iTunes Exclusive Episode Dreamgirls The Musical

Protecting
Protecting
Greetings Empire member and or members. If you are hearing the sound of my voice, it means
the following conditions have been met. At least once in your life, you have listened to the
clubhouse podcast, your one-stop shop for all things, pop culture, live every Sunday,
7 Eastern, 4 Pacific. It also means you subscribe to the show on iTunes because it is time
for another at 2nd disclosure. The 216th one of these things. Welcome! My name is Rob, I am the executive
producer of the clubhouse podcast. I do a little singing on you if you let me answer again.
But now I am not alone for this particular episode. Jordan and me across the desk as he tends to do
every now and again is the official fact checker of the show and a man who has dreams.
You may know I'm as fond Don Go, but his mom and even Don Ford, I'm going to call him Don Ford
welcome sir. True fact about me. I get a lot of those days of booed dreams. It's like I dreamed it
then six months later happens. I'm not kidding. It's not a day show. That's where foreshadow.
Day show booed means it happened and then you remember it happened. Yeah, but here's the thing.
It's all useless stuff. It's like give me laundry numbers. Okay, date time, laundry numbers.
Yeah, here's the fair question. Yeah. Whatever we do one of these is to review something and this is
no exception. We are reviewing a stage production in this particular episode. Dreamgirls is in town at the
Wiley Theater. We have to before we start this thing. We have to think Catherine everybody at the
Dallas Theater Center in O'Wiley for like a city love that place. So we're going to talk about that here
and unfortunately I wasn't able to make it. I was doing a bucket list item of life. You were.
I was there. Chad was ill. He could make it, but I went there and because this is one of those
musicals that I'm very excited to see because it's one of those things that's I've always heard good
things but never really had the opportunity to check out for myself. Like I haven't even seen the film.
You know, I've seen some snippets I haven't seen. It's kind of glad I hadn't because I really
didn't want to have anything clouded my judgment when I saw it. Let me first of all say,
if by the end of this review, you decide you want to go. You better get up on it because
this thing was sold out. It was there was not an empty seat in the entire Wiley
three four levels. All three levels completely full. When I even went online to be sure,
it said sold out. I can't believe it was this thing. It is currently playing through July the
24th. So this is going to have a heck of a run to it. That's the Wiley, which is a beautiful
theater. Beautiful. Is it the main theater? The main theater. It's not the black box right now. It's
the main theater. If you don't know about dream girls, first of all, welcome back from the cave.
But it is shall we say loosely based, loosely, okay, on the story of Diana Ross in the
Supreme's. So let's get dive into that. What do you think about the first off the set?
The look, the lighting, every thing. Let me give you a little background on the story. Let's just do
the plot first. Yes. Let's do the plot. This is the story of the dreamettes as they were originally
known. You've got Dina Jones. You've got Effy White and you've got Laurel Robinson. They are the
three. The actresses or the characters. Okay. They drive to New York to be in the amateur
night at the Apollo. This place starts in the 60s. And they don't win because of some shenanigans.
That's all I'm willing to say. But they are asked to be the backup singers for James Thunder
early on his 10 week tour. Well Effy, who's the lead. She's a little
standoffish about it, but they finally agreed to do it. And as they are, because at the same time,
they require a manager by a name Curtis Taylor Jr. And he manages their career as they're
getting started because he's kind of got plans of their own for her. And pretty much what happens
after that, there's a lot of changes that get made. Some feelings are getting hurt.
People may be dating other people, the dating other people besides them. It kind of turns into
just kind of just big thing. I mean, it really is. If you know the story of Dina Ross and this
brains, which you get a taste of when we saw Motown the musical last year, it's kind of shown
from a different angle. Okay. So it's kind of like a sole property, but for in the music world,
you got everything else you got, fair after a fair, this person doing that. So it's like a general
hospital, but for Motown. But if you know anything about the story of Dina Ross and the Supreme,
this is the story of Dina Ross and the Supreme. The names have been changed to protect against
it. Yes, but this is that story. One thing about the Wiley is a lot of people don't
understand how great the Wiley theater really is. Love the place. What I love about the Wiley
theater is it has a black box theater feel to it. While walking that line of a big stage
production theater, like it's, it's a big brother theater being the Winsphere Opera House right
across the street. But it's got it. It still carries a really great vibe to it of a, a
a bigness. Because we've seen lame is there. We've seen the, the He-Haw musical there, which was
absolutely wonderful Christmas story. Christmas Carol. Christmas Carol, sorry. A lot of great
productions. And this, they really use every inch of the stage in this production. I was sitting
if you're looking at the stage. I was sitting just to the left of the stage about five rows
of, I had a really good view of everything. When we saw another production there, one of the things
that we complained about is there were certain things that we feel we missed because we were sitting
on the side, not, not a problem with this production. Really good no matter where you sit. There's
no, there's no bad blocking anywhere. Okay. The band is live on stage and they're in the background.
There are certain, they're not on the second level. They're not. So they're in the band. Okay.
There are times when the band is the whole band platform scoots forward and back, depending on the
scene, from a technical standpoint, absolutely gorgeous. I was talking to a guy in front of me,
who actually sent me an email, the same he was looking forward to my review, we got to talk it.
