Dreamgirls at Wales Millennium Centre – Our Review

The first thing we would like to say about this show is WOW. The amount of talent we saw on Wednesday night was exceptional. We have been to a few shows before, but nothing as uplifting and cheery like this show. From the moment it begins, you are so captivated and happy. And without realising it you find yourself either with a big smile or tapping your feet.

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If you haven’t watched the 2006 film, which starred Beyoncé as Deena, Jennifer Hudson as Effie, and Anika Noni Rose as Lorrell. This show is based in 1960’s era and tells the story of the challenges and situations three friends have to go through to make their dream of becoming singers a reality. They go through heartache, deception, manipulation and their friendship is also tested.

At this point we were all in awe of these talented cast members, but towards the end of act one Nicole Raquel Dennis (who plays Effie) performed “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” and she just sent us all into a frenzy. She sang with such passion and emotion, that you could feel the sentiment and rawness in her voice. Everyone was so taken by this performance that when she hit the high notes people in the audience stood up clapping and cheering to this magnificent rendition of the song. This by far was our favourite part of Act One and we are not shy to admit that there were tears.

They say Dreamgirls was inspired by Diana Ross and The Supremes, although others say it was based on a few girl groups from the 1960’s era, but that is a debate for another day. Throughout the show you see the diverse situations these women had to go through, first as the Dreamettes and later as the Dreams, facing racism and sexism in order to become a successful girl band.

This is the first time in a show where we feel transported back to that era. Their dresses were sequinned and so stunning. The other costumes were magnificent and the hairstyles were fabulous and so on point with that time. The set is rather minimal, but it plays a key part in conjunction with the lighting, because it gives us the chance to focus more on the actual talent and the dancing. Which Dom Hartley-Harris who plays Curtis, shows us some of, along with his unique voice.

In Act Two there is emphasis on Women Power and standing up to fight for what you love. And you see this in the performance of Effie and Deena (played by Natalie Kassanga) for the song “Listen.” Their voices compliment each other in that song beautifully. But these weren’t the only ones that were shinning that night, Paige Peddie, who played Lorrell had the opportunity to shine more with her vocals and her sassy personality, which was nice to see. Brandon Lee Sears as Jimmy Early showed us his funny side, cool dance moves and wonderful voice. And at one point he interacted with us the audience, which was nice because most of us were already clapping and laughing at that point.

We had such a fun time watching this show, it was a beautiful demonstration of talent and we can’t stop mentioning Nicole Raquel Dennis, because her voice was just breathtaking. The cast were all talented in their own way, but she just stood out to us and if you go to see this show, you will understand and feel why.
And if you have seen the film, you will be tempted to sing along, especially to the song Dreamgirls and even if you haven’t, you will surely have a good time.

Thanks to Wales Millenium Centre for having us 🥰 It was a pleasure.

Dreamgirls will be at Wales Millennium Centre until 30 April 2022. Tickets prices start from as little as £17.50. And we have checked and there is good availability for the next couple of shows. If you want to book your tickets, head to the link in our bio. Which will take you directly to the booking page.

Thanks to all of our readers.

Stay Safe.