Photos by Diane Sobolewski
‘Dreamgirls’ – Book and lyrics by Tom Eyen. Music by Henry Krieger. Directed by Lili-Anne Brown. Choreography by Breon Arzell. Music Direction by Christie Chiles Twillie. Scenic design by Arnel Sancianco. Costume design by Samantha C. Jones. Co-Lighting design by Adam Honoré and Jason Lynch. Sound design by Jay Hilton. At The Goodspeed, 6 Main Street, East Haddam, CT, through December 30, 2023.
by Linda Chin
The question of whether the plot of the 1981 Tony Award-winning Dreamgirls, which follows the story of an all-girl Motown trio called the Dreams, is based on the real-life stories of the legendary group The Supremes is still the stuff of controversy but there should be little debate about whether Goodspeed Musicals’ production is the stuff dreams are made of. With the dream trio Lili-Anne Brown (director), Breon Arzell (choreographer) and Christie Chiles Twillie (music director) working in collaboration with a tremendously talented cast, this show not only features the dazzling dancing and sensational singing typical of most musical theater works (and yes, every member of this company has impressive technical and performance skills) but supreme and authentic acting, critical for a story that depicts the disappointments and drama that ensue when pursuing big dreams.
The focus on acting, and actors, was not surprising to me, having seen Brown’s brilliant direction of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone at The Huntington, a production that featured a cast of Boston’s finest actors and made my “Top 10 List of 2022.” For Dreamgirls, Brown has not simply revived the Broadway show but has taken on the challenge of “reclaiming the story.” As described in her program note, Dreamgirls is “a seminal show about the Black American experience written and developed entirely without Black people,” making reference to the trio Eyen and Krieger (who are credited above) and Michael Bennett, of A Chorus Line fame, who is listed in the credits as the original Broadway musical’s director and choreographer (and a producer), and also participated in writing the book and lyrics.
In the first scene, which takes place at Harlem, New York’s The Apollo Theatre, we get our first taste of the scenic, lighting, and costume designers’ (Arnel Sancianco, Adam Honoré and Jason Lynch, and Samantha C. Jones’) exquisite taste. It’s Amateur Night at the Apollo, and after the winners are announced, featured performer Jimmy Early will take the stage. But Jimmy’s two female backup singers have just quit (this may be a recurring event), creating an urgent situation for his veteran manager Marty (out of the gate, Robert Cornelius’ acting prowess sets the bar high for the rest of the cast, similar to his strong performances in Boston productions of Chicken and Biscuits and Joe Turner’s Come and Gone). The Dreamettes, Deena, Effie, and Lorrell (pitch-perfect performances by Ta-Tynisa Wilson, Trejah Bostic, Keirsten Hodgens) have traveled from Chicago with their songwriter, CC (Jos N. Banks, also a multi-talented Chicago native in real life) to follow their dreams. Their song ‘Move (You’re Steppin’ on My Heart)’ foreshadows the friction that will unfold with CC – who’s also Effie’s brother – and two other men who enter the girls’ lives. Curtis, an inexperienced but ambitious salesman who meets the Dreamettes backstage (a charismatic Evan Tyrone Martin), persuades Marty to hire them as Jimmy’s backup singers, and lands them their first paid gig, becomes their manager. Jimmy ‘James Thunder’ Early (a phenomenally talented Mykal Kilgore) is seductive and a seducer, a character you both desire and despise, and a triple-threat performer. Buckle your seat belts for Cadillac Car and a road trip across America, 1965-1972.
As per usual at Goodspeed, the musicians are first-rate. (Music director Christie Chiles Twillie plays Keyboard 1 and conducts the 8-piece band). A magical moment occurs when Jimmy breaks the fourth wall and directs individual musicians in the pit to play what he’s feeling in his soul, not what his manager (and an external gaze) feels will sell. I found the separate sounds of the saxophone and trumpet to be particularly riveting and triumphant.
Brown succeeds in achieving her goal of “departing from the external gaze” and giving actors (both their characters in the story and their real-life stories) opportunities to “reclaim their music, their agency within ‘showbiz’,” and to shine. The character Effie (a sizzling and stirring Trejah Bostic) has been given greater gravitas in this production. Her showstopping rendition of ‘(And I Am Telling You) I’m Not Going’ closes Act One on a strong note. After Bostic’s powerful performance, I imagined a Broadway debut in her future (her Dreamgirls co-stars Hodgens and Wilson have performed in Six and Hamilton), adding to the sweetness of this moment.
The drive from Boston to East Haddam is far – over two hours long each way – but seeing this production was well worth it. The fearlessness and sweetness of the performances – and the performers – will stay with you far longer than ‘one night only.’ For information and tickets, go to: https://www.goodspeed.org/shows/dreamgirls