And he told me that he was talking to some people involved in the production. 300 different
pairs of shoes, 90 costume changes in this. Yeah, that's how it's settled. Reba does that in a day.
Yeah. But everything was so fluid and I mean, there was never a point where things felt
wonky to me. Like there's a bunch of partitions that they would bring out to separate certain
scenes. At one point, the middle two partitions, they moved out like doors and there were lights on the
inside. So it looked like lights were coming out of the door. Okay. It was really, really well done.
A lot of great use of space, just so a dimple rush, like when they used to, they have 90 costume
changes. And this, it didn't seem brush on those changes even though. Not at all. Very fluid. This is
two and a half hours plus a 15 minute admission. Okay. So this is a long production. But I have sat through
shorter productions that have felt longer. Okay. Like that's how well this thing. So the plot,
you'd say it flows well. Very, very well. Very impressive. And drag the story lines. Not at all. There
were a couple of technical problems in the beginning with some microphone. Which happens. Yeah.
We know you're alive. I was, I got a little nervous there for a minute. But once it got its feet
under it, flawless, absolutely flawless. Everything about this thing works. Now let's, let's say
go way into the music and the singing was the mix. How did it sound? Was it too much singing?
There was a song in the beginning. It got a little wonky because the band was a little too loud
and the mics weren't quite working. But once they got that settled in because this technically,
even though it's had been in previous probably for a week, this was considered opening night
when I was there. And so of course you've got the certain jitters because they also know it's
also a press night. So you've got that going for you. But I thought everybody pulled it together
very, very well. There was never any point where I, I think it's a part of the, they knew
something was wrong. You had to have. But it never faced anybody. They, they kept on track,
they kept the wheels on the thing and the machine continued to move, which was really,
very professionally done in my opinion. So the sound sounded great. Absolutely. How was the singing
on that? I think there was a lot of singing. Oh yeah. Oh, okay. Okay. It, it, it, it was a really
good mix of dialogue and music. Sometimes you have musicals where it's like, okay, you can stop
singing for just a minute. You know what I mean? Yes. Where there's two words,
it's all about the music and who cares about the plot. Here's some more. I feel about Frozen.
Too much singing. Yeah. And this one it was a good, but there was a couple of points where I like
that could have been dialogue instead of music, but I kind of rolled with it. Yeah. It didn't take
it to take it away from it for me. But this cast, holy cow, this cast. I, words can't even start to say it.
Like, I can't even give you, because I know you like to have your, your shout-out performances.
Yeah. I can't give you just one. You had to have a whole. I mean, so you talk,
if you want to go first things first. So you talk in like 72 dolphins, 85 bears, 79. That's
yours. That's good. Yeah. If you've got, if you, if you, if you slap me upside the head and say,
first one, it comes to your mind. I'd rather you didn't. Okay. But if you did, I'm going to say
Eric Lowan Summers is James Thunder early. This guy's voice from bottom range to top range,
rock solid. He, he was channeling a little bit of James Brown, a little bit of little Richard,
and it worked. I mean, the, the, the, the men in this worked really well together. And as evidenced
in, uh, what's the, once is the one I'm looking for. I can't step into the bad side. Okay.
It's one of the key pieces in the musical. It starts out with the four main characters,
four main male characters, and they sing it, Akapela. Oh, and it's, they, they're standing in a
circle because the front of the stage is a circle. And they're standing around with the lights
coming up from the stage. Oh, looked and sounded amazing. Uh, that's the one I keep your chills.
That's, that's one of them. Oh, and there's quite a few moments in this ride was just like,
wow. Uh, you talk about, you know, a guy that, whose name that we've talked about quite a bit,
when we talk about the Wiley, Hassan Elamine, who we've seen multiple times Christmas Carol. He,
he's also in Lamez. Yeah. Uh, he plays Marty Madison, who is Thunder's manager. Okay.
This guy, it's like he physically just can't stop bringing it. Like he's just that good.
Every time we see him, this is no exception. He was on par again, just being just on point. So good.
I was at singing. Excellent. I'm telling you, there's not a weak link in this cast.
Anywhere, they're just not. Uh, you look at Kristen Bond, who plays Laurel Robinson. She's
probably the least of the three girls, like the least known of the three girls, but she holds her own.
Her character ends up getting involved with another character. I don't want to ruin too much. If you,
if people don't know the story, but she really every moment she's on that stage, she makes the best of it.
Uh, you talk about, uh, let's see. I got, I can't read this. I got, I need glasses. Alexis Sims,
who plays Dina Jones, which who is Dina Jones, Diana Ross, you see what they say there. She, her
character arc is played gorgeously because she goes from the girl that's like, you know what,
I'm just kind of cool being over here, and to be thrusting into the spotlight, and she owns it.
Beautiful, pure voice, but the one you watched a musical for, if you know anything about dream girls,
what's the one thing you know, Dawn? I think of the Motown musical. That's,
is there anything, is there anything, especially when we talk about the film?
