Dreamgirls

Tom Eyen was the mastermind behind the book and lyrics of Dreamgirls, and the musical score was by Henry Krieger; the duo introduces us to a story that follows three girls from Chicago known as the "The Dreams" in their quest for fame. A story loosely based on The Supremes, Dreamgirls details the story of the 1960s girl groups that catapulted and changed American music. The sound of Motown was on the rise, with many groups and soloists looking for stardom with this startup record label.

On December 20, 1981, the prodigious tale of Dreamgirls hit the stage of bright lights and took Broadway by storm at the Imperial Theatre. The cast included Jennifer Holliday, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Devine, Ben Harney, Cleavant Derricks, Vondie Curtis-Hall, and Obba Babatundé. The production ran for nearly four years and closed on August 11, 1985.

The six-time Tony-winning musical inspired by The Supremes created an Oscar-winning movie in 2006, which graced the silver screen — adding another all-star cast starring Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce, Jamie Fox, Eddie Murphy, and Danny Glover.

To familiarize audiences with Dreamgirls and gain a more comprehensive audience knowledge of the play, DreamWorks Pictures paid for the licensing for high schools, colleges, community theaters, and other non-commercial theater entities that staged productions of Dreamgirls in 2006.

From Broadway to film back to the stage, Dreamgirls sings and dances its way back on stage at Paramount Theater in Aurora. The musical is centered around three girls Effie White and her backup singers, Lorrell Robinson and Deena Jones, from Chicago, who dream of fame and fortune.

The Dreamettes are fresh from a win in a local contest in their hometown of Chicago; they are now looking to score big at another amateur talent show. A young slick-talking car salesman named Curtis Taylor Jr. sets his eyes on the trio, where he presents himself as their new manager and recruits them as backup singers for the Chitlin Circuit R&B star Jimmy "Thunder" Early.

While seeking their pursuits of making it big within the music industry, the musical takes us back to the tumultuous times in the 60s in Detroit, where "Steppin' to the Bad Side" doesn't just refer to the music industry but managing their friendships. And as they navigate the bumpy roller coaster ride called show-biz, their sisterhood will be tested, and the challenges that require an aggressive dreamer may become a nightmare for the girls that will change their lives forever.

The twenty-four all-African-American cast provides a lot of vitality with great dancing — however, the singing was mediocre and didn't have that wow factor. Some of the main songs don't have the power and soul you come to expect from Dreamgirls. Naima Alakham, who plays Elfie, is making her debut at Paramount and performs adequately. However, singing the musical's signature numbers, "And I Am Telling You" and I Am Changing," would be frightening and challenging for anyone to follow the likes of Jennifer Holliday and Jennifer Hudson.

Unfortunately, Alakham's rendition of these songs was an octave lower than the original version, wasn't as robust and moving, and didn't seem to resonate with the audience. The role of Deena, played by Taylor Marie Daniel, and Daryn Alexus as Lorrell Robinson, inspired by Supremes member Mary Wilson, worked well as a trio, but no one stands out between the three.

Ben Toomer's (Jimmy Early) and Lorenzo Rush Jr.'s (Curtis Taylor) performances carried the show, along with the vivid ensemble. An untapped talent in this play is Aeriel Williams, who plays Michelle Morris — who would be a better fit for the role of Deena.

Although Dreamgirls followed the original music production, — Jimmy Early's unexpected death from a heroin overdose was omitted, and they added Deena's mother passing to the storyline.

Paramount's Dreamgirls doesn't have that luster from the original production that debuted at the Imperial Theatre on December 20, 1981, City, where it received a standing ovation. However, it's still a solid performance audience will enjoy.

Let's Stay Together Talk Show Recommends Dreamgirls at The Paramount Theatre in Aurora.

Paramount Theatre

Dreamgirls

Book and Lyrics by Tom Eyen

Music by Henry Krieger

Directed by Christopher D. Betts

August 31 through October 16

Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes