Dreamgirls 1983 "Hard to Say Goodbye My Love" Linda Leilani Brown

[mattagogo]

This is such a higher level of Dreamgirls! LOVE!!!!

[Mindlesswill]

How did you get this video? i love it!!!

[Jamieb1388]

That is Lillias White as Effie, and Loretta Devine was not on stage for this performance.

[SelfAmazed]

Is this the real people

[jwebbny]

Reply to remyfacade - I was answering a question that the poster of this clip asked. youndatmonkee had asked me who I saw in NY when I saw the show . I listed the cast I saw when the show closed at the Imperial and the cast I saw when it was revived at the Ambasador 2 years later.

Reply to youndatmonkee - I'm sorry I've been too lazy to go in the basement to find my old playbill to confirm the cast I saw at the last performance at the Imperial. I'll do it this week and get back to you.

[jwebbny]

Good morning. Sorry I haven't checked my e-mails. I was at the last performance at the Imperial and I don't remember seeing Ms. Brown as the final Deena. Based on the videos you posted I truly wish I could have seen her in the role. I think she is awesome. I did see the original show once before and I saw the revival a few times so maybe I am confusing the different casts. I will look at my old Playbills and get back to you. Have a good day and thanks again for all the great videos!

[jwebbny]

BTW the cast I listed before are the Dreams that closed the show at the Imperial. Then they had the touring company come back to NY and play the Ambassador Theater for a limited summer run a year or so after the original production closed. That cast was Alyse Gyse/Deena, Arnetia Walker/Lorrell and Lilias White/Effie. I believe the touring company was still playing when Michael Bennett passed away in 1987. I didn't catch the last cast that played the Apollo Theater and toured recently.

[jwebbny]

Deborah Burrell had moved up to playing Deena Jones, Loretta Devine was back as Lorrell and Roz Ryan played Effie. Thanks for the Google Info.

[youndatmonkee]

@jwebbny I don't believe Roz was the finally Effie, It was actually new comer Kecia Lewis Evans, and either Debbye Burrell or Linda Leilani Brown was the final Deena. The last year the cast changed alot. Linda Leilani Brown, Deborah Burrell, Susan Beaubian and Brenda Pressley all played Deena at some point in 1985. I have heard from Linda Leilani Brown that She was the last Deena.

[sashasmyfan]

@youndatmonkee Deborah was the last Deena as well as Kecia Lewis being the final Effie before it closed in 85. I saw HQ video of the 1985 broadway cast in a library. It was was awesome. Deborah was excellent as Deena. The only thing I will say that she didn't have as much sass as the 2 previous Deena's.

[youndatmonkee]

@sashasmyfan have u been in a profesional production of Dreamgirls? How did u see that video?

[sashasmyfan]

@youndatmonkee no...you dont have to be apart of a professional production to see it... You just cant take it out..Its located at every major library you could possibly think of

[youndatmonkee]

@sashasmyfan ARE you serious?? Have you really seen it? I read a catalog thing online with a cast that performed the last week, and it appears you can get it at a library but how?

[sashasmyfan]

@youndatmonkee I just asked to see the video and there you go..lol..I said I was doing a research paper..lol

[youndatmonkee]

@sashasmyfan can you help me find a copy??? Where you able to take it home?"?

[sashasmyfan]

@youndatmonkee Yeah...sure...I looked it up...It's only available now in the New York Public Library...I really doubt that you can take it out...I couldn't take the one I saw out..You can only view it in a conference room

[youndatmonkee]

@sashasmyfan I have seen a listing for a video from August 7, 1985 with the final cast of Dreamgirls, which is what I think is at Lincoln Center. But when I do searches to see if that video is at the librairy it says it is the DVD of the movie

[remyfacade]

@jwebbny the name you have on here are not the women singing. Linda is Deena, Arnetia walker is Lorell, A thin Lillas white is Effie, I don't know who that is as Michelle. this is the revival cast, or national tour.

[jwebbny]

The orchestra effect was in the show in NY when I saw it towards the end of the run. I believe Mr. Bennett added changes from the touring production to the original show. An example is the Act II opening he created for Ms. Brown, it was in the NY production when I saw it but I was surprised to learn that originally he used a medley of songs from the first act. He was a brillant director. May I ask how I can access the Dreamgirls virtual coffee table book you mentioned? Thanks.

[youndatmonkee]

@jwebbny Who did you see as Deena @ the end of the Ny Run? and Effie... Just google Dreamgirls Virtual Coffe Table Book.

[legedaryone]

Why does everythihng with Linda Leilina Brown always seem so rushed...like a laot of the dialoughe and lyrics always seem a bit speed up..Did they direct her to do this ?

[youndatmonkee]

@legedaryone I am not sure, I noticed that also. It could because the key she sang in. I do know, I have several audios from the 80's that Michael Bennett directed and he seemed to constantly tinker with the tempo. The 1985-87 International tour had several sped up numbers, "Heavy", "It's all over" and "One Night Only".

[nubianmanmusic]

@legedaryone

Well, The Lady (LLB) has told me several times that the key the book was created in has not changed at all, per Brdwy standards. In fact, EVERYONE had to audition for the show in key HIGHER than what the book was written in, just to be sure everyone can hit the higher notes!

[youndatmonkee]

@nubianmanmusic Actually, I don't know about the keys and etc., But I do know that Michael Bennett toyed with the tempo a bit. I have several different audio's with different casts directed by Michael Bennett and from time to time, Heavy, One Night Only and It's All Overs key would change...

[pecansforall]

I saw this production in San Francisco which was the city that it played after Los Angeles. During "Hard to Say Goodbye" I distinctly remember actors behind a scrim (behind the girls) pretending to be a large orchestra by miming the playing of musical instruments. It was a neat effect that slowly faded in and then out during the number. I don't see anything like that visible in this video. Does anyone else remember this?

[youndatmonkee]

@pecansforall Yea, thats funny because I read on the Dreamgirls virtual coffee table book, that the added that effect to the end, as well in a book about Michael Bennett and when I got my hands on this, I didn't see it. But maybe we just can't see it here. But you know how Michael Bennett was with tinkering with shows constantly. Like at one point during the the L.A. production, he had the Dreams in sequinced bathing suits. The 2009 version @ the Apollo had a similar effect, but it went away.

[jwebbny]

P.S. - Forgot to shout out Michael Bennett's great direction and Theoni V. Aldredge's beautiful gowns. 

[youndatmonkee]

@jwebbny I love these gowns also, they were made head to toe of silver and white bugle beads with fringe made of bugle beads. The dresses were like 40+ lbs...

[jwebbny]

OMG!!! What a surprise when I just logged in. I'm so glad I subscribed to your channel. You have the most amazing Dreamgirls video. I love, love, love the fabulous Ms. Linda Leilani Brown. I'm sorry I didn't see her when she appeared in the show in NY. I sent her Act II opening number to all of my friends. This clip is amazing too and I was so pleasantly surprised to see Lillias White as Effie. As always thank you so much! Have a great day!