Student Reviews

Cara Johnson

Dreamgirls starts off with a bang. You have the lights, singing and of course, costumes. The musical takes you back to the 1960s through 1970s as you learn about how a girl group known as the “Dreamettes” (later called the “Dreams”) begin with nothing but then rise to fame. You witness all the ups and downs that show business has to offer and enjoy some great music and dancing along the way.

The songs in this production were incredible. It had such an organic feel of the 60s with many Motown styled pieces. Along with the lyrics, (Tom Eyen) a great deal of credit goes to the singers as well, who were able to belt out the challenging songs. I found one song in particular to be very moving and that is when Effie (Moya Angela) sang “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going”. It was my favorite of the night and got a standing ovation.

One of the most essential parts for the setting of this musical was the costumes (William Ivey Long). The costumes really reflected the time period and the glamorous life of being in showbiz. The costumes really complimented all the dancing and singing. It felt like each piece had purpose whether it be showing a side to a character or wearing it because it was fun to move in. I was quite impressed with the numerous costume changes that were done onstage- it kept me on my toes to see what would happen next. They could be walking down the streets one minute and then in performance the next.

The choreography and movement (Robert Longbottom, and co-choreographer Shane Sparks) in this musical was so enjoyable to watch. The number that stood out to me was “Steppin’ to the Bad Side”. There were moments where all the dancers would be incorporating their different moves so that they would all turn into one huge move. Other times they were perfectly in sync with each other that they looked like one motion. There was very good spatial judgment. Other songs didn’t have such intricate dance moves but were simple and didn’t steal the focus of what the message the song was.

This musical is definitely worth seeing. I learned a lot from this musical. Don’t let anyone come between you and your dreams and there are always going to be people who try to bring you down but you have to keep going. Integrity is something you have to have in order to survive pretty much anything in life. After seeing this production you will be leaving the theater enlightened and inspired.

Aaron Free

The lights were blinding and bright. Dreamgirls was a ride to be remembered! It featured vibrant LED panels accompanied by glamorous costumes and the energy of the principal characters was unending!! Although such creative sets, a few technical issues displayed that the opening night show was not completely at its prime.

The show Dreamgirls surprised me with its amazingly high tech LED panels. They started out so simple as just the curtains for the stage but ended up being so much more. They were live televisions and even provided a clear view of the live band when needed. Its unique panels are what set it apart as an innovative musical.

The costumes of Dreamgirls were also very vibrant and correctly represented the time period. There were over 400 different costumes spanning only about 20 characters. There was one costume that really showed its glitz!!! The whole stage shimmered from thousands of sequins and sparkling jewels!!! What a magnificent sight!

Unfortunately, there were recurring technical issues with the sound throughout Dreamgirls. During some of the major musical numbers in the show, the microphones used by the actors failed to function properly. There was a tremendous amount of feedback coming from the mics. For a show of such high caliber, I found it very disappointing and tremendously distracting that these issues occured but I think a quick equipment adjustment would make future performances more satisfying.

So, in conclusion, Dreamgirls was not a perfect show but it was one of the most dazzling incorporations of technology and featured impeccable, era appropriate costumes. It is a show that ages 13 and up will enjoy and be inspired!!
 

Abby Lothrop

Rags to riches have been in the plots of many stories. However, this story is based off of the story of the Motown sensation, The Supremes. Dreamgirls was a dazzling show complete with many costumes, bright and creative lighting, and a great representation of the Motown era.

There were over 580 costumes in this production of Dreamgirls ranging from everyday outfits to sequined evening gowns (not to mention there were over 180 wigs). These wigs also varied in styles as well. This story takes place over seven years through two different decades, so the costumes helped accentuate the periods. The Dreams always had the exact same outfits and even the same wigs. I felt that this aspect did not translate so well because it was hard to tell Deena and Lorrell apart. When the Dreams were not performing their outfits were still similar, and still harder to distinguish Lorrell from Deena.

