Shimmy shimmy. Shake shake. Dip. Croon. Sparkle. Wail. Ooooooh. "We're you're 'Dreamgirls.'"
Delightful, delicious, feathery, fluffy musical "Dreamgirls" floated into the Phil (sigh, Artis-Naples) Wednesday. There's a reason the show appears for "One Night Only," but the music of Motown makes it a speedy one.
To the surprise of no one, the musical came first, in 1981. That same year, both Jennifer Hudson and Beyonce Knowles, co-stars of the 2006 film version, were born. "Dreamgirls" throws various "rise to fame" stories of R&B groups into a blender, adds thumping music and a glittering forest of costumes, then spins it across the stage. What results is this gorgeous-crazy-insane confection of lollipop fantasy clothes, a light-show that puts rock concerts to shame and music that had folks nodding and toe-tapping. Still, with all the giddy fun, the show can't conquer one flaw. You really can't "mix it in a mixer and pretend." Singer sob stories are common; and there's nothing particularly interesting or original in the telling of this one. The musical just never gives you a reason to care about the characters.Chris Silk is the arts writer and theater critic for the Naples Daily News. To read the longer version of this review, go to: http://www.gonaples.com/news/2013/may/23/review-artis-naples-dreamgirls-the-musical/.
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