I’m going to see Dreamgirls tonight with some of my girls at the Hobby Center and I’m beyond excited! It’s one of those musicals whose tunes I grew up singing. I can’t tell y’all how many times I would belt out “And I Am Telling You” at family talent shows; it was one of my go-tos. Then 2006 came around and the movie featuring Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson, Anika Nonie Rose and Beyoncé was released and that brought back a wave of nostalgia. Jennifer Hudson’s rendition of “And I Am Telling You” gave us all chills and she even won an Oscar for her portrayal of Miss Effie White. The original stage play and movie gave us other classics like “Steppin’ to the Bad Side”, “Love You I Do” and “Family”, but there were other life lessons I learned from this awesome play.
Stand by your girls – This was one of those lessons that we learned from seeing the mistakes of the Dreams. Each of them entered into toxic relationships and while those relationships might have seemed like a good idea at the time it only ended in heartache. Effie was kicked out of the group and became a single mom after Curtis started lusting after Deena. Deena’s marriage to Curtis even ended after she found out about his infidelity, because like the old saying goes “you’ll lose him the same way you got him”. And let’s not forget about Lorrell and her substance fueled relationship with Jimmy Early. The only relationship that made it to the end was the relationship the Dreams shared with each other.
Appropriation is nothing new – This might not be news to y’all, but back then Black folks weren’t given the radio spins they deserved. The “Cadillac Car” scene is one many artists know all too well, one that hit close to home for those artists who were popular back in Motown’s heyday. A song might have been a hit, and might have even gotten some play in local Negro juke joints, but if it wasn’t sung by someone who white it wasn’t going to gain any national traction and wouldn’t be played on mainstream radio. That meant no exposure for Black artists, and no exposure meant no money. Things have changed a lot since then, White isn’t the color preferred by the media anymore…green is.
Money is power – Whether it’s in the music industry or in everyday life, money will influence people in so many ways. Curtis and CC realized that and started greasin’ the palms of radio DJs to get Jimmy Early and The Dreams’ music played, and that’s something that was continued throughout the rest of their career. The label took off and with their growth came the influence they needed to do more of the things (like films and solo albums) they wanted to do.
Classics never go out of style – This is more for the play as a whole, not the content of it. This production has been put on consistently since the early 80’s. High schools, universities and traveling groups have put it on for 35+ years and I don’t see that ending any time soon. Even the movie was a hit, pulling in big names as well as newbies. It helped launch the careers of legends like Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Devine and Jennifer Holliday. These women, along with many others in that original cast are Hollywood legends!!
So, did I miss any other lessons from this epic show? If so, please comment below or tweet me and let me know!