☞ SEE: Dreamgirls is a Hit

The 1981 Tony-award-winning musical Dreamgirls starts and ends at the Apollo Theater, and it is only befitting that the national tour premiered at Harlem's famous institution this month. We got the chance this weekend to see the Broadway-worthy production featuring a cast of fresh faces and some behind-the-scenes veterans. This fair-weather theater spectator made his way through the rain and found laughter and sometimes tears in this one-of-a-kind event.

First of all, how amazing is it to see a show that features the Apollo at the Apollo? When the performers and announcer croon to the Apollo crowd in the first scene, they are actually talking to the said crowd. This nuance was not lost on the packed house, which clapped and erupted in approval quite often during the course of the show. The audience itself looked like a cross section of what one would find at any Broadway performance, with many folks arriving on a tour bus especially commissioned for the engagement.

As far as the spectacle of a Broadway musical, nothing was left wanting at the well-appointed version of the famous show about a 1960's girl group's journey through fame, disappointment and redemption. The singers were spot-on, starting with the New York debut of Moya Angela, who delivered the requisite power-vocals needed for the role of Effie, played by Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson in the 2006 film. Chester Gregory's James Brown-like Jimmy was also a notable standout amongst the talented cast. Costumes by William Ivey Long, the award-winning designer of Hairspray, captured the various historical moments of the Dreams' rise to stardom and created a panoply of vibrant color, light and form, which received applause from the crowd in more than a couple of the scenes. For a more contemporary spin in this revival, a surprise rendition of the song "Listen" from the 2006 film version of the show made its stage debut in the second act.

Finally, the scenic designer created an incredibly effective floor-to-ceiling digital scrim; in fact, this is the first time that this theater-goer has ever seen this technology used successfully in a show. Instead of looking like a video game back-drop with natural images depicted electronically, the design team took advantage of the thousands of tiny bulbs and highlighted images that were digital by nature. From street light scenes to fuzzy 1960's CBS screens, the overall effect was grand and seamless. These panels also served as a clever way to delineate "on-stage" and "off-stage" for scenes when Jimmy and the Dreams were performing across America.

If for some reason you haven't gotten tickets yet, show up at the Apollo box office or go to their website for more information on alternate ways to purchase tickets: LINK. Photo by Ulysses