Review: New Tampa Players Production of DREAMGIRLS at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center

Motown has always been close to my heart.  “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”--the 1967 version featuring Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell--forever remains in my Top 5 favorite songs of all time, with Stevie Wonder’s “As” and Junior Walker & the All-Stars’ “What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)” not far behind.  I even created a much-read list for Broadway World during the pandemic of the 101 Greatest Motown Songs, where Gaye’s “What’s Going On” landed at #1 and “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” by The Four Tops settled at #2. (And whether you care or not, the seldom-remembered “Festival Time” by the San Remo Golden Strings was my choice for #101.)  So, you can bet that I would jump at the chance to see the New Tampa Players’ current production of DREAMGIRLS, a musical obviously inspired by the ups and downs of Motown’s biggest act of the 1960s, The Supremes. The show’s creators would deny the comparison for legal reasons, but we know better, don’t we?

DREAMGIRLS--with music by Henry Krieger and the book and lyrics by Tom Eyen--is a snappy, snippy, dazzling view of black America in the 1960s headlined by a fictional female group called the Dreams.  In this group, you will find the wide-eyed and vivacious  Lorrell Robinson (Patty Smithey), the destined-for-stardom Deena Jones (Caron Davis), and the pain-in-the-ass diva, Effie White (NaTasha McKenzie).  They start as the Dreamettes (just as The Supremes had begun as the Primettes), backing the sweaty, show-stopping singer James Thunder Early (Christian McLaurine), who’s sort of what you get when you mix Jackie Wilson with James Brown.  Fueled by the underhanded shenanigans of a car dealer turned Gordy-like record producer, Curtis Taylor (Eric Erte Stillings), and songwriter CC White (Javen Jackson), the Dreams become America’s biggest singing sensation.  But inner turmoil and ego with the ladies, as well as the lust for money and power from Curtis, ultimately split them up.  But they get a last hurrah singing together on the stage one final time; the Dreams’ final bow, “Hard to Say Goodbye,” sure reminds me of “Someday We’ll Be Together,” The Supremes’ last hit with Diana Ross.

It's a show that spotlights diverse representation, black leadership, female empowerment, and the redemptive spirit of music. It includes some of the finest tunes to ever grace any musical.   

I find it exciting when a community theatre like the New Tampa Players tackles an important and rollicking show like DREAMGIRLS. Even if the results turn out to be decidedly mixed, my hat goes off to them.  This is not an easy show to mount.  It’s almost wall-to-wall music, with performers and set pieces going in and out like a 3D chess game. It’s sometimes messier than it needs to be, but we forgive that because everything is seemingly in constant motion with its hard-working cast and crew. 

The problem with the production is that the poor sound undermines the singers and the storyline.  The brilliant eleven-person orchestra (led by the incomparable G. Frank Meekins) is certainly top-notch, but with weak and inconsistent sound from the microphones, it loudly drowns out the singers.  Since the songs are the key to the whole show, we miss important lyrics and dialogue and find ourselves questioning what is going on and who is involved.  Even the offstage announcements of the various singing acts often become hard to decipher.  This inconsistency is unnecessary; the talented cast and crew (not to mention the audience) deserve better.  This is DREAMGIRLS; it should be a heart-pounding and toe-tapping dynamite of a show, a stunner; we need to hear all of those soulful song lyrics and harmonies for it to make sense to the audience.    

The incredibly talented director, Clay Christopher, has assembled a strong cast.  NaTasha McKenzie is a force of nature as the larger-than-life Effie White, whose attitude, faked illnesses and constant tardiness get her dispelled from the group.  The part made both Jennifer Holliday (in the original 1981 Broadway production) and Jennifer Hudson (in the 2006  film) stars, and NaTasha McKenzie certainly comes close to their power. Effie (a perfect name for a character who probably is likely to always complain with an “Ef This!”)  is the part of the show, the mighty woman who can vocally move mountains, like Mama Rose in Gypsy or Sally Bowles in Cabaret. And like those two (think “Rose’s Turn” or the song “Cabaret), Effie gets the show’s best song, which also may be the best song of any musical over the past forty-five years: “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.”  Ms. McKenzie certainly acts the song well, her emotions and sobbing overwhelming her, but in this instance, the song unfortunately doesn’t go to “11” on the Spinal Tap scale.  She obviously has the pipes to move icebergs, but it didn’t occur the night I saw it. Was she saving her voice?  Why was she holding back throughout the entirety of the song? This is a number that should induce goosebumps, that should have the audience crying and applauding at the same time as we head into Intermission.  Ms. McKenzie is an astounding singer and a masterful performer, but her rendition of the song, though good, didn’t go to the next level.  Her “I Am Changing” and “One Night Only” worked much better to my ears.

