Dreamgirls (2006)
Drama, Music, Musical |
Dreamgirls is a American musical drama film written and directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures. Adapted from the 1981 Broadway musical of the same name by composer Henry Krieger and lyricist/librettist Tom Eyen, Dreamgirls is a film à clef, a work of fiction taking strong inspiration from the history of the Motown record label and one of its acts, The Supremes. The story follows the history and evolution of American R&B music during the 1960s and 1970s through the eyes of a Detroit, Michigan girl group known as the Dreams and their manipulative record executive.
The film adaptation of Dreamgirls stars Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé, Eddie Murphy, and Jennifer Hudson, and also features Danny Glover, Anika Noni Rose and Keith Robinson. Produced by Laurence Mark, the film’s screenplay was adapted by director Condon from the original Broadway book by Tom Eyen. In addition to the original Kreiger/Eyen compositions, four new songs, composed by Krieger with various lyricists, were added for this film. Dreamgirls features the acting debut of Hudson, a former American Idol contestant and singer.
In 1962 Detroit, Michigan, young car salesman Curtis Taylor Jr. meets a black girl group known as “The Dreamettes”, which consists of lead singer Effie White and backup singers Deena Jones and Lorrell Robinson, at an R&B amateur talent show at the Detroit Theatre. Curtis presents himself as The Dreamettes’ new manager and arranges for the girls to become backup singers for Chitlin’ Circuit R&B star Jimmy “Thunder” Early.
Director: Bill Condon
Writers: Tom Eyen (based on the original broadway production book by), Bill Condon (screenplay)
Stars: Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson, Danny Glover, Anika Noni Rose, Keith Robinson
Cast:
| Jamie Foxx | … | Curtis Taylor Jr. |
| Beyoncé | … | Deena Jones (as Beyoncé Knowles) |
| Eddie Murphy | … | James ‘Thunder’ Early |
| Danny Glover | … | Marty Madison |
| Jennifer Hudson | … | Effie White |
| Anika Noni Rose | … | Lorrell Robinson |
| Keith Robinson | … | C.C. White |
| Sharon Leal | … | Michelle Morris |
| Hinton Battle | … | Wayne |
| Mariah Iman Wilson | … | Magic (as Mariah Wilson) |
| Yvette Cason | … | May |
| Ken Page | … | Max Washington |
| Ralph Louis Harris | … | M.C. (as Ralph Harris) |
| Michael-Leon Wooley | … | Tiny Joe Dixon |
| Loretta Devine | … | Jazz Singer |
| John Lithgow | … | Jerry Harris |
| John Krasinski | … | Sam Walsh |
| Alexander Folk | … | Ronald White |
| Esther Scott | … | Aunt Ethel |
| Bobby Slayton | … | Miami Comic |
| Jordan Wright | … | Teddy Campbell |
| Dawnn Lewis | … | Melba Early |
| Jaleel White | … | Talent Booker |
| JoNell Kennedy | … | Joann |
| Sybyl Walker | … | Charlene |
| Lesley Nicole Lewis | … | Stepp Sister |
| Eboni Nichols | … | Stepp Sister (as Eboni Y. Nichols) |
| Arike Rice | … | Stepp Sister (as Ariké Rice) |
| Fatima Robinson | … | Stepp Sister |
| Aakomon Jones | … | Little Albert (as Aakomon “AJ” Jones) |
| Bernard Fowler | … | Tru-Tone (as Barsheem Bernard Fowler) |
| Anwar Burton | … | Tru-Tone (as Anwar “Flii Stylz” Burton) |
| Tyrell Washington | … | Tru-Tone |
| Rory O’Malley | … | Dave |
| Laura Bell Bundy | … | Sweetheart |
| Anne Elizabeth Warren | … | Sweetheart (as Anne Warren) |
| Ivar Brogger | … | David Bennett |
| Daren A. Herbert | … | Jimmy’s Piano Player |
| Jocko Sims | … | Elvis Kelly |
| Pam Trotter | … | Rhonda |
| Cleo King | … | Janice |
| Eddie Mekka | … | Club Manager |
| Alejandro Furth | … | Case Worker |
| Dilva Henry | … | TV Reporter |
| Vince Grant | … | American Bandstand Producer |
| Robert Cicchini | … | Nicky Cassaro |
| Thomas Crawford | … | TV Director |
| Charles Jones | … | Carl |
| Robert Curtis Brown | … | Technical Director |
| Stephanie Owens | … | Tania Williams |
| Gilbert Glenn Brown | … | Man with Gun |
| Marty Ryan | … | Stagehand |
| Michael Villani | … | Detroit Reporter |
| Gregg Berger | … | Chicago Deejay |
| Daniel Riordan | … | L.A. Deejay |
| David James | … | Photographer |
| Paul Kirby | … | Promo Film Narrator (voice) |
| Derick Alexander | … | Security Guard |
| Yvette Nicole Brown | … | Curtis’ Secretary |
| Nancy Anderson | … | Go-Go Dancer (as Nanci E. Anderson) |
| Joelle Cosentino | … | Go-Go Dancer |
| Lisa Eaton | … | Go-Go Dancer |
| Clare Kutsko | … | Go-Go Dancer |
| Tracy Phillips | … | Go-Go Dancer (as Tracy Phillips) |
| Kelleia Sheerin | … | Go-Go Dancer |
| Mykel Brooks | … | Campbell Connection Dancer |
| Johnny Erasme | … | Campbell Connection Dancer |
| Cory Graves | … | Campbell Connection Dancer |
| J.R. Taylor | … | Campbell Connection Dancer |
| Corinthea Henderson | … | Bad Side Dancer (as Cornithea ‘Mario’ Henderson) |
| Craig Hollamon | … | Bad Side Dancer |
| Reginald Jackson | … | Bad Side Dancer |
| Chuck Maldonado | … | Bad Side Dancer |
| Anthony Rue II | … | Bad Side Dancer |
| John Silver | … | Bad Side Dancer |
| Larry Sims | … | Bad Side Dancer |
| Black Thomas | … | Bad Side Dancer |
| Kevin Wilson | … | Bad Side Dancer |
| Adrian Wiltshire | … | Bad Side Dancer |
| Earl Wright | … | Bad Side Dancer (as Earl ‘Punch’ Wright) |
| Russell ‘Goofy’ Wright | … | Bad Side Dancer |
| Dominic Chaiduang | … | Disco Dancer |
| Jose Cueva | … | Disco Dancer |
| Omhmar Griffin | … | Disco Dancer |
| Sky Hoffmann | … | Disco Dancer |
| Trevor Lopez-Daggett | … | Disco Dancer |
| Leo Moctezuma | … | Disco Dancer (as Cecilio Moctezuma) |
| Gabriel Paige | … | Disco Dancer |
| Terrance Spencer | … | Disco Dancer |
| Tony Testa | … | Disco Dancer |
| Quinton Weathers | … | Disco Dancer |
| Jull Weber | … | Disco Dancer |
| Marcel Wilson | … | Disco Dancer |
| Stevie Ray Anthony | … | Jimmy’s Band |
| Matthew Dickens | … | Jimmy’s Band |
| Jerohn Garnett | … | Jimmy’s Band |
| Mario Mosley | … | Jimmy’s Band |
| Jimmy R.O. Smith | … | Jimmy’s Band |
| Michael Cline | … | Reporter #2 (scenes deleted) |
| Robert Amico | … | Italian Card Player (uncredited) |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia