The single-disc version of the soundtrack peaked at number-one on the Billboard 200 during a slow sales week in early January 2007. [104] Gordy issued a statement shortly afterwards expressing his acceptance of the apology. and Effie's sung reunion "Effie, Sing My Song", which was replaced with an alternative spoken version.[15][42]. BOOKING "[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". They force Curtis to nationally distribute Effie's record to avoid being reported to the FBI. [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. leaves Los Angeles and reconciles with Effie in Detroit. With Tom Eyen having died in 1991,[7] various lyricists were brought in by Krieger to co-author the new songs. [37], Beyonc Knowles elected to lose weight to give the mature Deena Jones of the 1970s a different look than the younger version of the character. [105][106] Several references are also made to Mafia-backed loans Curtis uses to fund Rainbow Records. And, of course, white artists also re-recorded songs done by black artists. [16] The roles of many of the characters were related more closely to their real-life inspirations, following a suggestion by Geffen. Beyonc, Madonna, and Prince are just a few of the superstars who have revolutionized the Super Bowl halftime show. 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. Instead, says Whitall, it was more of a movie studio system. But they also sang about love and crushes, mostly from the position of a patiently waiting, yearning girl. 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. Disillusioned by Jimmy's death and Curtis' cold reaction to the news, C.C. "Creative License or 'Sour Grapes'? "At Motown, The Marvelettes, The Velvelettes, groups like that, are much more clearly identified as teenagers," she says, "and arguably that's why The Supremes had more longevity. [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. 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. Of course, some of the girls were so young that chaperones accompanied them on toursometimes their parents. White,[24] but contract negotiations failed; Usher was unable to dedicate half a year to the project. He writes and produces a comeback single for her, "One Night Only". The film was a commercial success, grossing over $155 million at the international box office. [40] Several musical numbers from the Broadway score were not included in the film version, in particular Lorrell's solo "Ain't No Party". And he did have a long-standing affair with Ross. . [31], Dreamgirls received eight 2007 Academy Award nominations covering six categories, the most of any film for the year, although it was not nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, or either of the lead acting categories. The character was portrayed in the original 1981 Broadway production of Dreamgirls by Ben Harney and in its 2006 film adaptation by Jamie Foxx, who also played Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Bats in Baby Driver. Similarities to Aretha Franklin, however, are also hardly coincidental. In February 2006, the press was invited on set to a special live event showcasing the making of the film, including a live performance of "Steppin' to the Bad Side" by the cast. [16], Warner Bros. had retained the film rights to Dreamgirls, and agreed to co-produce with DreamWorks. Gaye was not only Motown's chief solo male vocal star, he was married to Gordy's sister. In any case, neither Franklin nor James ever belonged to the Supremes. InWomen of Motown, The Marvelettes' Schaffner says, "I loved going on the road. After Warner's Frankie Lymon biopic Why Do Fools Fall in Love failed at the box office, the studio shut down development on Dreamgirls. 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. [19] After sending Geffen the first draft of his screenplay in January 2005, Condon's adaptation of Dreamgirls was greenlit. 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. [8] Dreamgirls earned a total of $851,664 from the roadshow engagements, playing to sold-out houses on the weekends. Gordy did work on the Ford assembly line in his early days (the Gordy figure in the movie, Curtis Taylor Jr., played by Jamie Foxx, runs a car dealership), and he worked his way up in the music business starting as a songwriter for Jackie Wilson. Official Sites Advertising Notice [41], Four new songs were added for the film: "Love You I Do", "Patience", "Perfect World," and "Listen. Jennifer Kate Hudson was born on September 12, 1981 in Chicago, Illinois to Darnell Donerson (ne Hudson) & Samuel Simpson. Their songs employed a lead voice with backup harmonies, and the music was a hybrid of soul, rhythm and blues, pop and 1950's doo-wop. "Dreamgirls" draws its story from the relationship between the Supremes and Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr., although the end result is pure fiction, cinema and musical theater. In any case, neither Franklin nor James ever belonged to the Supremes. That same year, four teenage girls were killed in the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. ", 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. [5], DreamWorks Home Entertainment released Dreamgirls to home video on May 1, 2007[49] in DVD, HD DVD, and Blu-ray formats. She is an Academy Award-winning actress, Grammy Award-winning recording artist and best-selling author. Release Dates [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. Schumacher planned to have Lauryn Hill[18] portray Deena and Kelly Price play Effie. ", 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." [5] At the 79th Academy Awards, the film received a leading eight nominations, winning Best Supporting Actress (for Hudson), and Best Sound Mixing. Soon people started talking about how the group's hit song "Dancing in the Streets" was about social uprising. In what was considered an upset, Murphy lost the Best Supporting Actor award to Alan Arkin for Little Miss Sunshine. [84] The Dreamgirls soundtrack was also nominated for the Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album. [16] The completed film had a production budget of $75 million, making Dreamgirls the most expensive film with an all-black starring cast in cinema history. [101], However, Smokey Robinson was less than pleased about the film's allusions to Motown history. The success of girl groups had much to do with the market. They're pictured during a routine they'll do on an upcoming Red Skelton television show. Dreamgirls - Musical 2 Lorrell Robinson Dreamgirls - Musical 1 Curtis Taylor, Jr. Dreamgirls - Musical 0 View All Characters in Dreamgirls Auditons for AMDA (Virtual) New York, NY Ages 12-17: NY Pops Birthday Gala Concert New York, NY Miss Saigon New York, NY Half-Price Tickets Dec 12 - Apr 2 Drunk Shakespeare New York, NY $55 - $89 Our Price Dreamgirls - Musical. [107] Gordy was highly suspected, though never proven, to have used Mafia-backed loans to finance Motown during its later years.