Oh, it's Jennifer Hudson plays effi white. Okay. In this production effi white portrayed by
Mauritia Wallace. Now, you also have to understand the people that were involved in the Broadway
version of this. You're talking, the great Jennifer holiday played this role originally. Okay.
Shirley Ralph was in the original musical. Loretta divine, Felicia Rashad. These are the people in
the original cast, but when you talk about Jennifer holiday, she's up on that pedestal. Yeah.
Mauritia Wallace, let's say that right. Mauritia Wallace, he heals this.
Because in the role of effi white, there's one song. There's one song that is the one you have to
nail, and it wraps up act one, and I am telling you I'm not going. It's the scene where, if you
know anything about the story, effi is finally removed from the group because of her personal demons.
This is the one that whenever people talk about Jennifer Hudson who won the Oscar for the film,
this is the number they talk about. It is a very, very degree of difficulty for this song
is off the charts. It is melodically, it makes you run the entire gambit.
Emotionally, it makes you find a dark place that you have to dig deep for, and this lady kills it.
When she wraps up the song at the end of act one, there was no air left in the room from people
just gasping on how good this was. Because you can measure this entire musical on that one song,
and that one song was amazing. Wow. And I'm afraid. When I say that one song,
I don't mean it like that's the only good thing about this there. But that's like the
yeah, it's like the big thing. I am changing also well done by her rap, which is actually it's
rap song, but it's not a rap song, because it takes place in the 60s and the 70s. That's really
well done one night only. I just I could run down the entire list of all 27 of these songs,
and that's 27, not counting the segways and the repreases. Top to bottom this musical
absolutely captured me for two and a half hours. That's how good this is.
You have me so interested. It just held on to me and it would not let go.
I believe it. Man, I cannot say enough. So you know how we had that list from what we saw the other day,
your little list. Like your number one and two so far of the year. Oh for musicals.
Where is this go? This will be top five at least because I haven't ranked it yet. Yeah.
But this will be the top five in the head. This will be top five minimum if not bigger. That's how good this is.
Yeah. That being said. And that's just any question. Yeah. Any complaints?
Just those technical problems in the beginning. That's beyond it. The set, the move,
the transition. Everybody from the band to the cast to the ensemble. Everything was on point here.
Everything. So there's you can't except for that little glitch. There's nothing. Nothing.
There's nothing I can even hit. It's that good. All right. You have me like totally betrayed.
Well, then let's get to the final analysis. The way we do the final analysis on this show.
We don't give you thumbs up. Thumbs down. We don't give you numbers. We don't give you letter grades.
Anything like that. Our audience whom we affectionately refer to as the empire.
Once us could go deeper. So we're going to do that.
Two questions. Question number one. Let's just answer it. What I see this again?
Abs of freaking lately. Question number two now. It's since I've said yes. Because if I
had said no, we were done. If I had said now that I've said yes, the question becomes where do I want to
sit because that would that gives an indication to our audience on how much I enjoyed this.
On the ticket pricing and all that stuff. I don't care where you sit. Get there if you can find
tickets. If you can find tickets, absolutely. Because they're selling out fast. We'll go now
while you're listening to this. Open another tab in your browser and go now. I don't care if you have to
sit behind the orchestra. Find a place to sit to see this. Yeah. That good. You say it's so
loud. Do you think there'll be any disadvantage for sitting on the third level up to up to up
a second or no. No matter what the more the matter what you spend, you're not going to regret it.
Yes. I mean, you may sit up top and go, man, I'd really like to sit down closer.
But this is worth the money. Yeah. But no, it doesn't matter. Yes. Find a way to go see this.
It's that good. Yeah, I'm intrigued. Again, for me, this is whole thing. Then again, we have to
think Catherine, everybody at the Dallas Theatre Center in the Wiley from Biden. That's
for I'm sorry. I can make it. But thanks for the invite to me and Chad and so much friends.
It is dream girls. Go see it. Let's do the plugs. Got it. Visit our website www.theclubhousepodcast.com.
You can find my written review there as well. And a bunch of other stuff. Our Instagram and our
Facebook page are both the clubhouse podcast like them follow him. The whole thing. Follow us on Twitter
or clubhouse show. You can follow me on Twitter if you like. I am a yes, that Rob Irvin that
is spelled ERV. I end. My co-host is Chad Wama. You can follow him at Chad and PG69. I'm at
Fondongo and you can email me at Don at the clubhousepodcast.com. Email Don for information on
how we can come to a live show for you. We love doing live shows and hanging out with the
Empire. You can email me if you like questions, comments, concerns, so I'm going to go
pound sand. I am Rob at theclubhousepodcast.com. Chad is Chad at the clubhousepodcast.com.
Charlotte Parker is on Pinterest because we are morally obligated to say that in the other room.
And she's also in the green room right now. She is. And I think she was one of really
would have enjoyed this as well. Our normal show every Sunday night, seven Eastern
for Pacific is your one stop shop for all things pop culture. So until next time for Don for the
Empire, I'm Rob. Clubhouse is closed. But remember our normal live show every Sunday night,
74 Pacific or just keep subscribing on iTunes. Britney Palmer, you make her a dancer, you get it done.