daisy james special edition: dreamgirls

DaisyJames Special Edition The Duke Ellington School of the Arts

presents

December 2-18, 2010The Ellington Theatre

THE ELLINGTON THEATREDECEMBER 2-18 2010

BOOKS & LYRICS BY TOM EYENMUSIC BY HENRY KRIEGER

DIRECTED BY LYNDA GRAVÁTTCHOREOGRAPHY BY CHARLES AUGINS

MUSICAL DIRECTION BY e’MARCUS HARPER

ORCHESTRA DIRECTOR – ISAAC DANIEL, JRSET DESIGNER – DAN CONWAY

COSTUME DESIGNER – KAREN PERRYLIGHTING DESIGNER – CURTIS V. HODGESOUND DESIGNER – CHARLES HARRIS, JR

PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER – NICOLE LEONARD

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER – RORY PULLENS

PRODUCERS – KENNETH JOHNSON & TIA POWELL HARRIS

ORIGINAL BROADWAY PRODUCTION DIRECTED AND CHOREOGRAPHED BY MICHAEL BENNETT. PRODUCED ON BROADWAY BY MICHAEL BENNETT, ROBERT AVIAN, GEFFEN RECORDS AND THE SHUBERT

ORGANIZATION. PRODUCED BY ARRANGEMENT WITH, AND THE MUSIC AND DIALOGUE MATERIAL FURNISHED BY TAMS-WITMARK MUSIC LIBRARY, INC. 560 LEXINGTON AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10622

2 DaisyJames SPECIAL EDITION

Table of Contents

creditsDAISY JAMES IS PRODUCED BY THE LITERARY

MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT

@ THE DUKE ELLINGTON SCHOOL OF ARTS

DEPARTMENT CHAIRMARK WILLIAMS

EDITORS: SIERRA REAUX-MCNEIL, RAVEN REESE & SARAI REED

PHOTO EDITOR: JILLIAN BURFORD

CONTACT: [email protected]

DESIGN: KIMBERLY C. GAINES FOR SONDAI EXPRESSIONS

INSTRUCTOR/MANAGING EDITOR: KOYE OYEDEJI

ONLINE / ASSOCIATE EDITOR: KELLI ANDERSONCOPY EDITOR: RICK WEBER

PUBLICITY: KRISTEN HARTKE

CONTRIBUTORS: MARCUS BLANCO, MARCUS BROWN, JILLAN BURFORD, TERRA CAMPBELL,

CAROL-ANN COLLINS, REGGIE CONWAY, MAX FRESHOUR, MADISON HARTKE-WEBER, DESTINY JACKSON, SIERRA REAUX-MCNEIL, DAWN NASER, CARA RACIN, RAVEN REESE,

ASHA SHANNON, BARRETT SMITH, ELIZA SPIKES

PHOTOGRAPHERS:KELLI ANDERSON, LAYLA SHARAF,BRIAN NIELSEN, JAMILLA OKUBO

ILLUSTRATIONS:AURIELLE CATRON

MASSIEL ESTEFANY GONZALEZ

DAISY JAMES IS PRODUCED WITH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF

THE LOUISE P. ZANAR FUND

DAISY JAMES PUBLISHING COMMITTEE:GLENNETTE CLARK, VINCENT BROWN,

RICK WEBER

THANKS TOLOUISE P. ZANAR FUND, BARB POWER, BRITTANY FENISON, VICHELLE JONES, DEAN OF ARTS - TIA POWELL-HARRIS,

THE ELLINGTON FUND: ELLEN COPPLEY, JOE GREEN, SEFANIT ISREAL-TEKLE

DAISY JAMES is a publication of LMC, LITERARY MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS @ DUKE

ELLINGTON SCHOOL OF ARTS, 3500 R STREET NW WASHINGTON, D.C. 20007

DAISY JAMES is produced independently by students in the Literary Media &

Communications Department at Duke Ellington School Of The Arts. The views expressed

in DAISY JAMES are not necessarily those shared by the staff of Duke Ellington School

Of The Arts, and the Duke Ellington School Of The Arts takes no responsibility for the content

of work produced.

Daisy James Magazine, Volume 1, Special Edition

A Note From The Editors

5 About the Show

7 From Dramaturge

Director’s Notes

Welcome from the Producers:

Rory Pullens |Tia Powell-Harris

S. Ken Johnson

Cast12 Full Cast

14 Production Team

Gala Guest: Jennifer Holliday

18 BEHIND THE SCENES: A PHOTO DIARY

20 Meet the team: Behind the Dream

The Classes Go On

24 Fake Your Way to the Top

25 From Dreamgirls to Destiny’s Child

26 ORGANIZED CHAOS IS PICTURE PERFECT

28 Sewing up the Dream

MUSEUM STUDIES –

THE MAKING OF DREAMGIRLS EXHIBITION

32 Sweet Dreams:

Ben & Jerry’s partners with Dreamgirls

34 THE SUPREME ‘DREAM’ STORY

36 Dreamgirls Timeline

Credits and Thank yous

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910

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COVER PHOTO BY KELLI ANDERSON,BACK COVER PHOTO BY BRIAN NIELSEN

A Note From The Editors: Dear “Daisy Jamers”,

Welcome to our special edition of Daisy James, dedicated to Duke Ellington School of the Arts’ production of the musical Dreamgirls. Dreamgirls is a historic musical that has graced many stages both here in the U.S. and abroad. We are very excited to be a part of this all school collaborative. The idea of staging Dreamgirls at Duke Ellington has been a vision for some years now and in the last six months of this year students, teachers and artists alike have pulled together to make this production a reality. It has been a heck of a ride for us as well here at Daisy James. This issue serves as both a magazine, a program and a limited edition keepsake that we feel captures the essence of what has been a very unique experience for this school. We hope that this will be looked back on in the years to come. Inside this issue you’ll find background information on the musical as well as an exclusive interview with costume designer Karen Perry, a profile of original Dreamgirl, Jennifer Holliday, and an in-depth look at the Duke Ellington production of Dreamgirls from bare stage to opening night.In this special issue, our writers share some of their personal interests with you readers. We chose topics that appealed to us and that we thought in return would appeal to you. As Daisy James readers you are getting the before and the after, from just about every angle we could think of. We wanted to give you a well-rounded experience of life during the Dreamgirls production. The journey covers the behind the stage story of the stage hands, technical production students and faculty as well as an insight into the mind of the young actors and actresses. A whole world was created around Dreamgirls fever; consider Daisy James your personal portal. Enjoy.

Sarai ReedSierra Reaux-McNeil Raven Reese

The Daisy James Editors

4DaisyJames SPECIAL EDITION

About the ShowSet in the turbulent late 1960s and early 1970s, Dreamgirls follows the rise of a singing trio from Chicago called “The Dreamettes.” This trio of women- Effie, Deena and Lorrell- are discovered by an ambitious manager named Curtis Taylor, Jr. who offers them the opportunity of a lifetime: to become the back-up singers for headliner James “Thunder” Early. Curtis takes control of the girls’ music and image, propelling them into stardom as “The Dreams.” However, Curtis’s plan for stardom involves replacing the full-figured Effie with the slender Deena as lead singer. The choice to ride Deena’s looks into a more mainstream product eventually pushes the less attractive Effie out of the group. As the Dreams dominate the airwaves, they soon realize that the cost of fame and fortune is higher than they imagined.

photos by Brian Nielsen 5

DAWN NASER

BACKGROUND

Dreamgirls takes its cue from the aspirations and success of the Supremes, Martha and the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, James Brown, Jackie Wilson and other Motown stars of the 1960s and 1970s. Early inspiration for the show emerged in 1975 while writer Tom Eyen and composer Henry Krieger were working with actress and singer Nell Carter on a musical titled The Dirtiest Musical in Town. The show that would go on to become Dreamgirls was originally titled One Night Only with Carter cast in the lead role of “Effie”. Set in the early seventies it was a tale of three women, roommates and friends with very different personalities, a beauty, a woman that proved to often be difficult and another that could be counted on to provide humor.

The first workshop for the musical was at the Public Theatre where Sheryl Lee Ralph and Loretta Devine joined Nell Carter in playing the lead roles. In 1978 the project was shelved when Nell Carter dropped out having been offered a role on the soap opera Ryan’s Hope. A year later, successful Broadway

producer/director/choreographer, Michael Bennett joined the team, eventually agreeing to direct and choreograph. In 1980 Bennett, Eyen and Krieger workshopped the show under the new title Big Dreams, with cast members Sheryl Lee Ralph and Loretta Devine. Replacing Nell Carter, who had accepted an offer from NBC to star in the sitcom Gimme a Break, was the 20-year-old gospel singer Jennifer Holliday.

After a series of tumultuous workshops, financiers eventually committed $3.5 million to produce the show. Dreamgirls finally opened on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre on December 20 1981- six years after the project first began. The original cast consisted of Jennifer Holliday as Effie White, Sheryl Lee Ralph as Deena Jones, Loretta Devine as Lorrell Robinson, Ben Harney as Curtis Taylor Jr., Cleavant Derricks as James “Thunder” Early, and Obba Babatunde as C. C. White.

Dreamgirls proved to be a vehicle to stardom for several of its performers, particularly Holliday, whose performance as Effie received critical acclaim. The show was nominated for thirteen Tony

Awards, and won six, picking up awards for Best Book of a Musical (Tom Eyen), Best Lead Actress in a Musical (Jennifer Holliday), Best Lead Actor in a Musical (Ben Harney), Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Cleavant Derricks), Best Lighting Design (Tharon Musser) and Best Choreographer (Michael Bennett and Michael Peters).

On August 11, 1985 after 1522 performances Dreamgirls closed on Broadway.

