Dreamgirls

Dreamgirls
source
Name	Dreamgirls
Music	Henry Krieger
Lyrics	Tom Eyen
Book	Tom Eyen
Basis	Original concept
Premiere	December 20, 1981
Location	Imperial Theatre, Broadway, New York City

Dreamgirls is a Broadway musical that traces the rise of a 1960s/1970s African-American female singing trio and their navigation of fame, exploitation, and the music industry's transformations. It premiered on Broadway in 1981 and has since influenced theater, film, and popular music, spawning a 2006 film adaptation and numerous revivals. The work connects to a lineage of American popular culture, vocal groups, civil rights-era entertainment, and the evolution of soul, R&B, and pop performance.

Background and Development

The musical was conceived during a period of renewed interest in the history of rhythm and blues, with creative roots tied to the careers of figures associated with Motown Records and the Brill Building era. Composer Henry Krieger and librettist-lyricist Tom Eyen developed the show with producers and directors who had worked on Off-Broadway and mainstream Broadway productions, drawing inspiration from acts like The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy, and industry stories involving Motown and the 1960s Los Angeles session scene centered around Hitsville U.S.A. and the Funk Brothers. Early workshops and readings included performers connected to Apollo Theater alumni and creative collaborators from Lincoln Center and The Public Theater. Choreography and staging evolved through engagements with directors experienced in musicals influenced by Gershwin and Stephen Sondheim-era conventions, while score revisions reflected trends from Atlantic Records and Stax Records. The original Broadway production opened at the Imperial Theatre following previews in regional houses and benefited from critical attention linking it to narratives about civil rights movement era entertainment circuits such as the Chitlin' Circuit and venues like The Copa and The Roxy.

Plot

Set across the 1960s and 1970s, the story follows an aspiring trio from Chicago who move from local club dates to national television and recording stardom. The narrative charts their relationship with a manipulative manager and record executive reminiscent of figures connected to Motown Records and independent labels that competed with Columbia Records and Atlantic Records. Key plot points include television appearances on programs similar to The Ed Sullivan Show, touring across venues including the Apollo Theater and Las Vegas resorts, and conflicts over artistic control that mirror disputes handled in courts like those presided over by judges in the United States District Court for business suits involving recording contracts. The arc culminates in struggles with lineup changes, solo careers launched in the wake of internal betrayals, and public reckonings during televised award shows such as the Grammy Awards.

Characters and Casting

Principal characters include a dreamy lead singer, her best friend and second lead, an ambitious third member, and a manager-producer figure whose methods echo entertainment moguls. Original casting brought together performers from Broadway, Off-Broadway, and national tours with experience in repertory companies associated with New York Shakespeare Festival and regional theaters like Goodman Theatre. Notable performers in later high-profile adaptations included actors from film and television who had worked on projects with companies such as Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks, 20th Century Fox, and networks like NBC and ABC. Casting choices often involved singers with ties to Gospel music institutions, alumni of Juilliard School and Tisch School of the Arts, and artists who had collaborated with producers from Motown and producers who had engineered sessions at studios like Hitsville U.S.A. and Sun Studio.

Productions and Adaptations

After its Broadway run at the Imperial Theatre, the show toured nationally, with productions mounted in cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, London, and Toronto. West End stagings played at venues comparable to the Prince of Wales Theatre and revivals appeared in regional houses such as San Francisco's Curran Theatre and The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. A major film adaptation released in 2006 involved studios like Paramount Pictures and featured filmmakers with credits linking to Oscar-winning productions and composers who had collaborated with Quincy Jones and Alan Menken. The cinematic version engaged costume designers formerly attached to productions for Metropolitan Opera and choreographers who had worked with Michael Jackson and Madonna. Concert renditions and benefit galas have been staged at venues like Carnegie Hall and the Royal Albert Hall, while licensed productions have been mounted by regional companies affiliated with the League of American Theatres and Producers and university theater departments at institutions such as Yale School of Drama and University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

Music and Score

The score blends soul, R&B, gospel, and pop idioms, with songs that evoke the catalogs of artists like Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, James Brown, and Otis Redding. Musical arrangements reference production techniques associated with Berry Gordy and session musicians like the Funk Brothers and engineers from studios including Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. Orchestration in stage and film productions has been handled by arrangers who previously worked with Quincy Jones, David Foster, and Arif Mardin, and recordings involved labels comparable to Motown Records, Atlantic Records, and Universal Music Group. Standout numbers became staples in cabaret and tribute performances alongside songs from composers such as Gershwin and Cole Porter in mixed-program concerts.

Reception and Legacy

Critical and commercial reception linked the musical to discussions in publications like The New York Times, Variety, and Rolling Stone, and awards recognition connected it to institutions such as the Tony Awards and the Academy Awards in the case of the film. Scholars at universities including Harvard University, Columbia University, and New York University have analyzed the work in courses on American musical theater, popular music, and African-American studies. Legacy institutions such as the Theatre Communications Group and archives at the Library of Congress have preserved materials related to the production, while legacy performers and creative teams have influenced subsequent musicals exploring the intersection of race, celebrity, and the record industry, inspiring works staged at venues like Lincoln Center and festivals including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Category:Broadway musicals