London Dreamgirls Revival Looks Likely for 2018 Broadway Run

The U.K. premiere production of Dreamgirls, directed by Tony winner Casey Nicholaw, will play Broadway in 2018, according to an Equity casting notice.

The London Dreamgirls cast features Glee veteran Amber Riley as Effie White, Liisi LaFontaine as Deena Jones, Asmeret Ghebremichael as Lorrell Robinson, Joe Aaron Reid as Curtis Taylor Jr., Adam J. Bernard as Jimmy Early, Tyrone Huntley as C.C. White, Nicholas Bailey as Marty and Lily Frazer as Michelle Morris. Riley and Bernard won 2017 Olivier Awards for their performances.

This will be the second Broadway revival of Dreamgirls. The musical with a book and lyrics by Tom Eyen and music by Henry Krieger first opened on Broadway's Imperial Theatre in 1981. The production starred Jennifer Holliday as Effie White, Sheryl Lee Ralph as Deena Jones, Loretta Devine as Lorrell Robinson, Ben Harney as Curtis Taylor Jr., Cleavant Derricks as Jimmy Early, Obba Babatundé as C.C. White, Vondie Curtis-Hall as Marty and Deborah Burrell as Michelle Morris. Harney, Derricks and Holliday won Tonys for their performances. The show also won Tonys for Best Book, Choreography and Lighting Design. The production closed in 1985.

The musical played a brief revival in 1987 at the Ambassador Theatre. A 2006 movie adaptation starred Beyoncé Knowles as Deena, Tony winner Anika Noni Rose as Lorrell and Jennifer Hudson, who won an Oscar for her performance as Effie.