Dreamgirls - Savoy / UK Tour

Caught the show last night, the sixth time I've seen it. It's one that I'm not as overly eager to see as I was at the start of the run, but when I get into the theatre and it starts I really do love it.

We had two understudies on. Ryan Reid was on for Curtis and I thought he was fine. Much prefer Joe but Ryan was there. He was also distracted sweaty, in the scene before Party with Effie, he was dripping on her boobs, it was very distracting! 😂 also had Rhiane Drummond on as Michelle and she was great, arguably outsinging both Deena and Lorrell so if she gets a chance to do Deena (she is third cover), I'm so there.

Marisha was on for Effie and blew the roof off. Amazing performance and vocals. I was at her first show here in London and to see her from then until now, it's just amazing. Brennyn is great, with amazing vocals. I can't help though feeling there is always something vacant about her, like she is just going through the motions every time I see her. Asmeret walks away with the show as usual. Durone and Delroy were there as CC and Marty. Still not on board with Tosh as Jimmy, sometimes his performance makes me cringe and the male Ensemble, the original ones are great but the newer additions to the Ensemble are lackluster at best. The females are great though! Interestingly though, one of the girls in the Ensemble looked really pissed off at the curtian call, the one who wears the Act 2 opener outfit. When she was stood at the side after the girls bow, she just looked really angry, before looking at the MD and shrugging her shoulders. Don't know what happened there.

The show itself still looks great, but when the girls aren't onstage their absence is felt. There is way too much Jimmy performance too for my liking, but that's probably just because I don't like Tosh in the role.

Audience respectful in general, full Stalls from what I could see. Some cheering during I Am Changing, and Listen (with a standing ovation from some), with And I Am Telling You basically getting cheering throughout the entire last part of the song and Marisha having to hold the break for the last line because people were screaming so loudly, but as soon as she did that last note, full standing ovation. The energy in the room was electric.

I hope to catch it once more before it closes, as I do enjoy it.

It's so interesting because certian things are better than when it started, certian things really aren't.

Oooo now that really is a Sophie's Choice. Company is amazing, its one of the best shows I've ever seen so if you only have one slot and you don't get to come back until after its over, 100% do Company! Dreamgirls is still a great show, and is worth it for the three lead women and the vocals, as well as the design aspect of it. Its got alot of great songs most of us know too.

If I had to choose, knowing how good Company is, I'd go Company over Dreamgirls, especially with the knowlage Dreamgirls will eventually tour starting mid/late 2020.

That’s exactly how I felt when I returned this Summer for my fourth trip. When I saw it the first three times during the Amber Riley era (twice with Amber, once with Marisha) it was easily one of my favourite shows in town, it gave me goosebumps each time. Going back in August though, I’m not sure if it was because I’d overdone it with the trips as three visits is usually my maximum, but it really seemed to lack something it once had.

I would personally advise that Company is the better bet for your money, especially if you’ve already seen and loved Dreamgirls.

For me anyway, it's actually all to do with casting. The show still looks great, sounds great in my opinion. But some casting has made it so much better but also so much worse for me.

I didn't see Amber until the end of her run so she was never my first Effie, I saw Marisha's first performance and she has nothing but improved in my eye, both vocally and in her acting performance. I also didn't see Ibinabo, I saw Jocasta as Lorrell first time and whilst great Asmeret came into the show all guns blazing and from the get go has been the star of the show. She is just sensational and every time she is on, she is the one you are watching.

Joe hasnt changed his performance really at all, and sometimes he does seem to be going through the motions, but he's great. Liisi was fabulous as Deena and whilst Brennyn is great vocally, she has a vacant look about her that makes it seem like she either doesn't care or just is going from point A to B so she can get home and catch up on Netflix. I've never really paid attention to whoever plays Marty or CC but they've always been fine. I've never gotten the Tyrone "hype", I don't think he is any better or worse than his replacements. And I was one of the rare people who liked Lily Frazer in the show, so her and Kimmy Edwards are equally matched for me. I also think the female Ensemble hade continuously been fabulous.

But then you come to Jimmy and the men. Adams performance of Jimmy was spectacular! Full of charisma, charm and lovable energy. Tosh has none of tha for me. It is such a false performance in my opinion. When I first saw him, he was ill and butchering the score all over the place. I gave him benefit of the doubt there but whilst he sang the score better next time around, it still wasn't great. I don't really find him all that funny either. And it's a shame, as I LOVED him in Show Boat! But the male Ensemble is no better either. A few of them have been continuously great, generally the ones who have been with the show since the beginning ala Rohan Richards and Callum Aylott and sometimes Ashley Luke Lloyd when he doesn't smile like a maniac in every number. But they all just seem like they don't care, and are just going through the motions again.

So for me, casting has really changed this show for me over the course of time it has been running. But I still enjoy it when I'm there.

Thank you all for the advice. I have seen neither of these productions yet (as this will be my first trip to the West End) but I have known both scores for years and years, which makes it even harder to decide. As my username suggests Sondheim has a lot going for me, so I will have some thinking to do.

Joe Aaron Reid departs November 17th, the final cast change of the show. This date matches up with last year's cast change and the opening in 2016 so obviously it's the end of their second contracts, so I wonder if anyone else will leave?

Another show for Nicole.



I still find it hilarious that they have three girls alternate so that complaints would stop that the lead was off, yet this year the understudy has had multiple shows, whereas the one last year had none. Zero. Nada.

Wow. I've heard amazing things about Moya so that's a shame! How was the audience at the end of And I Am Telling You? Was it more subdue a response than usual? What a shame.

I agree Asmeret is the strongest cast member in the show. Her performance is so fabulous, and considering she is kinda the least appreciated of the three female roles, to see her be the strongest is so great!

I agree actually. Having seen three of the girls play the role of Effie, performance is wayyyy more important to me now, and the emotion which for Effie is key, especially in And I Am Telling You. Based off that, I'd say Marisha, Karen and Amber all have quite remarkably different takes!

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