Jennifer Hudson has announced that she will be producing the Broadway revival of “Dreamgirls,” which opens in the fall.
Hudson won an Oscar for her role as Effie White in the 2006 film version of “Dreamgirls.” This musical is about an R&B girl group’s struggles as they rise to fame. “Dreamgirls,” co-starring Beyoncé, marked Hudson’s film debut after her breakout role on “American Idol.”
“Dreamgirls” opened on Broadway in 1981 and ran for about four years. The original production was nominated for 13 Tony Awards and won six, including Best Actress for Jennifer Holliday, who regularly wowed audiences with her iconic first act, “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.” In a review for the New York Times, Frank Rich wrote, “If the curtain had never come down, audiences would probably have cheered Jennifer Holliday until dawn.”
This is Hudson’s third Broadway producing credit, following “A Strange Loop” and “Smash.” She joins producers Sonia Friedman Productions, Sue Wagner and John Johnson.
“Twenty years ago, my life changed forever because of the movie Dreamgirls. Inspired by the iconic stage musical, I was given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play the one and only Effie White, a woman whose story and voice are an ever-present force in my life,” said Hudson. “I’m thrilled to join the incredible producing team of this newly reimagined and special Broadway revival and help bring ‘Dreamgirls’ back to the stage through Camille A. Brown’s visionary direction and choreography. This fall can’t come soon enough.”
This new production, directed and choreographed by Camille A. Brown, is the first Broadway revival since 1987. The cast has not yet been announced, but producers said they will hold auditions for “talented women of all shapes and sizes” from around the world.
