Dreamgirls opened at the Imperial Theater on December 20, 1981. This musical is about a female singing trio that travels to New York in search of fame and success. The story is about three women who want to become pop stars, but face obstacles along their journey to fame. This show took a lot of time, energy and money to produce and this is seen through the elaborate costumes and sets in the show. The music is rhythm and blues and is sung by talented voices. Furthermore, the fact that the three main characters are Black women and became famous indicates gender and race issues of the 1980’s. While Dreamgirls reflects historical events emphasizing Black pride, equality, and determination, which were central to the 1980’s, it also reflects the success of musical theater during this time period through the lavish music, scenery and plot of the show.
Specific historical events influenced Dreamgirls even though they took place in earlier decades. The Black Power Movement took place in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. This was a movement that emphasized Black unity, Black pride, and self determination (Burnim and Maultsby 204). The Civil Rights Movement also stressed these values. Boycotts and sit-ins took place to fight against segregation. Blacks wanted their freedom; they wanted to be treated the same as whites. In the entertainment business, Blacks were beginning to have professional careers (Burnim and Maultsby 204). Their music started being recorded and played on the radio. This meant that everyone could hear Black music, not just Black audiences. It also meant that there were now white consumers of Black music. The racial boundaries were becoming blurred.
Historical events previous the 1980’s not only influenced the themes of the show, but also the music. Even though Dreamgirls appeared on Broadway in the ‘80’s, the music in the show is from the ‘60’s. All of the music is rhythm and blues. This is significant because rhythm and blues was created by Black musicians. After World War II, southern Blacks were in search of better economic and educational opportunities. They also wanted to escape the racial oppression and inequalities created by the Jim Crow laws. Several southern Blacks moved to northern and western cities. Even though the Black communities were isolated, they created a “vibrant entertainment district in every major city” (Burnim and Maultsby 248). New musical styles were introduced to white performers. Rhythm and Blues was created as a way of Blacks to be creative and express their emotions. They could be musicians that were just as talented as whites and they were not afraid to show it.
Since Dreamgirls is a Black-cast musical and the three main characters are female, race and sex are key issues. These issues are reflected in the characters and the music in the show. For example, all of the characters that have the most authority in the show are males. Curtis is the manager for The Dreams. Furthermore, C.C., Effie’s brother, is already an R&B star and helps the female trio become famous. The three main characters are women and the whole musical is about them working their way to the top. They start as just three women entering a talent show and by the end of the musical, they are famous pop stars. Whereas the women are working to get to the top, the men are already there. The men in the show are already successful with their high paying jobs in the music industry. Since Curtis is the manager, the girls listen to him. He tells them what to do; all they do is perform the songs, but they are under his direction. This gender difference is significant because it reflects the idea that men have the power. They have higher paying jobs. Furthermore, the values emphasized in the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power Movement are reflected in the songs that The Dreams sing. For example, they express their Black pride and self determination in “Dreamgirls” and “One Night Only.” They are singing about how they are proud to be who they are. They are telling the audience that they are Dreamgirls and they will “make you happy” and “make your dreams come true.” “One Night Only” is about putting your best foot forward. Both of these songs were hit singles. This is an indication that the ideas of Black pride and self-determination were accepted by the public since they were themes in the songs.
Dreamgirls was undoubtedly an expensive musical to produce. The set, including five two story tours of aluminum scaffolding and 5,000 lbs. bridges, involved a lot of time and money to create. This show consisted of 25 separate motorized backdrops and sets. It also consisted of 300 dazzling costumes, 86 wigs, and 96 microphones. Dreamgirls’ budget was $3.5million; this is a record for any Broadway show. Its operating cost was $23,000 per week, which is close to setting another record (Saltzman 1). In addition to the many elaborate costumes and sets, the show had sophisticated computerized lighting. Tharon Musser, the lighting designer for the show, introduced Broadway to a programmed memory board. This meant that all the technician had to do was press a button and a sequence of lights would turn on. This was definitely needed because Dreamgirls had about 650 lights and 240 different lighting changes (Saltzman 2).
All of the time, energy and money that went in to producing this show paid off because it was, and still is a huge success. It had 1,522 performances on Broadway in 1981. It won six Tony Awards and is “Broadway’s most daring feat of technology ever” (Saltzman 1). There were two revivals; one was in 1987 and the other was in 2001. The musical was based off of the book, Dreamgirls. Furthermore, the musical was made into a movie in 2006 (Rigsbee 1). Since Dreamgirls has been produced in different forms during different time periods, it is still popular today.
American society has come a long way since the beginning of the 20th century. In the beginning of the 20th century, there were clear stereotypes about Black people. For example, Black people were portrayed as happy slaves. This meant that not only were they supposed to serve white people, but they enjoyed doing it. Images also portrayed Black people as dirty and poor; they were not well-kept and they were seen as animals. Their faces were also distorted because images showed them having big, fast lips and always smiling. Black people were the slaves; their only purpose was to serve the white people. As time passed, Blacks began to realize that they deserved better than how they were being treated. Specific historical events, such as the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power Movement, exemplify this new realization that had developed overtime. Blacks began to rebel; they wanted their freedom. They wanted to be treated with respect and dignity. Blacks could be just as talented as white people and they wanted to prove it.
Dreamgirls was only one of several ways they proved their point. Having three Black women as the main characters immediately indicates the message of Black pride and dignity. Throughout the whole story, they work hard to achieve their dream of becoming pop stars. At the end of the show, they have their dream; they are famous pop stars. This is significant because it is saying that Black people can work hard and achieve their goals as well as white people. Everyone works hard and everyone can achieve their goals. Whereas at the beginning of the 20th century, Black people were only working hard, now they can reach for their goals and dreams. They may have had dreams and ambitions before, but they could not try to achieve them. Now they can. Not only were the main characters Black, they were also women. This reflects the idea that anyone can work hard and achieve their goals regardless of gender or race. The success of Dreamgirls indicates that the race and gender ideals that are expressed in the show are accepted by American society. In addition, its success also reflects the advancements of musical theater in the ‘80’s. All of the time, energy and money that went in to producing the show is seen in the elaborate sets and costumes. All of the songs are sung by talented voices; they have a lot of range and the vocalists are clearly well trained. Therefore, the success of Dreamgirls is twofold: it reflects the blur or racial boundaries that developed overtime as well as the advancements in musical theater.
Works Cited:
Burnim, Mellonee V. and Portia K. Maultsby. African American Music. New York: Taylor and Francis Group, 2006.
Rigsbee, Valerie. “ The Broadway Musical Home.” ND. 5 Oct. 2009. http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/dreamgirls.htm
Saltzman, Cynthia. “Musical ‘Dreamgirls’ Can Be a Nightmare For Backstage Crew.” The Wall Street Journal 8 June 1982.
