Recap requests for the Muny’s first presentation of the iconic Broadway musical Dreamgirls will be precise and to the point. A single question will be on the lips of interested parties in lieu of a review.
“Does she still have it?”
Yes, she does.
It was apparent the moment she opened her mouth to sing lead on the Dreamettes’ Apollo debut “Move” that the vocals that made her a star in the early 1980s were still in fighting form.
On a sweltering evening, people sat as far back as the eye can see to get a taste of history in motion at the Muny on Monday for the opening production of Dreamgirls. Nearly 8,500 guests came to see Broadway legend Jennifer Holliday reprise her Tony Award-winning role of Effie White in front of the largest audience at one time.
As the 30th anniversary of the iconic Broadway production prepared to get underway, guests sat eagerly. They were being granted a special gift, and the city didn’t take the gesture lightly – the Dreamgirls opening performance was the biggest audience at the Muny so far this season.
Many weren’t even born when the show debuted, but thanks to the film adaptation they sat eager to travel back to the source of the Academy Award-winning film – and the woman who essentially gave Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson the blueprint for a career as a powerhouse singer/actress.
Director Robert Clater was charged with the monumental task of recreating some of the most magical moments of Broadway history. He took a purist approach as he handled the responsibility with grace and genuine affection. The production wasn’t perfect, but with the manic pace and limited breathing room that comes with the territory for a Muny production, Dreamgirls delivered.
Most eyes were on Holliday’s Effie – the central character of an all-too-familiar story of the ups and downs for black artists of the music industry during the 1960s.
Nobody could live up to Holliday’s performance in the original production of the musical, but Holliday came as close as anyone could imagine to reaching the bar set by her 21-year-old self 30 years before.
The power and intensity that inspired standing ovations and raw emotion were still there, even if the more conservative audience didn’t opt to act on their instincts to rise from their seats as she closed out Act One with “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.”
Some artists who are a pretty big deal in their own right, with credits that range from Broadway to film and television, were enlisted to help Ms. Holliday along the way in Dreamgirls.
Christopher Jackson portrays Curtis, the slimy car salesman turned artist manager charged with the task of building an empire and breaking Effie’s heart. His imposing, infectious energy could be felt way back in the free seats.
Milton Craig Nealy handled James Thunder Early with the confidence and talent range with respect to song and movement of a seasoned professional.
And as usual, local acting veteran Ken Page used his endless resume of stage and screen experience to leave an impression as Marty – one of the few good men in the music business.
If there was a weak link among the core ensemble it would be Tommar Wilson, who didn’t elicit the same soul as the other performers in his role as Effie’s little brother C.C.
The Muny’s presentation of Dreamgirls didn’t veer from the path of the original production – most notably through the work of costume technician John Furrow. Thanks to him, the glitz and glamour of Deena Jones and the Dreams was recaptured with each stitch. Every measure was taken to present a restoration of the original presentation, and unfortunately the shortcomings of the production were magnified for the Muny’s Dreamgirls.
Even with the hustle and bustle of the opening scene, the pace of Dreamgirls seemed extremely labored. And just like with the original, the second half of the show fails at living up to the momentum of emotion and engagement thanks to Holliday’s soul stirring finale for Act One.
But any complaints with respect to the misses among the Muny’s Dreamgirls are offset by the opportunity offered to St. Louis audiences that is all but unheard of in this area. A new generation will get remnants of an original defining moment in musical theatre, because for the next few days an icon is breathing new life into an experience so legendary it seemed mythical.
The Muny’s production of Dreamgirls starring Jennifer Holliday will run through July 22. For more information, visit www.muny.org or call (314) 361-1900.
