Dreamgirls hits theaters

The film adaptation of Dreamgirls is now in theaters across the country. The star studded cast includes Beyonce Knowles as Deena Jones, Jennifer Hudson as Effie, Anika Noni Rose as Lorrell Robinson, Jamie Foxx as Curtis Taylor, Jr., Eddie Murphy as James "Thunder Early", and Danny Glover as Marty.

The musical's original score by Tom Eyen and Henry Krieger has been recreated for the film and includes such songs as "One Night Only," When I First Saw You," and the famous "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." Bill Condon directs and has written the screenplay based on the book by Tom Eyen.Dreamgirls, set in the turbulent late 1960s and early ‘70s, follows the rise of a trio of women — Deena, Effie, and Lorrell - who have formed a promising girl group called The Dreamettes. At a talent competition, they are discovered by an ambitious manager named Curtis Taylor, Jr., who offers them the opportunity of a lifetime: to become the back-up singers for headliner James “Thunder” Early. Curtis gradually takes control of the girls' look and sound, eventually giving them their own shot in the spotlight as The Dreams. The spotlight, however, begins to narrow in on Deena, finally pushing back the less attractive Effie out altogether. Though the Dreams become a crossover phenomenon, they soon realize that the cost of fame and fortune may be higher than they ever imagined.The musical debuted on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre on December 9, 1982. It went on to play 1,521 performances before closing on August 11, 1985. The musical was revived in 1987 at the Ambassador Theater.Read the M&C review of the film here.