Dreamgirls at the Marcus Center

If you managed to save a bit of money this holiday season, go see Dreamgirls. The musical, which in its original 1981 form won six Tony Awards, has been updated. And the results are well worth what you’ll pay to see it.

Directed and choreographed by Robert Longbottom with co-choreography by Shane Sparks, this version premiered at Harlem’s famed Apollo Theater in November before embarking on a national tour. It landed in Milwaukee this Tuesday and wowed what appeared to be a packed house at the Marcus Center.

From the beginning of the production until the end, you couldn’t help but be dazzled by its polish: tall metal screens offered dimension to the stage, incredible light work guided viewers seamlessly from one star-studded venue to another; and the costumes were entertainment in and of themselves.

While all of these elements helped to tell the story of three young women from Chicago who get a chance at big-time success following a chance meeting at Amateur Night at the Apollo, it’s the songs and the bigger-than-life personalities who sing them that deserve the biggest kudos.

Cast standouts include Deena (Syesha Mercado); she doesn’t sing as loudly as her big sister Effie, but she more closely embodies the Hollywood image that eventually carries the group. Lorrell (Adrienne Warren) sings her way through both triumphs and bad relationships.

Central character Effie (Moya Angela) finds her voice and path throughout her journey. By the time the story reaches the famed, “And I am telling you I’m not going,” audiences members have had a chance to get to know the characters, and to see Effie, portrayed as a force of nature by Angela, bent over in emotional pain as she belts out this number at the close of Act I. You can’t help but rise and sink with her every word. By the end of the show Angela deservedly received a standing ovation.

Jimmy (Chester Gregory) is the egotistical, womanizing crooner who is a delightful mix between James Brown and Prince; Curtis (Chaz Lamar Shepherd) is the slick manager who has been around the block enough to know how things work, but when he croons, “Ohhhhhh my, that’s my dream,” in that wonderfully ’60s-seductive tone, you almost forget that he’s the enemy.

At too many occasions to recount during the two-hour performance, incomparable singing was met with rousing (and sometimes standing) applause. Don’t think it was simply because someone sang a song well; these performers can “blow.”

If there was one flaw, it was audibility. In between the dancing and circa-’60s lingo, it was difficult to understand some lines spoken by the actors. And while most of the characters’ personas rung through loud and clear, Lorrell’s (Warren) appeared to be the least developed.

After this show, women will walk out with their heads up and shoulders back, feeling empowered and knowing that dreams don’t have to die. Their dates will feel like they got their money’s worth.

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Read Lisa Townsel’s interview with Chester Gregory (who plays Jimmy) here.

Dreamgirls is playing at Marcus Center’s Uihlein Hall from Jan. 5-10. Tickets $28-$75. Showtimes vary, so visit the Marcus Center website or call 414-273-7206 for more information.