In 2006 a film adaptation directed by Bill Condon, opened nationwide to rave reviews. The film starred Jennifer Hudson as Effie White, Beyoncé Knowles as Deena Jones, and Anika Noni Rose as Lorrell Robinson. Also appearing in the film was Jamie Foxx as Curtis Taylor Jr., Eddie Murphy as James “Thunder” Early, and Danny Glover as Early’s manager. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning two (Best Sound Mixing and Best Supporting Actress). The estimated budget for the movie was $70 million, according to imdb.com, making it the most expensive film with an all African American cast ever.


Arturo Castro, Artistic Director of Teatro Margen writes, “A theater that does not seek to be relevant is a theater that is lost.” What strikes me about our particular production of Dreamgirls is the relevance of this idea not only to it as a piece of theater but also to the very institution that has been engaging with it these past months. Our gifted creative teams are for the most part contemporaries of Dreamgirls having some experiential or other connection to the piece. The ensemble, for the most part has not, and yet the through line of Dreamgirls is something that not only they, the ensemble, but the students at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts live through and embody on a daily basis, namely what will one do to become, live, and work as an artist. Our students work twelve and fourteen hour days, travel two and three hours a day, take ten classes all because of their singular need to sing, or dance, or play, or paint, or write, or archive, or act, all for “one night only”. The relevance of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts’ production of Dreamgirls can simply be found in the process itself, and this is why what you are about to see is so uniquely powerful.

From Dramaturge

MARK A. WILLIAMS

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Dreamgirls’ initial impact on Broadway had everything to do with the spectacle of the show, the set, the costumes, the lights, and the wigs, and of course the powerhouse music. I remember being as rapt as the other audience members when I went to see it on Broadway, and yet I remember leaving the theater with a decidedly unsettled feeling. I knew that I had missed something that I lost in the spectacle of the show so I went back to see it. And then I went back again. It was only then that the layers of the show began to become apparent and I began to realize what a heartening and heartbreaking story it was. Dreamgirls is a story about love, lost love, and to a larger degree the world of show business. It is the story of four performers and all they had to do to “make it”, a story of their love of performing and the heartbreak that comes with that love, a story of the relationships that are created and then destroyed and then re-created. It is the story of two young women finding out how to be independent women. It is the story of a young man that wanted to change the playing field for black performers, for these girls. It is the story of dreams. What better material for our emerging young artists to explore and what better place to do it than the Duke Ellington School of the Arts? I thought back on Peggy Cooper Cafritz and Mike Malone’s original dream of creating a place where young people who dreamt of being artists could find a home to study, learn, and ultimately develop careers in the

arts. I thought of my own journey and dreams as an artist. In deciding to do this show I thought that this show in relation to this place is a must and could help Ellington’s young artists find a way to negotiate and understand the world they want to enter. While “payola” may not exist anymore, so many other pitfalls and trials await these young artists. In choosing this show I wanted the young people to experience the glamour but also see and understand how that is, as Zora Neale Hurston suggests, just the “outside show”. Dreamgirls is a rhythm and blues opera and requires a tremendous amount of stamina from the performers and there were times in mounting this production that I wondered if I had made a tragic mistake in choosing it. Additionally, focus from the performers was at times a problem as they too got caught up in the spectacle of the show and often during the rehearsal process missed the potent human stories in Dreamgirls as well as the relevance to their own lives. That relevance has everything to do with a dream. Thirty-five years later Peggy and Mike’s dreams are still alive and well in that the young artists, musicians, dancers, actors, painters, writers and documentarians of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts’ are who this production of Dreamgirls is about for me. What you are about to see are their dreams realized. Enjoy!

Lynda Gravatt

D i r e c t o r ’ s Notes

Acclaimed actor and director Lynda Gravátt’s career spans the full range of theater, from Broadway to Hollywood. She has served on the faculty of Howard University, Rutgers University, and the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Directing credits: The Last Fall; In The Continuum; The Lion and The Jewel; Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope; The Colored Museum; The First Breeze of Summer; For Colored Girls…; The Trojan Women; and Hair, among others. Acting Credits: Broadway: Doubt; King Hedley II; 45 Seconds from Broadway. Off-Broadway: The Little Foxes- Zooman & The Sign, King Hedley II (Audelco Award-Outstanding Lead Actress), Dividing the Estate; Crowns (Audelco Award); The Old Settler (Theatre World Award); Miss Witherspoon; Intimate Apparel (Audelco Awards-Best Supporting Actress). Regional: Hartford Stage (Connecticut Critics Circle Award-Best Actress) Arena Stage (Helen Hayes-Best Supporting Actress), Alabama Shakespeare, Mark Taper Forum, Kennedy Center, Alliance Theatre, and Sundance Theatre Lab. Television: Law and Order, Law and Order: SVU, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Sex In The City, One Life to Live, As The World Turns, The Hoop Life. Film: The Wiz, The Architect, Short Fuse, and others.


