Dreamgirls: The 2006 Screen Adaptation of the Broadway Musical

The 2006 film Dreamgirls is a captivating adaptation of the Broadway musical which debuted on December 20, 1981, at the Imperial Theater in New York City. This musical, a rock/RB operetta, has been a landmark in the world of musical theater and continues to captivate audiences with its rich narrative and memorable songs.

From Stage to Screen: The Evolution of Dreamgirls

Despite its connection to the Suicide Girls story, the Dreamgirls Broadway musical and its 2006 film adaptation are largely fictional. However, the story draws inspiration from the real-life rivalry between two key figures in the world of Motown: Diana Ross and Florence Ballard. In the musical, Ross and Ballard are translated into Deena Jones and Effie White, respectively. The tension between them is heightened when Effie's manager, Curtis Taylor Jr., falls for Deena.

The True Inspiration: The Supremes

The rivalry depicted in the musical is loosely based on genuine events. While there was no romantic involvement between Berry Gordy (the founder of Motown) and Florence Ballard, there was a brief date between them around 1961 or 1962. In contrast, Gordy and Diana Ross dated from 1965 to 1970. This relationship is notably absent in the musical, where the focus is on the professional rivalry and personal narratives of Deena and Effie.

Music and Adaptation

The Dreamgirls musical is primarily a sung-through rock/RB operetta, with most of the sung dialogue reworked into regular dialogue for the film. This adaptation was chosen due to the uncredited producer, David Geffen's, affiliation with Universal Music, which owns Motown Records. The film version took a bold stance on the era it depicted, showcasing Dreamgirls during a crucial period in the 1970s and early 1980s, when it was the first musical of its kind to draw inspiration from a relevant RB star, Diana Ross.

Response from the Music Industry

The were initial reactions from the music industry, including Mary Wilson of The Supremes, who translated into Lorrell Robinson in the musical. She embraced Dreamgirls when it premiered on Broadway and even wrote her 1986 autobiography titled Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme. Diana Ross, who walked out on a Dreamgirls production in 1981, made a joke about seeing the film version in 2006. The film version, however, faced a more severe backlash from C.C. White, brother of Effie and the main songwriter for the Dreams. Robinson demanded a public apology from DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures, which quickly followed through before the 2007 Academy Awards.

The Motown Legacy

Many years later, Berry Gordy himself addressed the controversy by creating his own Broadway musical, Motown the Musical, in 2014. This adaptation of his life and his affair with Diana Ross could be seen as a direct response to the criticisms and controversies surrounding the original Dreamgirls adaptation. In this musical, the focus shifted to Gordy's life, giving a new perspective on the Motown era.

By exploring the real-life inspirations and the broader context of the Motown era, these adaptations offer a fascinating glimpse into the music industry and the personal narratives that shaped it.