[108]. 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. But Krieger has said the songs "are nowhere close to the Motown sound." Ballard never reunited with the other Primettes, unlike the sentimental ending to "Dreamgirls." By contrast, the actresses who originated Hudson's and Knowles' roles on Broadway, Jennifer Holliday and Sheryl Lee Ralph, respectively, were both nominated for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress, with Holliday winning the award. The two-disc version also included a feature-length production documentary, production featurettes, screen tests, animatics, and other previsualization materials and artwork. The Broadway show had been had been partly financed by music mogul turned film producer David Geffen, who retained rights to produce the movie. Privacy Statement 1 hits at the height of Beatlemania. [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. 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. [5][47][48] The film's national release, at regular prices, began on December 25. Deena and Effie reconcile, with Effie telling her that Curtis is Magic's father. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts gave the film awards for Supporting Actress (Jennifer Hudson) and Music (Henry Krieger). That same year, Motown got its first pop hit with The Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Based on his/her attributes, we recommend you consider these audition pieces! Offstage, Effie falls in love with Curtis while the married Jimmy does likewise with Lorrell. The limited edition program guide accompanying the Dreamgirls road show release was made available for retail purchase in February. His role in the . [4] Upon its release, the film garnered positive reviews from critics, who particularly praised Condon's direction, the soundtrack, costume design, production design, and performances of the cast (in particular of Hudson and Murphy). In Motown, founder Berry Gordy aimed to make music with widespread pop charts appeal. head songwriter. [36] The film was primarily shot on soundstages at the Los Angeles Center Studios and on location in the Los Angeles area, with some second unit footage shot in Detroit, Miami, and New York City. In the mid-to-late 1960s, they took on more of a tough girl image, wearing spike heels and tight leather pants to match their delinquent themes. The kind of dance styles employed by R&B acts hardly lend themselves to the choreography commonly found in Broadway productions. And gangs of boy dancers are strictly a Broadway convention; the R&B world was far too cash poor to afford such extraneous luxuries. [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 [80] It was also named as one of the American Film Institute's top ten films of 2006. Diana Ross, long a critic of the Broadway version of Dreamgirls for what she saw as an appropriation of her life story,[99] denied having seen the film version. [50] As of 2017[update], total domestic video sales to date are at $95.1 million. [31] The presentation of Knowles over Hudson as the sole Best Actress candidate had interesting parallels with the film itself. "For them to be on Ed Sullivanalmost every week it seemed likethat was a tremendous, incredible influence," Whitall remembers. Nat King Cole reached the charts in 1946 with "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66," which made the top ten. [7], After preview screenings during the summer of 2006, several minutes worth of musical footage were deleted from the film due to negative audience reactions to the amount of music. This was not what Martha Reeves thought of when she sang the song. Delivery time is estimated using our proprietary method which is based on the buyer's proximity to the item location, the shipping service selected, the . 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Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. [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. For. [22] Rose, significantly shorter than most of her co-stars at five feet and two inches (157cm), was required to wear (and dance in) four and five-inch (127mm) heels for much of the picture, which she later stated caused her discomfort. Instead the score is standard issue Broadway fare, decorated with a few drumbeats and occasional light disco drive, that stays heavy on narrative subtext, allowing the songs to comment on the story line. The Supremes were three girls -- Ross, Ballard and Mary Wilson -- who grew up in the projects and originally called themselves the Primettes. For instance, "Please Mr. Postman" is in some ways a classic girl group song, with a girl waiting for a letter from a boy. [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. The character of Deena Jones leaves the Dreams in 1972 to pursue a career as an actress. [104], The payola scheme used in the film's script, to which Robinson took offense, is identical to the payola scheme allegedly used by Gordy and the other Motown executives, according to sworn court depositions from Motown executive Michael Lushka, offered during the litigation between the label and its chief creative team, HollandDozierHolland. Among the more direct references are the uses of adapted Supremes album cover designs for albums recorded in the film by the Dreams. Gordy 's sister in 1991, [ 24 ] but contract negotiations failed ; Usher was unable to half. 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