We are an institution founded on a “dream”. For our young artists, we are a school that develops “dreams”. It’s only fitting that we are presenting Dreamgirls this year as our major artistic collaborative. Given the urgency of our budgetary reality, we were forced to dream BIG if we were to preserve all of our esteemed arts staff and maintain the integrity of our curriculum. It is through this dream that we discovered so much more than a play to be produced. Through this dream, we have found a focused purpose, a unity, an undeniable sense of empowerment that will change the course of how we see ourselves, our future and this generation’s stamp on the Ellington legacy. It all began with a dream. Now, it continues with Dreamgirls. It is through this collaborative showcase that we choose to share our culture, our history, our lives. And from this experience, we hope to set a new standard of expectation and excellence that will make all those associated with Ellington proud for years to come.

Rory PullensEXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Tia Powell-HarrisPRODUCER

S. Ken JohnsonPRODUCER

Dreamgirls is an all-school collaborative! An all-school collaborative is like a whirlwind, a tornado, a twister that sucks up everything in its path, gains incredible momentum, covers ground quickly, destroys anything not securely tethered and forever changes the landscape! The Challenge: Come one, come all, and mount a production buoyed by the creative energies of every person in the building. Do what we do to get what we need. Failure is not an option. Work together. Dream Big.

A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality - John Lennon

Welcome to this special issue of Daisy James…Welcome to our reality!

Three hundred and fifty costumes, three hundred lights, thirty-nine actors, thirty musicians, 50 stagehands, 100 wigs, 80 days of rehearsals. What makes this undertaking so important to our students is the remarkable opportunity that they have to explore the multidisciplinary world of musical theatre. Whether you dance, sing, act, write, paint, play an instrument or design lights, sets or costumes, this world is for you. Theater celebrates the unity and equality of all art forms. Teaching our students how to collaborate with each other and challenging our faculty to leave the confines of their disciplines creates a stronger school community. If history tells us anything it reminds us that “united we stand and divided we fall”. We rise to this moment aware of our historical responsibilities to not only train a new generation of artists but to develop artist citizens who will use their gifts and talent to make a better world.

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Cast RALPH COMPANY

“Effie White” played by VICTORIA DAVIS(Vocal Music Department, Class of 2011)

Favorite Dreamgirls Musical Number: Heavy

There are some singers who are only in it for the money, fame, and adoration. Victoria couldn’t be farther from that. She began to love vocal music when she discovered she could make people happy through song. She came to Duke Ellington to further hone these skills and - as attested by her role in Dreamgirls - it seems to have paid off. Dreamgirls has been “a learning experience” for her. She is glad to have done “things on a professional level at the age of 17.”

“Deena Jones” played by AMBER JONES(Theater Department, Class of 2013)

Favorite Dreamgirls Musical Number: Opening of Act II

Growing up, Amber was never content with sticking to one art form. She started out dancing, tried cheerleading for a few years, took up musical theater throughout middle school, and migrated to the non-musical theater once she came to Duke Ellington. These years of experience have made her well rounded artistically; an ideal candidate for the Ellington production of Dreamgirls. While she originally tried out for the role of Lorrell, she was given the part of Deena. The notion of playing the lead role was quite the surprise, but she was immensely grateful for it. “I’m just really happy that I got the chance to do something big,” says Amber.

“Lorrell Robinson” played by VICTORIA ELLINGTON(Vocal Music Department, Class of 2013)


Many Ellington students have histories behind how they came to discover the school. Victoria’s story is particularly interesting, as it all stems from a conversation with a talkative friend. Her friend had recently auditioned for the school, and was talking about it amongst her peers. Hearing this discussion, Victoria inquired her about it. The friend raved about the school, and even jokingly suggested Victoria was related to the namesake. This discussion apparently stuck, as Victoria is part of the Ellington production of Dreamgirls today. Victoria’s experience with Dreamgirls has been a tiring one. She, like many of those involved, has had to give up having any social life in order to squeeze in more rehearsals. However, she remains positive, insisting that “It’s all going to come together.”

“Curtis Taylor, Jr.” played by LAMAR GASKINS(Vocal Music Department, Class of 2011)

Favorite Dreamgirls Musical Number: Cadillac Car

Lamar’s status as an Ellington student is somewhat of an incidental one; he never asked to come to the school, it sort of came to him. One morning, his father informed him that he was signed up to audition. Lamar had never heard of the school before – he didn’t even know who Duke Ellington was. And yet, there he was, auditioning to attend a school he didn’t even know existed. He has since left a significant mark at Duke, with the Dreamgirls production fueling it in no small way. Describing the production process, he says: “It’s been amazing, it really has.”

“C.C. White” played by DUANE RICHARDS II(Theater Department, Class of 2012)

Favorite Dreamgirls Musical Number: I Miss You Old Friend

When your family’s on the move a lot, it can be hard settling into one place. Duane Richards - whose father is in the military - has experienced this firsthand. When his family came to D.C., Duane needed to find a high school. Having always loved acting and singing, Duke Ellington seemed like the perfect fit. It’s always tough choosing between two loves, but Duane decided to attend the Theater Department, as he felt there would be a great deal more of an “emotional discovery” in this field. This mindset has, ironically, made it all the harder for Duane to get accustomed to the Dreamgirls production. Having become more used to the emotional acting found in traditional theater, he found it difficult to switch over to the presentational acting that is the norm with musicals.