Caron Davis is a lovely presence as Deena, but she doesn’t exude the starry sparkling quality that is needed for a Diana Ross-like megastar.  She does her best in such songs as “Heavy” and in the Donna Summeresque  disco version of “One Night Only.”  And I needed more of a connection between her and Eric Erte Stillings’ Curtis.  I was shocked when Deena says that they are married; where’s the chemistry between the two of them that shows this?  We never get an idea of any romance, except that it’s what we are told.  But Ms. Davis gets an empowering exit scene that earned applause from the audience. Mr. Curtis has his moments, but I never sensed the charismatic seducer whose love of money and power eclipse all else; he appeared to be fishing for his lines and seemed one-note throughout rather than a player who charms and meddles with romance and friendship just to get a hit record.

Javen Jackson is a welcome addition to our area stages and quite a find as CC White.  Michael Dixon makes for a sturdy and strong Tiny Joe Dixon, a part probably inspired by BB King.   Yolanda Cabrera-Liggins does some nice work as Marty, a part usually played by a man but that works well here. Leia Ambrister is likeable as Effie’s replacement, Michelle Morris. And Jake Veit gets his moment in the spotlight as a white bread Pat Boone clone, who in a very funny bit takes a raucous R&B song (“Cadillac Car”) and excises every last drop of soul from it with his yawningly wimpy rendition.

The ensemble do so much heavy-lifting in the show, and their hard work does not go unnoticed.   They include LaVette Berrian, Kieshia Clarke, Alyson Gannon, Angel Larrieux, Bill Liggins, Stephen Mikell, Joseph Moore, Monica Paine, Makayla Raines, Jamyra Rainey, Monai Saberille, Pavonne Scott, and Genesis Wiley. 

But two cast members in this DREAMGIRLS stand out and tear the roof off the sucker. They are worth the price of admission in and of themselves, and their amazing performances, some of the best I’ve seen locally in a long time, should be remembered when awards are given out at the end of the year.

Patty Smithey absolutely owns the stage as Lorrell Robinson.  When the Dreams sing as a group, your eyes are constantly drawn to her. She has so much spunk, pizzazz, life. And her big Act 2 scene with Jimmy Thunder Early (“Ain’t No Party”) is earthshaking, where she struts her stuff and steals the show. Ms. Smithey, who I remember as Ariel in NTP’s The Little Mermaid five years ago, gives her greatest performance here.  She’s always in character, always sparking the stage to life whenever she enters a scene. Talk about true star quality.

And best of all is Christian McLaurine as James Thunder Early.  This is a tempest of a performance, jolting the show with energy and the sheer joy of performing with  hurricane strength.  His Act 2 “Rap” is astonishing and physical, where he cries out “Jimmy wants a piece of your chocolate cake” as he slaps his crotch.  And in an early James Brown-like moment, he dramatically falls to the ground and is fanned and lifted up by the Dreams. And with his stellar “Baby-Baby,” he hits some incredible notes that shake the rafters.  With his talent, energy, timing, humor, presence, and courage, Mr. McLaurine has it all. This is a performance for the ages, and I will stand in line any time to see him in future shows.

Tech-wise the show works (with the exception of the aforementioned sound).  The set, helped at times by Sebastian Paine’s lighting, is nothing short of amazing, especially the large lighted signs for the Apollo Theater and for the Dreams. Shelley Giles and Eboni Graham’s costume design is appropriate for the most part, even sometimes quite dazzling.  Ms. Graham’s choreography works, but the dances come across messy and in some instances (“Steppin’ to the Bad Side”) look like tai chi warm-up exercises. Vocals work most of the time (when not drowned out by the music), but something goes wrong in the song “Dreamgirls,” where it should be the group’s leap to stardom; the song becomes shockingly pitchy, sounding like karaoke at Whiskey Willies on an off-night.

Clay Christopher, one of our best local directors, puts on one hell of a show despite its messiness and inconsistencies (and yes, I’ll say it again: The sound needs to be improved). But the word is out about NTP’s DREAMGIRLS at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center, which is playing to sold-out houses.  If tickets are still available, then get them now because this dream ends on February 11.

Photo courtesy of Picture This of Palma Ceia