When you’re the first person on UK shores to play an iconic role like Effie White in the hotly anticipated soul musical Dreamgirls, it’d be understandable if you had a few rehearsal nerves.
Try telling that to American actress and singer Amber Riley. Discussing the part with Director and Choreographer Casey Nicholaw in the newly-released video, Riley notes that the charge is “challenging”, but on the evidence of her subsequent, soulful and utterly stunning rendition of memorable ballad “I Am Changing” from the show, she is more than up for the (musical) fight.
Dreamgirls promises to transport audiences to a revolutionary time in American music history, charting the turbulent journey of a young female singing trio from Chicago to astronomical stardom. Other spectacular songs in the show include “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going”, “Listen” and “One Night Only”.
Casting for the production has recently been confirmed, including Riley, Ibinabo Jack and Liisi LaFontaine as the soulful singing trio ‘The Dreams’, with the production also starring Nicholas Bailey, Adam J Bernard, Tyrone Huntley, Joe Aaron Reid, Ruth Brown and Karen Mav.
The cast is completed by Jocasta Almgill, Callum Aylott, Hugo Batista, Samara Casteallo, Chloe Chambers, Carly Mercedes Dyer, Joelle Dyson, Kimmy Edwards, Candace Furbert, Nathan Graham, Ashley Luke Lloyd, Gabriel Mokake, Abiola Ogunbiyi, Sean Parkins, Kirk Patterson, Ryan Reid, Rohan Richards, Noel Samuels, Durone Stokes and Tosh Wanogho-Maud.
The show is currently booking for a limited run at the Savoy Theatre from 19 November. If you don’t think you could be any more excited, let the video above prove you wrong, and then get booking your tickets from us here.