“Marty Madison” played by DARIUS ELMORE(Vocal Music Department, Class of 2012)

Favorite Dreamgirls Musical Number: I Miss You Old Friend

Some actors take their role one step beyond what’s expected of them. Take Darius, for example. He has made the decision to play his character, Marty, during everyday life so that he can better get to know the part. “When I get on stage, I have to know who I am, where I am, and what I’m supposed to do,” says Darius. His experience as an artist dates back to his childhood, when he sang in church. Though he didn’t know it at the time, one of the members of his church was Grammy-nominated classical singer Lisa Hopkins Seegmiller. After hearing his voice, Ms. Miller decided to offer Darius free voice lessons; it was

this generosity that instilled in him a passion for music. The Dreamgirls production has been very positive for Darius. He describes it as “wonderful.” “We’ve grown to love one another,” he says.

“James ‘Thunder’ Early” played by RAKIM JONES(Vocal Music Department, Class of 2012)Favorite Dreamgirls Musical Number: It’s All Over

Born and raised in Washington DC, Rakim has a familial history of Ellington graduates. This meant that attending the school was a “lifetime choice” for him. While the Dreamgirls production has been informative for Rakim, he has had to make serious sacrifices; in addition to the usual loss of sleep and personal time, Rakim had to miss out on his aunt’s funeral to attend rehearsal. He describes the entire experience as “testing.” “It really shows you how the business works,” he says, “You can’t take anything lightly.”

“Michelle Morris” played by HANNAH GOLDMAN(Theater Department, Class of 2012)


With a background in musical theater, Hannah was disappointed when she first came to Duke Ellington and learned that as a freshman she could not participate in the then all-school collaborative production of the Wiz. After a four-year drought of musical theater, Hannah decided to get back into the ring for Ellington’s production of Dreamgirls. Unfortunately, she faced a dilemma that plagues many an actor: typecasting. She was sure she would be given a bit part, like one of the Cadillac girls or a nameless background character. As she entered into the audition, this seemed to be her only option. Instead, having worked with Hannah previously, Ms. Gravatt believed that she could do great work in the production. After working long and hard, Hannah got the part of Michelle Morris, the fourth Dream. Hannah has big plans for after graduation. She plans to major in musical theater in college, before moving to New York to begin her acting career.

DEVINE COMPANY

“Effie White” played by ANITRA MCKINNEY(Vocal Music Department, Class of 2011)

Favorite Dreamgirls Musical Number: I Am Changing

Some artists know what they want to do right from birth. Others don’t find their passions until later in life. Anitra is firmly in the latter group. Although she has been singing all her life – through her church and other venues – she never saw it as her “passion” until the eighth grade. Her timing couldn’t have been better as that was the year she had to decide what high school she would attend. She had several family members who had attended Duke Ellington

School of the Arts, and they recommended she give it a shot. She took their advice, and her love of vocal music has only grown since then.

“Deena Jones” played by JUMOHNY WALKER(Vocal Music Department, Class of 2011)


When Juhmony first auditioned for Ellington, she had to make a tough decision: whether to try out for the Dance or Vocal Music departments. She auditioned for Dance, but ultimately chose vocal; this proved to be a wise choice, as it would open many opportunities for her in the years to come. Not only has Jumohny participated in Duke Ellington’s renowned Show Choir, she has now taken on a lead role in the Ellington production of Dreamgirls. Her talents have led to approaches from a number of record companies interested in her talents, although she can’t start her career until after graduation, she has it all planned out; thanks in no small part to her experience with Dreamgirls. According to Jumohny, the production has helped her learn how to “balance [her] life,” an ability that could prove to be vital in the near future.

“Lorell Robinson” played by AYANNA BAKARI(Vocal Music Department, Class of 2012)


Born in Delaware (though most of her life has been spent in DC,) Ayanna Bakari was a fish out of water in her first year at Duke Ellington. Having spent most of her life in private schools, Duke Ellington initially gave her quite a culture shock; she herself called it an “eye-opener.” She tried to stay low-key throughout freshman year, but when sophomore year came along, she decided to take a shot at Dreamgirls. Despite auditioning for the part of Deena, the director encouraged her to try out for Lorrell; a feat Ayanna initially didn’t think she was up to. Lorrell had the highest notes of all the Dreams, and Ayanna wasn’t sure her vocal range could handle them. After some practice, though, Ayanna found herself fitting right into the part. “Once I started to actually do it, and got my body used to hitting those notes,” she recounts, “it was easy.”

