The producers have revealed who will play the role of the Effie White in the tour which is due to open this autumn.
Introducing Nicole Raquel Dennis who was a finalist on ITV’s The Voice last year, wowing viewers and judges at her blind audition. She performed the Dreamgirls’ hit track And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going alongside team mentor Jennifer Hudson on the show.
Hudson won an Oscar (Best Supporting Actress) for her portrayal of Effie White in the 2006 Oscar-winning motion picture adaptation of Dreamgirls, which also starred Beyoncé Knowles, Eddie Murphy and Jamie Foxx.
Before opening in the UK tour of Dreamgirls, Nicole remains in the original West End company of Dear Evan Hansen (Nöel Coward Theatre) in which she plays the role of Alana Beck.
Her other London stage credits include The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales Theatre), Waitress (Adelphi Theatre) and the West End production of Dreamgirls (Savoy Theatre).
She said: “I am so thrilled that I can finally speak about something I’ve been holding onto for the longest time! Also, I cannot wait to be back with my Dear Evan Hansen fam on the stage at the Nöel Coward once theatres reopen and so thrilled that following that, I will be going on tour in this mammoth role.”
“Effie has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl and now I will get to share her with audiences around the UK. To say I’m excited is an understatement.”
Producer, Sonia Friedman said they were delighted that Nicole would be “re-joining the Dreamgirls’ family”.
About the UK tour
The new production of Dreamgirls had its critically acclaimed West End premiere in December 2016 at London’s Savoy Theatre, 35 years on from opening on Broadway. The UK tour is scheduled to begin this autumn and visit Bristol, Milton Keynes, Blackpool, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Sunderland, Hull, Nottingham, Liverpool, Norwich, Canterbury and Leeds.
It will continue touring throughout 2021 with further venues and dates to be announced along with more casting.
The musical, which first opened on Broadway in 1981, follows an all-female singing group called The Dreams through their journey to stardom. Set against the backdrop of 1960s Chicago, Dreamgirls is said to be inspired by notable R&B artists of the period, such as The Supremes, James Brown and Jackie Wilson.
For more information and updates visit www.dreamgirlsthemusical.co.uk
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