[Review] Dreamgirls opens at Oxford's New Theatre

A review of Dreamgirls the Musical by The Ocelot’s Jessica Durston.

Check the scene.

The New Theatre, Oxford. 7.30pm.

The piano bar is packed and the place is sufficiently decked out with glitzy, glamourous, and gold accents, and the prosecco is flowing for the launch of Motown musical hit, Dreamgirls.

After soaking up the scene, and being treated to a performance of the wonderful 60s inspired musical, I got to thinking…

Prosecco is the perfect microcosm for the plot of Dreamgirls.

Rather like the fizzy beverage, the Dreamettes (Effie White, Deena Jones and Lorell Robinson) are filled with bubbles of excitement, as they rise to the top of their game and chase fame and fortune. Not unlike prosecco, the taste at first is sweet – the three girls become successful women, rebrand themselves as the Dreams, nestling under the wing of the smooth-talking Curtis Taylor Jr.

Everything is a gas, and the girls get the headrush of stardom, and become drunk on possibility. But then Curtis’ cut-throat ambition and insatiable hunger for success, clouds not only the judgement of the Dreamgirls, but his own.

Things turn sour and relationships fray and disintegrate, and the three protagonal divas are left with the rather bitter aftertaste of the decisions that have been made concerning their career path.

This prosecco metaphor works on another level too. The beverage looks classy when you serve it from a fancy bottle into a flute, but when it comes down to it – it’s not real champagne, it’s fake. This idea echoes the Dreams’ ascension to fame, with the glitzy outward exterior masking the nefarious deals and backhanders that Curtis engages in to get them to where they want to be.

This being said, the story also takes a look at some more serious underlying issues too. Dreamgirls pays homage to the sixties, to Motown music and to performers like Mary Wells, and Diana Ross and the Supremes, and it does not shy away from tackling the subjects of racism and feminism within the music industry at the time.

Furthermore, the show’s tale is a study of personal agency and economic freedom, and what happens to a character’s soul and identity when the aforementioned is under threat.

Now, lets talk about the cast.

Nicole Louise Lewis took on the mammoth role of Effie White. Jennifer Hudson’s iconic and much-loved performance of Effie in the 2006 feature looming in the background did not seem to faze Lewis one bit. She took inspiration from Hudson’s sass and bravado, but also took the character and made it her own, giving each belting number everything she had.

As she is a very small performer in stature, I often found myself wondering how such a big voice could come out of such a tiny lady. The iconic role comes with such powerhouse expectations and Lewis delivered. Impressive is an understatement.

Natalie Kassanga’s Deena Jones provided the perfect light to Effie’s shade, and a more sweet and calm contrast to her rival’s brash diva personality. This was especially evident in the transformative number ‘Listen’, performed in the second half by the pair, with stunning harmonies.  

Shem Omari James was electric as Jimmy Early – who provides a light-hearted pastiche of both James Brown and Little Richard. His charisma, high energy, impressive choreography and soulful screeches were enough to ensure he stole every scene he was in.

This being said, for me personally, Samuel Nicholas (as C.C. White) and Paige Peddie (Dreamgirl Lorell Robinson) stood out with their vocal performances. Every time they were given solo singing time, the beautiful tones of their voices rang out across the theatre - and they made it seem effortless.

Peddie as Lorell also provided excellent comedic relief and bounced so well off of all of her co-stars.

While we are on the subject of music, not a bad word can be said about the marriage made in heaven that is Tom Eyen’s lyrics paired with Henry Krieger’s musical genius.

The popular soundtrack - inspired by 60s Motown numbers - is incredible, and is certainly no mean feat for the cast to perform their way through. The soundtrack’s technical difficulty and demand for a varied vocal range did not seem to be a problem for any of the players involved in this production of Dreamgirls.

A highlight was ‘Steppin To The Bad Side’ in Act One. This number was a game-changer for me, with four of the protagonal male leads coming together to sing in wonderful harmony, against a dark, and moody, apartment block backdrop.

The male cast members joined together for this deep and funky number, showcasing their smooth soulful vocals, and setting the scene for the seediness and upset that was yet to come. The attitude and tone of the plot changes here, and Curtis starts to show his true colours – don’t you just love a character arc!? He shows he is not afraid to elbow everyone out of the way to get to the top.

Additionally, Dreamgirls is perhaps most famous for the jaw-dropping, belting, musical classic that is ‘And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.’ When Nicole Louise Lewis had the spotlight for this song the audience were awed to a state of silence from start to finish. Had the talented performer not been exorcising everything she had vocally into this number, you could have heard a pin drop. Brave and breath-taking.

In addition to these two highlights, every high-energy number in Dreamgirls will make you want to get up on your feet and join in with Michael Bennett’s fantastic choreography. The whole show is a whirlwind – a delicious head spin. As an audience member you get swept up in the fame and excitement of it all, not unlike our three main heroines.

Moreover, Tim Hatley’s set design was minimal, yet inspired. The majority of the show’s scenes take place in backstage areas of various theatres, and this was mimicked with racking that would slide in from either side of the stage.

Spotlights were attached to the racking and allowed for a change of lighting or mood at the drop of a hat. Stool and table setups were brought on and off stage via a sliding mechanism, as well as a mini three-stepped platform stage for the cast to perform their solo numbers.

The illusion of being backstage was further constructed with the players turning their backs and standing as if they were performing to an audience hidden just out of view. All the while, we -the real audience – could watch the drama unfold in the dressing rooms or on the side-lines, thanks to clever staging. All the behind-the-scenes action would paradoxically take place at the forefront of the New Theatre stage.

The costume changes were fast and furious, and perfectly paraded all of Tim’s beautifully designed wigs and dresses for the three main female players.

To summarise, Dreamgirls gives you the perfect flavour of the 60s (and even a little of the 70s later on) not only with the flawless vocal and dance performances, costumes, and set design, but also with cultural references and carefully placed name drops. It immerses you in the bygone decade, but remains fresh and modern with the issues it tackles.

The show is fast, loose, and glitzy – just like showbiz. This sparkly sixties number is not to be missed. If you get a chance to go and see the performance, I would highly recommend you do…and don’t forget your prosecco!