“Curtis Taylor, Jr.” played by O’THAME TEETER(Vocal Music Department, Class of 2011)

Favorite Dreamgirls Musical Number: When I First Saw You

O’Thame is a student with many goals in life. Not only does he want to sing but he also wants to study environmental science and travel the world. He’s even had the notion of going out into space. “I just want to do a lot of things,” says O’Thame. Originally from Virginia, O’Thame moved to DC

shortly before starting middle school, where he discovered his love of singing. He has been immensely grateful to participate in Ellington’s production of Dreamgirls, which he describes as being like nothing he’s ever experienced before.

“James ‘Thunder’ Early” played by SAMUEL JONES(Vocal Music Department, Class of 2011)

Favorite Dreamgirls Musical Number: Fake Your Way to the Top

Sometimes victory can be found even in the face of defeat. Take Samuel Jones, for example. Born in Virginia (though much of his life was spent in Florida,) Samuel came to Duke Ellington out of necessity; his parents, having just moved to DC, wanted him to have a good education. This meant that they didn’t want him going to a regular public school. Ellington appeared to be a good fit. Samuel had never even heard of the school before, but had always been partial to percussive music, so he auditioned for the Instrumental Music department. Unfortunately, the department was already packed with percussionists. Still wanting to get into the school, Samuel took a crack at the Vocal Music department; and as it turned out, they loved his voice. Thanks to that audition, vocal music became a huge part of Samuel’s life. “I’ve received opportunities I’d never even thought of having in high school,” says Samuel. Since coming to Duke Ellington, he’s had opportunities to perform at the Strathmore, the Kennedy Center, and even the White House. Now that he’s in Dreamgirls, Samuel is being forced once again to expand his artistic skillset. “I’m a singer; that’s what I do,“ says Samuel. “But this is making me learn how to dance... It’s making me learn how to act.”

Full Cast(In order of appearance)

M.C./AnnouncerKwasi Brooks (T, ’11)

Stepp Sisters:August Colbert (VM, ’12) Kayla Dixon (T, ’13) India Reynolds (VM, ’12) Rachael Sutherland (D, ’13)

MartyDarius Elmore (VM, ’12)

CharleneHillary Jones (T, ’12)

JoannArmana Jones (VM, ’11)

CurtisLamar Gaskins (VM, ’11)

O’Thame Teeter (VM, ’11)

DeenaJumohny Walker (VM, ’11) Amber Jones (T, ’13)

LorrellAyanna Bakari (VM, ’13) Victoria Ellington (VM, ’13)

C.C.Duane Richards (T, ’12) Orin Gillian (VM, ’12)

Effie WhiteVictoria Davis (VM, ’11) Anitra McKinney (VM, ’11)

Little AlbertJaquan Mussington (VM, ’13)

Tru-TonesDevinRe Adams (T, ’13) Orin Gillian (VM, ’12) Cornelius Williams (VM, ’13) LaMonte’ Willis, Jr. (VM, ’13) Sherman Woods (D, ‘11)

Jimmy (James Thunder Early)Rakim Jones (VM, ’12) Samuel Jones (VM, ’11)

Tiny Joe DixonOtisi Okiyi (VM, ’13)

Girl Passing 1Keandra Garner (VM, ’11)

Edna BurkeGene’ Anderson (IM, ’12)

Girl Presenting ResultsJoaquinna Sorrell (D, ’11)

Girl Passing 2Rachael Sutherland (D, ’12)

James Thunder Early BandBreanna Conway-Kenner (D, ’13) Joaquinna Sorrell (D,’ 11) Sherman Wood (D, ’11)

WayneJe’Juan Everett (VM, ’12)

DaveOrin Gillian (VM, ’12) Tony Contreras (VM, ’13)

Sweethearts

Hannah Goldman (T, ’11) Ambrym Smith (T, ’12)

FrankCharles Franklin IV (T, ’12)

Reporters Ensemble

DwightDevinRe Adams (T, ’13)

Stage ManagerCornelius Williams (VM, ’13)

MichelleHannah Goldman (T, ’11)

JerryCharles Franklin IV (T, ’12)

CarlCornelius Williams (VM, ’13)

PhotographersEnsemble

National Democratic Fundraiser AnnouncerCharles Franklin IV (T, ’12)

Five TuxedosJaquan Mussington (VM, ’13) Cornelius Williams (VM, ’13) Mark Williams (VM, ’11) LaMonte’ Willis, Jr. (VM, ’13) Sherman Wood (D, ’11)

Les StylesGene’ Anderson (IM, ’12) Kayla Dixon (T, ’13) Keandra Garner (VM, ’11) Armana Jones (VM, ’11) India Reynolds (VM, ’12) Ambrym Smith (T, ’12)

Film ExecutiveJe’Juan Everett (VM, ’12) Cornelius Williams (VM, ’13) LaMonte’ Willis (VM, ’13)

Mr. MorganMark Williams (VM, ’11)

Security GuardDevinRe Adams (T,’13)

DancersSherman Wood (D, ’11),Dance Captain

Rachael Sutherland (D, ’13),

Assistant Dance Captain

DevinRe Adams (T, ’13) Breanna Conway-Kenner (D, ’12) Diamond Davies (D, ’13) Kayla Dixon (T, ’13) Stephen Galberth (D, ’12) D’ Jaih Ruffin (D, ’11) Joaquinna Sorrell (D, ’11)

