Who played in Dreamgirls on Broadway?

Casts of notable productions

Character	1981 Broadway	2016 West End
Effie Melody White	Jennifer Holliday	Amber Riley
Deena Jones	Sheryl Lee Ralph	Liisi Lafontaine
Lorrell Robinson	Loretta Devine	Ibinabo Jack
Curtis Taylor Jr.	Ben Harney	Joe Aaron Reid

Is Effie White a real person?

JENNIFER HUDSON’s Oscar-nominated turn as EFFIE WHITE is loosely based on SUPREMES singer FLORENCE BALLARD’s tragic life, but, unlike Effie’s film triumph, the real singer was kicked out of the soul trio and never invited back. She would think about the other Supremes, start drinking and then cry.

Who played Diana Ross Dreamgirls?

Beyonce
In “Dreamgirls” (2006) Beyonce played the Diana Ross-esque lead singer of a ’60s singing trio in this movie based on the 1981 Broadway musical. Photo: David James. Sheryl Lee Ralph of original Broadway cast to introduce film.

How old was Deena Jones in Dreamgirls?

Knowles’s dowdy look does not remain, as the musical follows the rise of her character’s group, The Dreamgirls, over several decades. After Deena Jones begins, in the film, at age 16, the character blossoms into a beauty.

How did Jennifer Holliday lose weight?

In the 1990s, Holliday lost a substantial amount of weight and talked about her health struggles with depression during promotional interviews. Initially, the weight loss was attained strictly by diet. Eventually, in an effort to avoid regaining the weight, Holliday had gastric bypass surgery.

Who are the characters in Dreamgirls based on?

Written by composer Henry Krieger and playwright Tom Eyen, Dreamgirls is said to be a fictional story based on girl groups of the 1960s such as The Supremes, The Shirelles and The Marvelettes – but speculation that it was based on The Supremes and their relationship with Berry Gordy, founder of Motown Records has been …

Was Dreamgirls a true story?

Did Eddie Murphy sing in Dreamgirls?

In Dreamgirls, Eddie Murphy plays James “Thunder” Early, a character who’s part James Brown, part Little Richard, and all Eddie Murphy. Like the rest of the cast, Eddie does all his own singing in the film, but even he admits that the pop albums he put out in the ’80s weren’t a good example of what he could do.

Was Deena sleeping with Curtis?

Effie accused Curtis of sleeping with Deena before he was finished with her. The looks on both Curtis and Deena’s faces confirmed her suspicions. After kicking Effie out of the group, they were able to become more public about their relationship, and eventually married.

How old was Beyonce when filming Dreamgirls?

24-years-old
Beyoncé was just 24-years-old when she starred as Deena Jones in the Academy Award-winning film, which was based on the iconic Broadway show, but was singer’s salary at the time was much less than you might expect.

Is Eddie Murphy singing in Dreamgirls?

Is Dreamgirls a Broadway musical?

Dreamgirls is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen.

Who are the actors in the Dreamgirls?

The film adaptation of Dreamgirls stars Jamie Foxx as Curtis, Beyoncé as Deena, Eddie Murphy as Jimmy, Danny Glover as Marty, Jennifer Hudson as Effie, Anika Noni Rose as Lorrell, Keith Robinson as C.C., Sharon Leal as Michelle and Hinton Battle as Wayne.

What is the plot of Dreamgirls?

Dreamgirls is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. Based on the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Supremes, The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others, the musical follows the story of a young female singing trio from Chicago,…

When did Dreamgirls come out in theaters?

Dreamgirls was first exhibited in special ten-day road show engagements beginning December 15, 2006. Subsequently, the film went into national release on December 25, 2006. Loretta Devine, who originated the Lorrell role, has a cameo role as a jazz singer in the film.