REVIEW: “Dreamgirls”

Kenny Smith reviews Dreamgirls at the King’s Theatre in Glasgow.

IT WOULD be fair to say that, prior to watching Dreamgirls, I was going into the production completely blind.

I knew the basics of the show – a girl group gets together in 1960s America – and a couple of the big songs from it, but that was it. I deliberately avoided reviews of the film (which I’ve not seen), reviews of the show, and even its plot to make sure that I could go in and enjoy it for what it was.

And wow. I certainly did enjoy – more than that, I loved it. Soul music has never been my thing, but having seen another musical with that distinctive sound, I knew that I would enjoy this.

It’s easy to see why Dreamgirls has won a number of awards, as it’s arrived at Glasgow’s King’s Theatre direct from the West End.

There will no doubt be real-life comparisons with Diana Ross and the Supremes, as we meet “The Dreams” – Effie, Lorrell, and Deena – three talented young singers in the turbulent 1960s, a revolutionary time in American music history. They gain a pushy manager – in  ex-car salesman Curtis Taylor Junior, played by Matt Mills – who takes three talented singers and moulds them into a successful trio, after supporting risingstar Jimmy Early (Brandon Lee-Sears).

Curtis prefers Deena Jones (Natalia Kassanga) as his lead singer, allowing the incredible Eddie White (Sharlene Hector) to drift away, after her behaviour becomes erratic.

The trio go on a musical rollercoaster ride through a world of fame, fortune, and the ruthless realities of showbusiness, testing their friendships to the very limit.

The production – which has some fantastic simple staging using draped sets, with clever lighting, so we get to be backstage, and then front, in a matter of seconds – has some maganificent songs in And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going, Listen, I Am Changing, and One Night Only.

One Night Only is a fantastic number – we get Effie’s slower version, and then the more upbeat Dreamgirls version (I prefer the latter), and it showcases what a versatile song it is, whether a slower, tragic number, or a high-energy floorfiller with what feels like a different meaning.

The cast are magnificent, one and all, with Sharlene Hector – previously the vocalist with late 90s, early noughties dance act Basement Jaxx – who played Effie in this performance, absolutely incredible. She stole the show with her powerful voice, and tempted me to play some of her old hits on the way home on my phone.

Natalie Kassanga gave Deena a wonderful innocence and vulnerability, making her instantly likeable as she became caught up in the whirlwind success that the Dreams enjoyed, and finding strength as the show went on, to leave her (tor)mentor Curtis Taylor and end their relationship.

Brandon Lee Sears as Jimmy Early was a huge hit with the Glasgow audience as his character goes off the rails, getting the audience clapping along with him, and having a great time – his shirt ripping prompted some screams of delight from the audience.

Dreamgirls has a reputation as being one of the must-see shows when you’re in London. It’s a thoroughly deserved status, and I can’t recommend highly enough that you catch it while you can.

Dreamgirls is at Glasgow’s King’s Theatre until 22 October.

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