet young girls. "[77] Reports emerged of significant behind-the-scenes in-fighting between the DreamWorks and Paramount camps, in particular between DreamWorks' David Geffen and Paramount CEO Brad Grey, over decision making and credit-claiming during the Dreamgirls awards campaign. [98] There is also a solo album, Just In Time, recorded by Deena Jones shown in the film, the album cover for which is based on Dionne Warwick's 1970 album, Very Dionne. Dreamgirls premiered on December 4, 2006 at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City, where it received a standing ovation. "That really had never happened before and it really hasn't happened since," says Warwick. 5, 537553. In 1967, Martha and The Vandellas were singing in Detriot when the riots broke out. [67], DreamWorks and Paramount began a significant awards campaign for Dreamgirls while the film was still in production. InWomen of Motown, The Marvelettes' Schaffner says, "I loved going on the road. The following year, Jimmy has descended into drug addiction due to Curtis' focus on Deena, along with the rejection of the charity single he recorded. [citation needed] In addition, the Tonnor Doll Company released "The Dreamettes" collection, featuring dolls of the characters Deena, Lorrell, and Effie, to coincide with the release of the film. ", The girls went to Detroit for an audition, and eventually, they kick-started the Motown hit machine that would later call itself "The Sound of Young America." White,[24] but contract negotiations failed; Usher was unable to dedicate half a year to the project. 'Dreamgirls' Gets Standing Ovations, Cheers, Loretta Devine & Sheryl Lee Ralph Attend L.A. After Warner's Frankie Lymon biopic Why Do Fools Fall in Love failed at the box office, the studio shut down development on Dreamgirls. However, Deena clandestinely hopes the film will never come to be, pursuing other acting gigs. The film version references elements of Motown history to add backstory to the musical's plot, and there are many homages to a number of distinct 1960s/1970s R&B stars (besides The Supremes and Motown acts such as Marvin Gaye, the Jackson 5, and Tammi . These dark moments, where shadows fall across the dazzling film, resonated with truth. The girls rarely wrote their own songs, but neither did the male groups of the time. "[60] Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter was less enthusiastic, stating that while the film was "a damn good commercial movie, it is not the film that will revive the musical or win over the world". 2. [23], The most crucial casting decision involved the role of Effie White, the emotional center of the story. For American girls to see female groups was something new. [20] Condon did not start work on the Dreamgirls script until after making the Alfred Kinsey biographical film Kinsey (2004). They're pictured during a routine they'll do on an upcoming Red Skelton television show. In 1961, The Shirelles reached number one on the pop charts with "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" [100] On the other hand, Mary Wilson attended the film's Los Angeles premiere, later stating that Dreamgirls moved her to tears and that it was "closer to the truth than they even know". The timing of 'Postman' was excellent. Gottfried, Marvin (2007). "This is not a singer-songwriter thing, where they were coming in with their own material," she says. and Effie's sung reunion "Effie, Sing My Song", which was replaced with an alternative spoken version.[15][42]. Gaye was not only Motown's chief solo male vocal star, he was married to Gordy's sister. [7] "Perfect World," also featuring lyrics by Garrett, is performed during the Rainbow 10th anniversary special sequence by Jackson 5 doppelgngers The Campbell Connection. [62] University of Sydney academic Timothy Laurie was critical of the film's social message, noting that "the worthy receive just desserts by working even 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. Male promoters did have ultimate control over the groups, and in what is arguably a tradition in the recording industry, some musicians were exploited: they didn't get credit for their work, it was released under a different name or they didn't get royalties. Similarities to Aretha Franklin, however, are also hardly coincidental. Filming & Production As a result, more than fifty high schools, colleges, community theaters, and other non-commercial theater entities staged productions of Dreamgirls in 2006, and DreamWorks spent up to $250,000 subsidizing the licensing. Social Identities: Journal for the Study of Race, Nation and Culture, vol. Jimmy's manager, Marty Madison, grows weary of Curtis' plans to make his client more pop-friendly and walks out. "Creative License or 'Sour Grapes'? 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. But for many girls, fame also offered an array of new opportunities. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Left to right: Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, Diana Ross AP Wire photo 1965 1 In Sluggish Sales Week. But they also sang about love and crushes, mostly from the position of a patiently waiting, yearning girl. [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. 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