REVIEW: Dreamgirls Deluxe Edition

Sure, you’ve heard Beyonce Knowles’ sing. If you watch American Idol you’ve probably been treated to hearing Jennifer Hudson belt it out. There’s even a chance that somewhere in the 80’s you ran afoul of Eddie Murphy’s terrifying solo album. But even if you’ve caught all three, you haven’t ever heard them the way you will if you pick up the soulful, powerful, energetic soundtrack to Dreamgirls, the latest effort by Hollywood to bring a Broadway hit to the silver screen.

“Dreamgirls”, the musical based loosely on the life of The Supremes, originally opened on Broadway in 1982 to rave reviews and critical accolades. Despite losing out on the Tony award for best new musical (Broadway’s equivalent of the Best Picture Oscar), it had a successful run. Now, almost 25 years later, its revival in film form is again receiving awards and acclaim. There’s an exhilarating force inherent in the music, and the cast channels it near-flawlessly with moving results. Unlike past Broadway-to-film ventures like Phantom of the Opera and Chicago where most of the performers struggle to keep up, the cast of Dreamgirls soar through each track, carrying you right along with them.

As with any musical soundtrack, you’re only getting half the story by hearing the songs alone, but that doesn’t diminish the enjoyment for Dreamgirls. The film’s stars, Jamie Foxx, Anika Noni Rose and the aforementioned Knowles, Hudson and Murphy are wonderfully expressive with their vocal tale telling, offering an experience to rival any Broadway cast recording. Blend in Henry Krieger’s rich orchestrations and you have a tremendous musical work of art.

Jennifer Hudson, who headlines most of the solos as Effie White, is a surprising powerhouse whose voice and strength are worthy of the songs the character sings. Hudson’s rise to stardom is linked to the pop phenomenon “American Idol” but despite losing that contest her turn in Dreamgirls has earned her an Academy Award, a far greater acknowledgement of her skills. At times she gets a little carried away with her solos, wailing to melodramatic extremes on some of her more emotional numbers including the show’s centerpiece “And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going”. For the most part, however, she charges each note and phrase with feeling and charisma, setting a bar that the entire cast can rise to.

Beyoncé Knowles’ shining performance is no surprise and, despite singing in Hudson’s shadow, is no less worthy of praise. The shocker comes in the form of the male singers, namely Foxx and Murphy. Foxx may have lip synced his way through Ray, but that wasn’t for a lack of skill as he proves here. For the few sections where he gets to sing he holds his own in the presence of formidable vocal talent, crooning with the best of them in his solo “When I First Saw You”. Murphy goes even further, taking his usual skill in playing over the top characters and applying it to a musical level. His solo numbers as the womanizing, James-Brown-like recording star Jimmy Early are twice as fun to listen to when keeping in mind this is the same guy that plays characters like the Nutty Professor and Axel Foley. For all the caricature in his performance, Murphy is still solid in his singing.

The two disc set Deluxe Edition has the complete set of songs from the film, including the Best Song Academy Award nominated "Listen," "Love You I Do," and "Patience." But it doesn’t end there. What with Beyoncé being involved there had to be techno dance and disco remixes involved. I wouldn’t recommend putting either on your DJ hit list but they’re a fun way to celebrate great songs to a different beat. Whether you’re a fan of the movie, the Broadway show, or you’re just dying to hear what Eddie Murphy sounds like when he doesn’t suck, this is one that deserves a listen.