Dreamgirls Tickets

The London production of the 1981 Broadway musical, Dreamgirls, has just announced that it will be wrapping up its run in January 2019.

I had the pleasure of reviewing Dreamgirls (you can read that here) at a time when it was in high season with both Amber Riley in the role of Effie and the general buzz and hype of a go-to show. Sitting very nicely in the palatial surroundings of The Savoy on London’s Strand is one of the West End's finest productions, complete with a strong storyline and stellar music. I made a return journey to Dreamgirls to see if it's still as glorious now that the show has firmly bedded in and if the new casting can live up to old expectations.

Dreamgirls, currently playing at London's Savoy Theatre, is a flawed but feel-good musical. Against the backdrop of the turbulent 1960s music scene, the 'Dreams' embark on an ambitious journey to musical fame and discover that making great music is only step one. The result is a show which is fun, and full of great music.

Dreamgirls is the Supremes-esque story of a three-piece girl group looking for their big break. Along the way there are fallings out, deceitful relationships, strained friendships and a self-serving, corrupt manager to contend with.

And you’re gunna love me! Well, it. You’re going to love it – the show that is –Dreamgirls. One word is all it needs…

If you’re unfamiliar with the show, Dreamgirls began life as a Broadway musical in 1981 but is perhaps better known for its 2006 film adaptation starring Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson and many more Hollywood names.  

I went to see Dreamgirls the other week (you can read that write-up here) and one of the understudies to Amber Riley, Karen Mav played the role of Effie White. She was sublime, acting and particularly singing was flawless. But there were disgruntled audience members who were griping that Amber wasn’t in situ; that they had paid money to see the billed start of their choice. Now, I understand that there is often what is referred to as celebrity casting, for example, Sarah Harding in Ghost or Miranda Hart or Craig Revel Horwood in Annie but surely the role of the understudy should be given fair and due billing?

Dreamgirls opened some thirty-five years ago on Broadway.  The film was released ten years ago.  Its UK premiere is directed by Casey Nicholaw – of Aladdin and Book of Mormon, so there was no doubt that there would be some guts to this revival. Dreamgirls is currently showing at the Savoy on London’s Strand. 

I've loved Dreamgirls for over a decade now since I heard Jennifer Holliday's enthralling vocals on the original Broadway cast recording and this love still hasn't died. The show not only has some fantastic source material but is so packed full of star power that it flows over the edges. To break down what is really so fantastic about this production, I thought I'd share with you the three best things about Dreamgirls: