Review: Orpheus Musical Theatre's Production of DREAMGIRLS

Even though Dreamgirls is only the second of Orpheus’ three-show 2023/2024 season, next season’s full lineup was announced during the pre-show introduction. Perhaps this was intended as a subtle reassurance to the audience that, if what they were about to see was not up to Orpheus’ usual standards, bigger and better things are still to come. That is not to say that Dreamgirls is a total miss; but, overall, it feels like the show was either not ready to be presented, or that the team bit off a little more than they could chew.

Dreamgirls is the story of the rise of the Dreamettes (later known as the Dreams). The fictional Dreamettes are based on all-female Motown singing groups of the era, such as The Supremes, The Marvelettes, and The Shirells. Getting their start singing backup for a male singer, the Dreamettes gradually become known based on their own merit, but with their success comes ego and conflict within the group.

It is clear that the cast and ensemble could have used additional rehearsal time. There were more than a few fumbled lines and the choreography in the first act was messy, although it tightened up in the second half towards the end of the show.

The Dreamettes (Patrice Xavier as Effie, Jerusha Lewis as Deena, Naomi Miller as Lorrell, and Mirana Rambelo as Michelle) are all incredibly talented singers, with Xavier and Lewis’ roles allowing them to take turns as the lead singer of the group, giving each their well deserved moment in the spotlight. The “(And I’m Telling You) I’m Not Going” number right before intermission highlighted Xavier’s impressive vocal range and power but lost its lustre as it went on far too long.

Axandre Lemours gave a sympathetic performance as C.C., Effie’s brother, torn between loyalty to his sister and fulfilling his own dream of becoming a successful songwriter. His vocal performances were excellent but, unfortunately, the role never gives Lemours a chance to really show what he can do. Emmanuel Simon gave a solid performance as Jimmy “Thunder” Early, and really got to ham it up with “Rap”, in what was probably the most entertaining moment of the show.

The role of Curtis (Brian Muma) felt miscast, as the actor struggled with some of the numbers, although he was able to carry lower notes extremely well. “You Are My Dream” ended up sounding choppy, losing much of the emotion that song is intended to convey.

The costumes (Susan Cole and Pauline Doggett) were fun and showed the evolution of the group’s style from their humble beginnings wearing simple homemade dresses, to the more glamourous, sequined dresses they donned as they earned more money and became more successful. The use of feathered boas unintentionally (but hilariously) made it look like the Dreamettes had plucked fluorescent pink and blue chickens on stage.

The true star of Dreamgirls is the set (Murray Doggett and Maggie Walters). Orpheus invested in a motorized rotating platform that will yield dividends in its future productions. They also did a fantastic job with the marquee above the stage and have again utilized large projection screens to their best advantage. Orpheus and its designers have really shown their potential for high quality productions and the company is continually making improvements and moving forward, even if Dreamgirls may seem like a slight misstep.

Orpheus’ Dreamgirls is on stage at Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe through March 10th. Click the link below to buy tickets or click here for more information.

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