By Adam Hetrick
20 Nov 2009
The sleek revival of Dreamgirls, which is currently premiering at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem prior to a U.S. national tour, will be staged in London, South Africa and Australia.
A creative team led by director and co-choreographer Robert Longbottom (Side Show, Flower Drum Song, Bye Bye Birdie) and Emmy-nominated hip-hop artist and co-choreographer Shane Sparks was enlisted to take a fresh look at the hit 1981 musical for contemporary audiences.
Breglio and company premiered the latest incarnation of Dreamgirls in Seoul with an all-Korean cast last winter. Tony Award winner Robin Wagner, who created the scenic designs for the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls, rendered new designs for the production. The design team also boasts Tony winners William Ivey Long (costume design) and Ken Billington (lighting design) and Acme Sound Partners (sound design), with media design by Howard Werner for Lightswitch.
Dreamgirls features music by Henry Krieger and book and lyrics by Tom Eyen (with additional lyrics by Willie Reale). The 2009 production includes the 2006 film's song "Listen," but rewritten by Krieger and Reale. In the current production, the song has been reconceived as a duet for Effie and Deena. Krieger and Reale have also penned a new opening sequence for the second act, entitled "What Love Can Do."
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