[NEohioPAL] Review of "Dreamgirls" at Cain Park

[Bob Abelman]

The music, not the emotion, drives Cain Park's 'Dreamgirls'

 

Bob Abelman

 

News-Herald, Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times,

The Morning Journal, Geauga Times Courier

Member, American Theatre Critics Association 

 

This review will appear in the News-Herald on 6/17/11

Those who know Tom Eyen and Henry Krieger's Dreamgirls from the 2006 film adaptation of the Broadway hit will be surprised by just how much music there is in the original version of this powerful backstage musical.  

 

There are, of course, the marvelous Motown performance pieces throughout the show.  After all, Dreamgirls is about the struggles of a Supremes-like vocal trio in the early 1960s as they rise in stature and financial success in the recording industry.  Seeing and hearing Effie, Deena and Lorrell perform as a group is central to the storytelling.  

 

There's also the backstage drama set to song as Effie is replaced as lead singer by the group's smooth talking but ruthless manager for the "more attractive" Deena, and is then removed from the group altogether.

 

There's the exposition set to music as well, which takes the place of much of the spoken dialogue and turns this musical into something just short of an R&B operetta.

 

The Cain Park production, under the direction of Victoria Bussert, excels at the performance pieces.  

 

Adrianna Cleveland as Effie, Ciara Renee as Deena, and Colleen Longshaw as Lorrell are blessed with phenomenal voices built for belting, are adept at generating and sustaining beautiful harmonies, and have wonderful stage presence.  They absolutely soar when in concert and, given the frequency of this occurrence, so too does this production of Dreamgirls . 

 

These performance pieces are meticulously choreographed by Gregory Daniels, who reinvents all the classic moves from the period.  Russ Borski does a fine job of showcasing these numbers and capturing the girls' steady progression through the professional ranks through the use of increasingly gorgeous costuming and curtains.  The on-stage five piece band under Rob Kovacs' direction provides phenomenal backup, as does the talented ensemble.

 

Borski's simple set and Bussert's direction creatively transition the performers from on-stage to backstage.  However, the songs that await them there are less impressive than the performance pieces. 

 

These songs require acting as well vocal performance, for they serve an important narrative function.  Rod Lawrence as Curtis, the manager, Antwaun Holley as the songwriter, C.C., and Kyle Primous as the legendary soul performer, Jimmy Early, are terrific singers.  Only Primous comes across as a superb actor by allowing honest emotion and authentic delivery to seep through these songs. This is particularly so during Jimmy's professional decline and is particularly admirable given Jimmy's over-the-top persona.

 

Even the three Dreamgirls are found lacking in this regard.  The most high-profile example is Effie's Act 1 curtain song, "And I Am Telling You I Am Not Going."  Cleveland's industrial-strength voice knocks this number out of the park.  However, while her power and vocal pyrotechnics are incredibly impressive, her emotional range during this and other numbers is not.  Every song is set on stun. 

 

Insufficient attention to acting is most noticeable during the less melodic numbers when exposition is set to music.   Artificiality defines the dialogue as well.  On opening night, Renee's performance as Deena is one of the few to come across as authentic and layered with feeling.  

 

For many attending this production, volume, vibrato and gorgeous staging may be enough to sustain them, for all this generates some genuine Motown moments worth savoring.  But those expecting to be moved by the depth built into the film and the original production of Dreamgirls may wish that this Cain Park rendition would second that emotion.  

 

Dreamgirls continues through June 26 at Cain Park's Alma Theatre in Cleveland Heights.  For tickets, which range from $20 to $24, call 216-371-3000 or visit http://www.cainpark.com/tickets.asp. 
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