Product Description

The official companion book featuring essays exploring the production of the film, Michael Bennett's legendary Broadway musical, and the historic Motown revolution that inspired both. Illustrated with more than 200 color stills, concept paintings, costume designs, album art, and archival photographs.

Twenty-five years after first bringing Broadway audiences to their feet, the Tony Award-winning musical sensation Dreamgirls comes to the big screen, starring Academy Award® winner Jamie Foxx (Ray), Beyoncé Knowles (Austin Powers in Goldmember), Eddie Murphy (The Nutty Professor, Dr. Dolittle), Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon), Jennifer Hudson (American Idol), and Tony Award winner Anika Noni Rose (Broadway's Caroline or Change).

Set in the turbulent 1960s to mid-70s, Dreamgirls follows the rise of a trio of women-Deena (Beyoncé Knowles), Effie (Jennifer Hudson), and Lorrell (Anika Noni Rose)-who have formed a promising singing group called The Dreamettes. At a talent competition, they are discovered by an ambitious manager named Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx), who offers them the opportunity of a lifetime: to become the back-up singers for headliner James "Thunder" Early (Eddie Murphy). Curtis gradually takes control of the girls' look and sound, eventually giving them their own shot in the spotlight as The Dreams. That spotlight, however, begins to narrow in on Deena, finally pushing the less attractive Effie out altogether. Though The Dreams become a crossover phenomenon, they soon realize that the cost of fame and fortune may be higher than they ever imagined.

Capturing the extraordinary visual style and power of the movie, the book features more than 200 color stills, drawings, concept paintings, costume designs, storyboards, album art, and archival photos about the cast, music, choreography, costumes, production, set design, and historical foundation for the period when the story occurs.

The text, including extensive interviews with Bill Condon and others in the cast and crew, is written exclusively for the Newmarket book by distinguished writers Martin Gottfried (author of Broadway Musicals and All His Jazz: The Life and Death of Bob Fosse) and Cheo Hodari Coker (journalist and author of Unbelievable: The Life, Death, and Afterlife of the Notorious B.I.G.).

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1108881 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 192 pages

Customer Reviews

Just "Eh"
This book was originally supposed to be released back in December of 2006, and finally shipped at the beginning of April. Largely a photo essay book, it's a mild disappointment after that wait.

I was expecting something more in depth along the lines of the book that accompanied the film version of "Chicago" a couple of years ago (i.e., full script/libretto; expanded historical information on both the Broadway production and the making of the movie; interviews with original cast members and movie cast members; insights on film-making choices, etc.).

It does have a nice section on some of the design choices; but again, not a lot of text to accompany and enrich it.

The photos are nice and the paper stock they used has a great sheen to it, but there aren't too many photos here that could not be found in trade magazine ads or the Collector's Program. This is ultimately for die-hard fans of the movie 'Dreamgirls' that just can't get enough. I imagine casual admirers would look at this book once and probably not feel a need to open it again after the movie comes out on DVD in a few weeks.

A catalog of film highlights perfect for any contemporary film library.
Any who have seen the production DREAMGIRLS, which is still popular a quarter century after its first Broadway production, will find the DREAMGIRLS photo book perfect for capturing the magic of the recent popular film. Photography by David James brought the Dreamgirls sensation to life and here over 200 color stills and concept paintings blend with archival photos to make for a catalog of film highlights perfect for any contemporary film library.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch