I love musicals. Most of them, anyway. And I’ve been lucky enough to have parents who exposed me to them at an early age (even if they were indulging in my sister’s pleas). I’ve seen a lot of the big ones, too. Les Mis, Phantom, Miss Saigon, Rent…I’m lucky, I know. But the last time I saw a national tour (a sad representation of Rent), I was hugely and utterly disappointed. And while I don’t like to judge a tour by its company, that one left a bad taste in my mouth.
So it comes to no surprise that I wasn’t necessarily looking forward to Broadway In Chicago’s touring company of Dreamgirls. But I can never pass up a free musical (especially if free food is also involved…I love my family:). I wouldn’t say that I was leery of the production, but I enjoyed the movie so much that I just thought it would be sub-par. Boy, was I wrong.
From the opening staging to the closing number, this production was thoroughly and utterly enjoyable, entertaining, and goose bump-inducing. Ok, so I didn’t really like the Deena actress (one of the leads), and I wasn’t really impressed with some of the pacing of the show (I blame my short attention span), there were some sound issues (mics forgetting to be turned on, too high on volume/not a good mix)… but when you combine the vocal Aretha Franklin-like ability of Effie (played here by Moya Angela) and the comedic wit and timing of Jimmy Early (Chester Gregory), with stunning visual effects courtesy of five rotating LED panels (see what Lightswitch did to improve the original stage production), and even Busby Berkeley-style choreography (co-choreographed by SYTYCD’s own Shane Sparks), you get a night of visual and audible entertainment.
Was there constant comparison to the movie? Of course. Was it as enjoyable as the movie? Yes, especially when you see Effie sing for what was literally 10 minutes, and then belt out “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going”…goose-bumping, heart wrenching live performances are rare nowadays, and this one’s worth seeing. Is it worth the money? Absolutely.