I have not seen any show that used lighting as well as the lighting was used in Dreamgirls. With the story of Dreamgirls being about a musical group as well as many others at times, there needed to be a way to showing the goings on backstage. In this production, there were five huge rotating LED panels. The panels would move to create barriers of a room the wings of a stage, and even cities at night. Not only were these panels scenic, but also added special effects. The number Steppin’ To the Bad Side had great ensemble choreography, but also images on the LED screens. When the dancers were moving in a circle it looked like they were dancing around a record. When one of the bands was being shown on television, the LED panels would show us what we would be seeing if we were watching the television show.

Although some productions of any show does not do such an accurate take on the time period the plot is based in, Dreamgirls did. The costumes and possibly lack of set contributed to this. Everything from the dress styles to everyday clothing to suit styles and wigs looked completely authentic. These costumes didn’t really have a larger than life feel that may have been portrayed in some productions. The Dreams’ costumes were very sparkly and elegant. In the numbers Hard to Say Goodbye and the Dreamgirls reprise, the Dreams’ dresses were intensely glittered and white. The lights reflected off of their dresses making it hard to concentrate on the actors.

Dreamgirls represented the Motown era well, had fantastic costuming, and a unique use of lighting. Despite bad microphone feedback and terrible sound balance at times, the emotional parts of the show still hit the audience. With Dreamgirls, it is proven that all you have to do is act on your dream.

Esther Battle

I am a huge fan of the movie Dreamgirls. I can sing with every song, and almost recite every line with the cast. In fact, I advise you to never watch the movie with me. So I was bound to enjoy the show, just for being Dreamgirls. Still, there were some things I noticed, both good and bad as I watched this story of fame and how it changes friendships, families, and people themselves, unfold.

One thing that really bothered me about the show was there were lots of technical issues, although that could have been because it was opening night, it was still rather annoying. There was a lot of mic issues, in the first scene Deena’s mic went out, and throughout the play there was a lot of mic feedback. A couple of times I heard things falling backstage. I feel like the technical issues would bring you out of the play a little, and had a negative effect on the whole experience.

Aside from the technical issues, they added some really cool affects to the show. They used an LED screen behind the actors, so you saw what they were doing on stage at different angles and distances. It helped to distinguish the characters, since some, such as Deena and Lorrell, looked very similar, so getting a closer view was helpful in those situations. It also made for some cool shots of the dance sequences.

Two actors from the show really stand out in my mind, Moya Angela, who played Effie, and Chester Gregory, who played Jimmy Early. Moya Angela sang with such great emotion, at the end of Effie’s famous number, “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going,” the crowd went wild! I don’t know how there could possibly be one member of the audience who wasn’t touched by that song. Chester Gregory really brought his character to life. I laughed at all his lines simply because of how he said them- he had attitude and I loved it.

All in all, Dreamgirls was, to me, an amazing show and definitely worth it. I loved everything about it, and it definitely lived up to my expectations. I was even able to see past the technical issues it had. So go and enjoy this show while you still can!
 

Yesinia Lopez-Mendoza

The Dreamgirls chilled me with the excitement of their harmonious voices. The way they used their props was amazing using lights to show their setting and it helped so much with the show. They brought the house down with wonderful voices, bright lights, a few technical difficulties here and there, and so many costumes.

The voices of all the cast members where beautiful and unique in their own way- Effie’s especially with her solo of “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going.” She brought the house down with her strong, independent, thunderous, voice that made everyone fall in love with.

They weren’t kidding about it being a bright performance. Using lights to make the background more than it looked bringing the best of the performance. The most incredible moment was when they were performing “Steppin’ to the Bad Side” and when all the actors where dancing into the background and all of a sudden there were more dancers than had gone in. A true brilliant moment, although there were a few mishaps here and there throughout the whole performance.

Feedback was occurring more than once before and after intermission. The beginning had around 2 occurrences of feedback and once with being off mark. When they began dancing to “Steppin’ to the Bad Side” the face of one of the actors was not visible while the others where. After intermission there was even more feedback than before which was brought me out of the performance a while.