EnsembleDevinRe Adams (T, ’13) Gene’ Anderson (IM, ’12) Kwasi Brooks (T, ’11) August Colbert (VM, ’12) Tony Contreras (VM, ’13) Breanna Conway-Kenner (D, ’12) Diamond Davies (D, ’13)Kayla Dixon (T, ’13) Je’Juan Everett (VM, ’12) Charles Franklin IV (T, ’12) Stephen Galberth (D, ’12) Keandra Garner (VM, ’11) Orin Gillian (VM, ’12) Armana Jones (VM, ’11) Jaquan Mussington (VM, ’13) Otisi Okiyi (VM, ’13) India Reynolds (VM, ’12) D’ Jaih Ruffin (D, ’11) Ambrym Smith (T, ’12) Joaquinna Sorrell (D, ’11) Rachael Sutherland (D, ’13) Cornelius Williams (VM, ’13) Mark Williams (VM, ’11) LaMonte’ Willis (VM, ’13) Sherman Wood (D, ’11)

UnderstudiesGene’ Anderson (IM, ’12)- MichelleAugust Colbert (VM, ’12)- Effie WhiteKayla Dixon (T, ’13) - FemalePrinciple Understudy/SwingKeandra Garner (VM, ’11)- MichelleOtisi Okiyi (VM, ’13)- Five Tuxedos, JimmyIndia Reynolds (VM, ’12)– MichelleCornelius Williams (VM, ’13)- Male Principle UnderstudySherman Woods (D, ‘11)– Tiny Joe DxonDeena’s Dog:Princess Niki LaLa

COMPILED BY MAX FRESHOUR

STAGE MANAGEMENT

Assistant Stage ManagersKamali Drumgoole (TDP, ’12) Lonell Lomax (TDP, ’13) Elisabeth Rudin (T, ’12) Jordan Youmans (T, ’12)

COMPANY MANAGEMENT

Brittany Briscoe (TDP, ’14) Gabrielle Davies (IM, ‘11) Tyeisha Kennedy (T, ’13) Kaiara Massey (T, ’13) Marché Walker (T, ’13)

SCENIC

MASTER CARPENTER

Timothy O’Connell

CARPENTERS

Dennis Marrero Carlos Polanco Solomon Carrera-Mason (TDP, ’14) William Garay (TDP, ’12) Casim King (TDP, ’12) Giselle Santos (TDP, ’12)

SCENIC PAINTERS

Melchus Davis Rodney Little Stanley Squirewell Tarika Campbell (VA, ’12) Cara Devoe (VA, ’11) Taylor Gant (VA, ’12) Angel Perez (VA, ’11) Damar Sarter (VA, ’11) Kutia Scott (VA, ’12)

LIGHTS

MASTER ELECTRICIAN

Kimberly Davis

ELECTRICIANS

Joel Joseph (TDP,’12),Team Leader

Marquis Ashe (TDP, ’13) Konan Bokosse (TDP, ’12) Harry Hagerty (TDP, ’13) Marcus Spaulding (TDP, ’12)

SOUND

SOUND ENGINEER

Charles Harris, Jr.

SOUND TECHNICIANS

Claudia Brownlee (TDP, ’11),Team Leader

Brendan Allen (TDP, ’12) Brandon Allen (TDP, ’12) William Garay (TDP, ’12) Casim King (TDP, ’12) Giselle Santos (TDP, ’12)

COSTUMES

COSTUME SHOP MANAGERS

Betty Fenner-Davis Beverly Johnson

WARDROBE SUPERVISOR

Betty Fenner-Davis

WIG MASTER/HEADPIECES

Greg Bazemore

MAKE-UP SUPERVISORS

Frankie Lezlee Bethea Sherrie Thomas

COSTUME/MAKEUP TEAM

Blesseth Palmer (TDP, ’11),Team Leader

Dylan Ali (T, ’13) Jasmin Briggs (TDP, ’13)Morgan Brown (TDP, ’13) Assahian Campbell (TDP, ’12) Tiara Hodge (T, ’13) Carita Holland (T, ’13) Lawren House (T, ’13) Princess Lawrence (T, ’13) Cheyanne McDuffie (TDP, ’12) Chenelle Mitchell (T, ’13) Daririon Moreno (T,’13) Destiny Myers (TDP, ’11) Maria Olivia (TDP, ’13) Diamon Proctor (TDP, ’12) Alyssa Robinson (T, ’13) Cornay Rogers (TDP, ’11) Anastazia Whitlle (TDP, ’11)

STAGE HANDS

Solomon Carrera-Mason (TDP, ’14),Team Leader

Omaima Ayachi (TDP, ’14) Brittany Briscoe (TDP, ’14) Thomasenia Eady (TDP, ’14) Jabari Jefferson (TDP, ’14) Lance Lewis (TDP, ’11) Jonathan Sadler (TDP, ’11) Danielle Townes (TDP, ’13) Ashley Younger (TDP, ’14)

