Jordan Wright
December 3, 2012
Special to The Alexandria Times
Riddle me this. Do goose bumps get goose bumps? And can you hear a pin drop in the theater? Well, yes, to both – especially if Nova Peyton is singing her pipes out!
A proud moment for Effie White (Nova Y. Payton) in the musical “Dreamgirls” Photo: Christopher Mueller
Peyton plays Effie White in Signature Theatre’s current production of Dreamgirls – a career-establishing role made famous by Jennifer Hudson in both the Broadway and film version. So there’s a lot on the line. Peyton not only nails it but carves out her own definition of the role in songs like the poignant “I Am Changing” and the earthshaking “I’m Not Going”. I promise you won’t be disappointed by the powerful vocals, the muscular hep cat and cool kitty dancing, or the lavish costumes. In fact there is so much to like that it’s hard to pinpoint why some moments seem flat. Here’s a show with a theatrical pedigree evidenced by six Tony Awards, a cast brimming with talent and a tear-drenching plot to melt the hardest heart. So what’s wrong with it? Not much but we’ll get to that.
The story centers on an African-American girl group from Chicago and their meteoric rise to fame and fortune. You’ll immediately recognize them as The Supremes and, though the story is legally defined as “loosely based on” them, there are innumerable parallels.
Deena Jones (Shayla Simmons) leads the new incarnation of The Dreams, with Michelle Morris (Kara-Tameika Watkins, back left) and Lorrell Robinson (Crystal Joy, back right) in the musical “Dreamgirls” Photo credit: Christopher Mueller.
The trio known as the ‘Dreamettes’ starts out as runners up in a rigged talent show at the Apollo Theatre, but are soon urged to tour as backup singers for the velvet-voiced, slick dancing, ego-centric singer Jimmy Early, brilliantly played by Cedric Neal. “I don’t do oohs and aahs,” Effie complains, though she’s quickly overruled by partners Deena Jones (Shayla Simmons) and Lorrell Robinson (Crystal Joy), and they hit the road. As the women rocket to superstardom they go through a series of business challenges, jealousies, diva meltdowns and heartbreaks. Costume designer Frank Labovitz chronicles the trio’s ascent with gorgeous electric-hued gowns that increase in fabulousness with miles of chiffon and lurex stitched up with tons of ostrich feathers, spangles and sequins. As for the menswear, shiny sharkskin suits neatly define the times.
Jimmy “James Thunder” Early (Cedric Neal) makes a grand entrance in “Dreamgirls.” Photo: Christopher Mueller.
The show is set in the early ‘60’s when the pop music biz was controlled by big record labels and disc jockeys were known to take payola to play and promote certain records and artists. Soul and black R&B was a hard sell, and radio stations played “white” music, aka black music done by white performers. Has anything changed? It was a hard road for all black musicians until the Motown sound began to dominate the airwaves. Dreamgirls captures the essence of that Berry Gordy/Phil Spector period thanks to Krieger’s music whose twenty-five glorious numbers are dead center of that unforgettable sound.
Set Designer Adam Koch created the painted black set and mechanical stage that is so cavernous that at times it seems to swallow the cast. It is only when the women sashay onto center stage with increasingly spectacular wigs, jewels and gowns that it becomes a frame for their glamour.
Thankfully it’s all about the music and dancing since actor Sydney James Harcourt’s portrayal of the Dreamettes’ impresario,Curtis, is not convincing either as a Svengali or a Lothario. The role calls for Taylor, their agent and Deena’s boyfriend, to be a self-centered, slimy, backroom double-dealing manipulator and Harcourt lacks the smarminess to pull it off.
Matthew Gardiner does double duty as both director and choreographer, and you can’t find fault there. The dancing is stellar particularly for Neal’s character Jimmy who shakes, rattles and rolls till the cows come home in the number “Baby-Baby”.
See it, love it and spend some time backstage with the Dreamettes back when Motown was the pinnacle of the music world.
Through January 13th 2013 at Signature Theatre (Shirlington Village), 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206. For tickets and information call 703 820-9771 or visit www.signature-theatre.org.
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