Dreamgirls
March 28-April 13
Book and Lyrics by Tom Eyen | Music by Henry Krieger
Original Broadway Production Directed and Choreographed by Michael Bennett
Orchestrations by Harold Wheeler
A sweeping and inspirational journey through 20th century American pop music, Dreamgirls chronicles one Motown group鈥檚 rise from obscurity to superstardom. Through gospel, R&B, smooth pop, disco and more, Dreamgirls explores themes of ambition, hope and betrayal, all set in the glamorous and competitive world of the entertainment industry.
鈥淒reamgirls is a show about a time in American musical history when rhythm and blues blended with other styles of popular music creating a new American sound. Act One is set in the fabulous sixties 鈥 a time when we were still screaming at Elvis and listening to the Beatles, but were dancing to the new beat of countless girl and boy groups like The Supremes, The Marvelettes, The Temptations and The Shirelles. Dreamgirls is not just about the singing and the dancing and the performing. The play is also about the behind-the-scenes reality of the entertainment industry 鈥 the business part of show business that made possible this cultural phenomenon. Act Two shows the creation and the arrival of disco 鈥 though the word is never used in the script. The subject matter of this play deals with a musical contribution to America of such importance that only now 鈥 decades later 鈥 are we beginning to understand.鈥 鈥 Michael Bennett
"Dreamgirls is a musical full of sparkle... a tale of transformation: from naive hopefuls into jaded superstars, from raw R&B into the disco era, from success to failure, and then back again." 鈥 Lyndsey Winship, The Guardian
*For patrons age 13 and older. No babes in arms.
WMU Students receive $7 tickets by calling (269) 387-6222
Schedule
March 28, 29: 7:30 PM
March 30: 2:00 PM
April 4, 5: 7:30 PM
April 6: 2:00 PM
April 10, 11: 7:30 PM
April 12: 7:30 PM - ASL Interpreted Performance
April 13: 2:00 PM