BWW Reviews: DREAMGIRLS at Maine State Music Theatre: The dream you won't want to wake up from

You know those dreams you have when you wake up suddenly, and all you want to do is fall back asleep and continue the dream? If you are lucky enough to see Dreamgirls at Maine State, you will leave the Pickard Theatre feeling the same way.

Dreamgirls kicked off Maine State's 55th season last night, and what a way to start a season. This show has a little something for everyone, and if you don't leave the theatre humming, snapping your fingers, or longing for the heyday of Motown, I'm not sure you have a pulse.

Originally directed and choreographed by Broadway legend Michael Bennett (A Chorus Line, Follies, Company) for which he won a Tony Award for best choreography in 1982, book and lyrics by Tom Eyen and music by Henry Krieger (both also took home Tony's for Dreamgirls in 1982). It's a "classic" Cinderella story about burgeoning singing trio, The Dreamettes: Effie White (Bryonha Marie Parham), Deena Jones (Britney Coleman) and Lorrell Robinson (Trista Dollison). Looking to make their big break, they enter a talent competition and all at once, it seems, the stars align. With Effie's brother/the Dreamettes' songwriter C.C. (Eric B. Anthony) in tow, the ladies get their big break when Curtis Taylor Jr. (Byron Glenn Willis) a car salesman and would-be music entrepreneur, discovers them back stage. He vows to make them stars, and when soul man Jimmy "Thunder" Early (Kelvin Roston, Jr.) looses his back up singers, his manager Marty (Trinity P. Murdock) agrees to hire the Dreamettes for the evening, and the 10 week tour that follows. Curtis, ever the innovator, helps Jimmy find a new sound, all the while helping his girls to the top.

But, just as was the case in American music history, white America didn't seem to be ready for "race" music. The singers are heartbroken when C.C.'s new song for the group (Cadillac Car) is recorded by a white singer. Curtis and his entourage decide they have no choice but to pay for air play of their music, and start making some morally questionable business deals around town (Steppin' To The Bad Side). Along the way, Effie and Curtis find love, and Lorell and the married Jimmy "Thunder" do as well. Despite being ignored by popular radio, everything seems to be falling into place when the group is booked into The Atlantic Hotel in Miami Beach, FL, a venue that previously wouldn't allow African American performers (Marty: "That place is so white, they won't even let us park their cars!"). The success prompts Curtis to split up the group, giving the newly monikered Dreams their own show....but with a catch: He wants Effie to step down as lead singer, and replace her with Deena. The girls, C.C., Curtis and Jimmy all convince her that the group is bigger than just her ambitions (Family). This causes tension in the group, and after an appearance on ABC television, Effie storms off with her ego damaged, and suspicions that Curtis is cheating on her with Deena. She returns to the concert venue in Las Vegas after a visit to the doctor to find that she has been replaced by Michelle Morris (Karissa Harris). A huge fight ensues, and as the group walks away, Effie is left onstage to sing about her reluctance to leave, and to lose her man ((And I'm Telling You) I'm Not Going).

After the intermission, 5 years have passed. The Dreams are mega stars, Deena and Curtis have married. Meanwhile, Effie with ego and a 5 year old daughter in tow, returns to Chicago with the help of Jimmy's now ex-manager, Marty, to climb her way back to the top (I Am Changing). Success has taken it's toll on our heroes; Deena longs to leave the group and pursue a film career, Lorell begs Jimmy to leave his wife and marry her, and C.C. grows weary of his songs being recorded contrary to the style he wrote them in. After an ill-advised pants dropping (literally) performance by Jimmy, Curtis cold-heartedly cuts him loose. C.C. leaves to reconcile with his sister Effie, and bring her the new song he has written that only she can sing the way he wants (One Night Only). The song climbs the charts, giving Effie the comeback she so desperately needed. But it is short-lived. Curtis, now the snake-in-the-grass money maker, has Deena and the Dreams record One Night Only and pays off DJ's across the country to make it a hit; and Effie's version a flop.

Not one to sit by and be taken advantage of, Effie, C.C. and Marty hire a lawyer to expose Curtis' payola practices. Deena, sick of Curtis' controlling ways (as well as the realization that he is the father of Effie's child), and the near ruining of Effie's career, reconnects with Effie, and leaves Curtis for good.

The show concludes with a tearful final show for the Dreams, complete with Effie's triumphant return to the group (Hard To Say Goodbye).

The story, of course, is loosely based on the experiences of many groups of the 60's, most notably Dianna Ross and The Supremes, and Berry Gordy, founder of Motown Records. However, this show is anything but a re-hashed story, or even one you've heard before. It transports the audience back to a simpler, but perhaps not always better, time. The ensemble does a masterful job, under the brilliant direction of Marc Robin, of establishing without any doubt, the time period. They dance and sing with authority, providing a colorful backdrop for the Dreams to shine.

