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DREAMGIRLS OPENING NIGHT AT THE APOLLO
By Wilson Morales
Novemer 23, 2009
Last night, a star-studded crowded came out for the opening night of 'Dreamgirls, which is playing at the Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater (253 West 125th Street).
Among the celebrities in attendance were Original Dreamgirls Sheryl Lee Ralph, Filmmaker George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, Harry Belafonte, Designer Carolina Herrera, Joan Rivers, Lillias White, and Mario Lopez.
Directed by Bartlett Sher, the cast of the show includes Moya Angela as Effie White, Syesha Mercado as Deena Jones, Adrienne Warren as Lorrell Robinson, Margaret Hoffman as Michelle Morris with Chaz Lamar Shepherd as Curtis Taylor, Jr., Chester Gregory is James "Thunder" Early, Trevon Davis as C.C. White, and Milton Craig Nealy as Marty Madison. Other cast member include Tallia Brinson, Felicia Boswell, Patrice Covington, Ronald Duncan, Talitha Farrow, Brittney Griffin, James Harkness, Robert Hartwell, Eric Jackson, Chauncey Jenkins, Jared Joseph, Nikki Kimbrough, Brittany Lewis, Douglas Lyons, Kimberly Marable, Jarran Muse, Amaker Smith and Marc Spaulding.
Dreamgirls tells the rags-to-riches story of an up-and-coming 1960's girl group from Chicago, and the triumphs and tribulations that come with fame and fortune. The original Broadway production of Dreamgirls opened December 20, 1981 at the Imperial Theatre and won six 1982 Tony Awards. Dreamgirls closed on Broadway August 11, 1985, after 1,522 performances. Dreamgirls features music by Academy Award nominee Henry Krieger and book and lyrics by Tony and Grammy-Award winner Tom Eyen. The original Broadway production was directed byMichael Bennett and choreographed by Bennett and Michael Peters. Dreamgirls was adapted into a motion picture by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures, and opened in December 2006.
The show is directed and choreographed by Robert Longbottom with co-choreography by Shane Sparks, scenic design by Robin Wagner, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Ken Billington, sound design by Acme Sound Partners, media design by Howard Werner for Lightswitch and is produced by John Breglio for Vienna Waits Productions.
The show is currently running for 5 weeks only through December, 12, 2009. It will then go on a national tour through Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Chicago, Boston, Columbus, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Costa Mesa, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and more. - http://www.dreamgirlsonstage.com/
Dreamgirls will be a highlight of the Apollo Theater's 75th Anniversary celebration in 2009.
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