Dreamgirls: National tour to premiere at the Apollo Theater

The national tour of the musical Dreamgirls will premiere at the Apollo Theater in Nov 2009, for a limited engagement.

Dreamgirls will be a highlight of the Apollo Theater's 75th Anniversary celebration in 2009. Tickets for the musical go on sale on 26 Jan 2009.

Dreamgirls is the story of a young female singing trio from Chicago, and their rocky road to superstardom.

On 22 Nov 2009 Dreamgirls will hold open auditions at the Apollo Theater to cast The Dreams (Deena Jones, Lorrell Robinson and Effie White) for this national tour.

Dreamgirls is directed and choreographed by Bobby Longbottom with co-choreography by Shane Sparks, scenic design by Robin Wagner, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Ken Billington, and is produced by John Breglio for Vienna Waits Productions.

"The opening scene in Dreamgirls takes place in the legendary Apollo Theatre, so it is only fitting that we are launching the national tour at this historic venue", said producer John Breglio. "The prospect that we may discover the new Dreams at the Apollo, where so many stars were discovered, just adds to our excitement in bringing this great musical back to the stage."

"From Ella Fitzgerald to the Jackson Five to Lauryn Hill, and beyond, the Apollo's legacy as a resource for artists, across genres and generations - and as a platform for the artistic heritage of American culture, continues to be unmatched," said Jonelle Procope, President and CEO, Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc. "We are thrilled to host the premiere of the Dreamgirls national tour, which is so emblematic of what the Apollo stands for and so magically captures the spirit of this Theater."

The original Broadway production of Dreamgirls opened 20 Dec 1981 at the Imperial Theatre and won six 1982 Tony Awards. Dreamgirls closed on Broadway 11 Aug 1985, after 1,522 performances.

Dreamgirls features music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. The original Broadway production was directed by Michael Bennett and choreographed by Bennett and Michael Peters.

Dreamgirls was adapted into a motion picture by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures, released in Dec 2006.

For tickets and further information click here