The Dreams, of course, are the highlight of the show. Britney Coleman's Deena makes the journey from shy, reserved, reluctant star to diva more than convincingly. Her voice is flawless, and though she may start in the background of the Dreamettes, her pipes and stunning beauty command the stage as the leader of the Dreams. Trista Dollison as Lorrell brings an adorable, quirky naïveté to the role. And, don't count her out as the "third girl in the back". Her voice, when allowed to shine, will blow you away. Particularly when she leaves Jimmy in the second act; the audience in the palm of her hand, as her versatile voice and comedic timing let us know that Lorrell is no longer a little girl. Bryonha Marie Parham as Effie has some big shoes to fill, as Jennifer Holliday won the Tony for her performance as Effie in 1982, and Jennifer Hudson won an Oscar for her portrayal of the same role. Ms. Parham's performance will leave you saying "Jennifer and Jennifer, who??". She commands your attention, your sympathy, and steals your heart every moment she walks on stage or opens her mouth. Even when Effie seems to be a little on the selfish side, you are pulling for her; a tribute to Ms. Parham's masterful performance. And her voice? Powerful, fluid, consistent and awe-inspiring. Her performance of (And I'm Telling You) I'm Not Going will send a chill up your back, and a tear down your cheek. Not to be left out, Karissa Harris' Michelle Morris is fantastic, as she steps into her role as replacement in the Dreams. Her voice, like the other three, will have you wishing the show will never end.

Not to be counted out, the gentlemen hold their own. Eric B. Anthony as C.C. White is often found in the middle of every argument and you really feel for him as he struggles to make his music and his voice heard. Trinity P. Murdock's Marty increasingly becomes the voice of reason, and the only male who seems to have the artists' best interest in mind. He makes you laugh, but also has some extremely powerful moments, especially when attempting to bring Effie back from obscurity. Byron Glenn Willis as Curtis performs his role with authority and his character's down right cold-blooded treatment of Effie and Jimmy leave him feeling more like a villain than the man he started out as, with high hopes for the Dreamettes. The one thing I will say is, it seemed as though he tipped his hand a little too early; his transformation from wide-eyed car salesman to cut-throat record producer seemed to come a little too quickly.

Last, but by no means least, the raucous Jimmy Thunder Early, as portrayed masterfully by Kelvin Roston Jr. His voice reaches heights you probably didn't know existed, and like his character insists, that man has SOUL. His fluid dance moves and physicality evoke thoughts of The Hardest Working Man in Show Business, Mr. James Brown. And, I may go so far as to say that Mr. Roston Jr. is perhaps the hardest working man in this show. He runs the gamut from making you laugh, swoon at his buttery vocals, and honestly feel for him as his career starts to falter. Watching him do 4 jazz splits in a row and working the microphone stand as though it was an appendage is worth the price of admission.

One of the things that sets Dreamgirls apart from similar musicals, is that it is not a "juke box musical"; these songs were written specifically for this show. However, the amazing thing is, they all sound like they could be top 40 hits in each era of music the show encompasses. And, not an easy feat to accomplish, even the songs that are sung during a concert or recording session not only stand alone as wonderful songs, but they comment on the action in the script; a tribute to some truly incredible book/song writing. Similarly, the costumes must make you feel as though you are sitting in the front row watching the Dreams, regardless of venue or decade. And Kurt Alger's costumes do just that. From the glittery gowns the Dreams wear, to the suits Jimmy promptly removes as he hits stage, Mr. Alger's costumes are brilliantly colored and constructed to transport you to that time and place. I was particularly impressed with the speedy costume changes by the Dreams, which is another tribute to Mr. Alger's stunning costumes (look for Effie's quick change into a stunning red sequin gown in her "audition" in the second act).

Robert Andrew Kovach and Nick Cyr's scenic and lighting design, respectively, establish each venue and location with the splash, pizzazz and realism each moment requires. Though minimal, the series of curtains that fly into the space leave no doubt of the time and place. Which is often hard to accomplish with very few set pieces. Kudos, Mr. Kovach.

And, like any other musical, a show would not be complete without an orchestra. And under the direction of Jason Wetzel, the pit is transformed into what it should be, a living, breathing character on stage, complimenting the casts' amazing vocal talents.

So, if you are looking to be transported back to a time where music was truly life changing, and for dazzling costumes and gut-wrenching performances, look no further than the dazzling Dreamgirls at Maine State Music Theatre. As they say in their signature song, "We're your Dreamgirls, boys, we'll make you happy".

Maine State Music Theatre's DREAMGIRLS is playing at the Pickard Theatre on the campus of Bowdoin College until June 22nd. For tickets and more information, please visit: www.msmt.org

Get a sneak peak at DREAMGIRLS here:

Photo credit: Audra Hatch

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