Dreamgirls @ Cain Park 6/10/11
Yes indeed. As I was leaving the Alma Theatre after Dreamgirls, someone behind me said “It’s just amazing how much talent we have right here in Cleveland.” I didn’t turn around to see who it was, but I certainly do agree.
The musical is set in the 1960s, another time when talent seemed to be everywhere, and Motown was a new sound in town. The Dreams are the new girl trio in town and we know already that they are going to make it big. The show delights with one number after another, the costumes are imaginative and colorful, and the dancing had us dancing (quietly) in our seats. Kyle Primous as Jimmy Early, the old style R&B performer, brought an appealing vigor and a sense of humor to the stage. (His James Brown-style wig should also get extra props—so cute.) Ciara Renee carried off the gorgeous Diana Ross-style diva lead with sexy aplomb. Adrianna M. Cleveland as Effie (the Jennifer Hudson role in the 2006 movie version) tore the roof off and broke our hearts with the big wailing solo “(And I’m Telling You) I’m Not Going” that closes the first act.
Want to revel in local talent? Can’t do better than this Cain Park show, directed by Victoria Bussert, that shows off over a dozen talented performers, many of whom are local college students with near-professional chops. Cain Park’s Alma Theatre provides the perfect setting to enjoy a musical that celebrates music. Rob Kovacs (music director), Gregory Daniels (choreographer), Russ Borski (set and costume designer), Jeff Herrmann (lighting designer), Richard Ingraham (sound designer), and Will Brandstetter (stage manager) all contributed to a great evening.
Dreamgirls runs Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through June 26 at Cain Park. http://www.CainPark.com.
[Photo by Roger Mastrianni. Left to right: Colleen Longshaw, Adrianna M. Cleveland, Ciara Renee.]
Laura Kennelly is a freelance arts journalist, a member of the Music Critics Association of North America, and an associate editor of BACH, a scholarly journal devoted to J. S. Bach and his circle.
Listening to and learning more about music has been a life-long passion. She knows there’s no better place to do that than the Cleveland area.