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Meet the original Broadway cast of Dreamgirls on Broadway, and find out who was in the Original Cast, what parts they played and more.
Dec 20, 2018 · The musical starred Jennifer Holliday as Effie White, Sheryl Lee Ralph as Deena, and Loretta Devine as Lorell—the trio at the center of it all—breakout roles for each. The original production...
It starred Sheryl Lee Ralph as Deena Jones, Jennifer Holliday as Effie White, Loretta Devine as Lorrell Robinson, Ben Harney as Curtis Taylor Jr., Cleavant Derricks as James "Thunder" Early, and Obba Babatundé as C. C. White.
- Jennifer Holiday as Effie White
- Sheryl Lee Ralph as Deena Jones
- Loretta Devine as Lorrell Robinson
- Ben Harney as Curtis Taylor, Jr.
- Obba Babatundé as C.C. White
- Cleavant Derricks as James “Thunder” Early
- Deborah Burrell as Michelle Morris
As mentioned above, Jennifer Holiday’s portrayal of Effie won her a Tony for Best Actress in a Musical. She is best known for her performance of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” which she originally performed in the finale of the first act of “Dreamgirls.” In 1982, she sang the song again as a pop song and it topped the Billboard R&B charts. A...
Sheryl Lee Ralph was just starting her Broadway career when she was nominated for a 1982 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as Deena Jones. Before appearing on “Dreamgirls,” Ralph made her debut in the 1980’s “Reggae.” After “Dreamgirls,” Ralph appeared in “Thoroughly Modern Millie” where she portrayed Muzzy Can Hossmere —...
Loretta Devine’s role as Lorrell Robinson jumpstarted her Broadway career, which eventually boosted her in the world of TV and movies. She eventually became part of “Big Deal” along with Cleavant Derricks. After her performance as Lily in “Big Deal,” Devine bid her Broadway career adieu and started appearing in TV shows like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Bost...
Before appearing in “Dreamgirls,” Ben Harney was already a familiar name in the Broadway scene. He was the replacement for Leading Player in “Pippin,” the replacement for Tinman in “The Wiz” and a dancer in “The Pajama Game” revival. His performance as Curtis earned him a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. After his stint at “Dreamgirls,” he w...
Similar to Harney, Babatundé had appeared in previous Broadway shows before his performance in “Dreamgirls.” He was in “It’s So Nice to Be Civilized,” “Reggae” and “Timbuktu!” After “Dreamgirls,” he replaced Billy Flynn in “Chicago.” The younger audiences might know him for his role as Principal Green on “Dawson’s Creek.” He was also on Netflix’s “...
Derricks’ performance as Jimmy Early won him a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. After “Dreamgirls,” he continued his Broadway career by becoming Charley in “Big Deal,” which earned him a Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Musical. He has also appeared in “Charmed,” “Roseanne” and “The Equalizer. He also arranged the music for the 2...
Burrell’s character joins The Dreams after Curtis kicks out Effie. Burrell eventually replaced Ralph as Deena in the later productions of “Dreamgirls.” She went on to become part of the play’s national tour. After her performance as Deena, she appeared in other Broadway plays like “Pleasure Club,” “The High Rollers Social” and “Swinging on a Star.”...
Dec 21, 2023 · Q: Who were the original cast members of Dreamgirls? A: The original cast of Dreamgirls included Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jennifer Holliday, Loretta Devine, and Ben Harney in the lead roles. Q: When did Dreamgirls first premiere? A: Dreamgirls made its Broadway debut on December 20, 1981, at the Imperial Theatre.
Original cast of Dreamgirls. Ben Harney and Jennifer Holliday in Dreamgirls. Martha Swope. You may also like. Revisit the 1987 Revival of Dreamgirls Starring Lillias White. See the...
Meet the original Broadway cast of Dreamgirls on Broadway, and find out who was in the Original Cast, what parts they played and more.