Besides the few glitches and mistakes of the musical the actors incredible ability to fit and change into all those costumes- a total of 580 costumes and 180 wigs. In seconds they would be on stage again with a different outfit, demonstrating incredible speed to add onto their singing talent.

Summing it all up, Dreamgirls was a wonderful experience that I was hooked on from the beginning with all the harmonious voices, beautiful lights and quick costume changes, even with the few mistakes. This musical is one that will be hard to forget, especially Effie leaving her mark on the musical with her irreplaceable voice and solo.

Jamir Hopson

While I thought Dreamgirls the movie was good, on stage it was great. My mind stayed on the play and didn't stray. The singers were great. It was dream casting also.

Although the play was really good there were some things technical that I did not enjoy. I was amazed by how great the costumes were but I was blinded from seeing how bright the light effects were. At one point in the play I had to squint my eyes and look off to the side. And the microphones were not that great- in the middle of songs there would be bad microphone feedback and it will take away from the songs and it pulled my attention away from the songs in the play.

But aside from the technical issues the play was amazing- I really enjoyed the singing and the way it was put together. While on the topic of the performance, to me the performance was great the singing was also. But again the microphones were not great so sometimes it seemed like the characters singing one person's voice would be louder than the others singing at the time which took a lot from the performance. But the acting was great the characters were fantastic. Everything in the play was great apart from the technical difficulties.

I rate this play a 4 out of 5 but I would recommend this play for most teens and adults due to the dialog of the play. And I promise whoever is in the audience will be given their money's worth with great singing and captivating scenes.

Mariah Carlson

Dreamgirls dream BIG! The premiere of the production Dreamgirls at the Orpheum in Minneapolis was on January 12th, 2010 at 7:30. The play had an awesome set, amazing singers and good costumes.

Dreamgirls had an awesome set. They used LED screens which were really good for this play because they would move the screens to make it look like some of the actors were backstage and some were onstage at the same time. Sometimes the lights were too bright and it was distracting, but the rest of the time, it looked really cool. The play was good because the set was really cool.

The play had really good singers. The actress who played Effie, Moya Angela, was the best singer there. She had an amazing voice. The actress who played Deena, Syesha Mercado from American Idol, was a good singer but she wasn’t as good as Moya. I liked the play a lot because it has good singers.

Dreamgirls had good costumes. The costumes were really colorful and they really worked for this production. They worked for this play because the play was set in the 60’s and the costumes looked like they would have been from the 60’s. Dreamgirls was good because it had good costumes.

Dreamgirls was good because it had an awesome set, amazing singers, and good costumes. Does this review make you want to see it? I hope so!

Auna Nelson

Dreamgirls was my favorite musical this semester, both the movie and show. I thought the LED screen was really cool, I liked the costumes and Effie White (played by Moya Angela) was amazing. I thought this production was great!

First of all the LED screen was awesome. I loved how they did all the different backgrounds and make it look really cool. My favorite time was during the song Steppin’ To The Bad Side. I thought it was looked really cool and I wasn’t expecting it. I thought they coordinated the colors really well with the actors too. I thought the LED screen was something very different and creative.

I also thought the costumes were really good. They weren’t a style of today but fit the “theme” and time of the show. I thought that they were very creative when changing during the scene. The costumes were two-in-one, which was very cool. I have always liked plays when they change their costumes frequently, unlike the ones where they wear the same thing almost the whole time.

Last, I thought Moya Angela was fantastic. I loved her big, strong voice that fit her character perfectly. I thought her voice sounded amazing. I especially liked her big song And I Am Tellin’ You I’m Not Going. I thought she did a great job in this part and played it perfectly. Like in the movie, she was cast perfectly.

I thought this play was amazing. The LED screen blew my mind, the costumes fit so well with the story, and Maya performed amazingly. This was my favorite play I’ve seen and I would recommend it to anyone. You should definitely go see it!