The West End premiere of the musical Dreamgirls will open at the Savoy Theatre in November, starring Glee star Amber Riley as Effie White.
Dreamgirls was originally produced on Broadway in 1981, and subsequently won six Tony Awards.
In 2006 it was adapted into an Oscar winning motion picture starring Beyoncé Knowles, Jennifer Hudson (as Effie White), Eddie Murphy and Jamie Foxx.
Inspired by R&B music acts in 1960s America, Dreamgirls charts the tumultuous journey through show business of a young female singing trio from Chicago called The Dreams.
The musical features songs such as And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going, I Am Changing and One Night Only.
The new musical will be directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Disney’s Aladdin and Something Rotten!), and produced by Sonia Friedman (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, The Book of Mormon and Funny Girl).
Amber Riley
Best known for her role as Mercedes Jones in television series Glee, American singer and actress Amber Riley will be making her West End debut in the role of Effie White in Dreamgirls.
Riley’s other television appearances include playing Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North in the NBC live performance of the musical The Wiz and competing in Dancing with the Stars, which she won in 2013.
Riley’s numerous theatre credits include Alice in Wonderland, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Into the Woods and Mystery on the Docks with the Los Angeles Opera.
About Dreamgirls she said: “I am so honoured and excited to not only be playing such an iconic role, but also to be working with Sonia Friedman and Casey Nicholaw. Working on the West End is now a dream realised, I just feel like this is going to be something special!”
Tickets will go on sale this spring with further dates, casting and creative team to be announced soon.
For further information visit www.dreamgirlswestend.com.
(Photo credit: Blair Caldwell).
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