MAINTENANCE

Isaac Allen (TDP, ’13),Team Leader

TyAndre Alvin (TDP, ’12) Javian Bryant (TDP, ’13) Elijah Riley (TDP, ’12) Ebony Sturdivant (TDP, ’13)

ProductionTeam


PATRON SERVICES MANAGEMENT

Dominique Douglass Benjamin Dutton Charles Franklin IV (T,’12)Niya Norwood (VM, ’12) Darnell RoulachAndrew Smith

PATRON SERVICES STAFF

Chabeli Arroyo (VM, ’12) Mariaceleste Baxter (IM, ’13) Keiry Benitez (MS, ’11) Rochon Bobbitt (IM, ’13) Rebekah Brown (D, ’12) Kendall Claxton (T, ’14) Imani Cole (D, ’12)Bryana Craddock (VM, ’11) Savannah Cranford (D, ’13) Gabrielle Davies (IM, ’11) Kayla Forde (T, ’14) Randyn Fullard (VM, ’13) Asia Goode (VM, ’11) Nolanda Graves (D, ’12) Shalonda Imani Lee Hardy (MS, ’11) Sarah Hirsch (T, ’14)Jalia Inman (D, ’13) Jalen Jones (LMC, ’14) Mayila Jones (VM, ’12) Tyeisha Kennedy (T, ’13) Cristin Mayes (IM, ’12) Yeshimebet Mahtemework (MS,’12) Alita Miller (VM, ’11) Tejanae McDade (VM, ’13) Lauryn Nesbitt (LMC, ’13) Marcus Nolen (VM, ’11) Shamari Rustin (D, ’11) Meridan Umama (VM, ’13) Nia Vasquez (D, ’12) Nyree Watson (T, ’14) Jakiya Williams (VM, ’13) James Williams (VM, ’13) Rikardo Williams (VM, ’13)

MARKETING AND PROMOTIONS

The Aba Agency: Aba Bonney Kwawu, Susan Eldridge

PROMOTIONS & OUTREACHJennifer Adams Kelli Anderson Seth Brecher

Jade Foster Kristen HartkeTracie Jenkins Rodney LittleKoye Oyedeji Lamar Gaskins (VM, ’11)

PRODUCTION PHOTOGRAPHERS

Brian Nielsen Ronald Lee Newman

MERCHANDISING/PROGRAM

Natalie Bruford Dawn Naser Barb Power Sefanit Israel Tekle,The Ellington Fund

DREAMGIRLS AND FOUNDERS PRINTS

Bill Harris and thePrintmaking I & II classes.

FUNDRAISING

Paul Boudrye Ellen Coppley, The Ellington Fund Joe Green, The Ellington Fund Tracie Jenkins Rory L. Pullens

KEY:

D - Dance IM - Instrumental Music LMC - Literary Media & Communications MS - Museum StudiesTDP - Technical Design & ProductionT - Theater VA - Visual Arts VM - Vocal Music

At just 19-years-old Jennifer Holliday started her career on Broadway in 1979 when she auditioned for the play Your Arm’s Too Short to Box with God. Holliday, who had to be encouraged to audition, was offered the role on the same day. Three years later, in 1982, Holliday earned a Drama Desk award nomination for her performance in the play.

Jennifer toured with the show for five months before making her Broadway debut. As her reputation grew, Ms. Holliday came to the attention of renowned Broadway director and choreographer Michael Bennett. He offered her a part on the play, Big Dreams, a project that would later turn out to be Dreamgirls.

In an interview for talkinbroadway.com, Ms. Holliday told David Edward Hughes about her early years working on Dreamgirls, “I wasn’t planning to be in show business, growing up in Texas. I went straight from singing in the church to the New York theater, so I didn’t know who Michael Bennett was, nor did I care. I think that worked out better for us. We started working on something and it came together, over a couple of years.”

Whether she planned to be in show business or not, show business it seemed had plans for her. Jennifer Holliday would become a household name playing the role of Effie White. She would go on to win a Tony Award for best actress in a musical as well as her first Grammy Award for best R&B vocalist. The energy and emotion that Ms. Holliday brought to the stage, and her heart-wrenching rendition of the torch ballad And I’m Telling You, I’m not Going, set a bar for whomever dared to perform the song later. It is because of Jennifer Holliday that audiences today anticipate the performance of the song with high expectations.

After having been on the Dreamgirls cast for four years, Ms. Holliday started her career as a recording artist. She followed And I’m Telling You, I’m not Going with the hit I Am Love and in 1983 her debut solo album Feel My Soul was released. Seven records would follow over the next thirteen years, including Say You Love Me and I’m on Your Side.

Ms. Holliday has also made a number of appearances on television including hit shows such as Touched By An Angel and Hang Time. She was a recurring guest star on the hit TV show Ally McBeal.

Duke Ellington School of the Arts is proud to welcome Jennifer Holliday as its special guest for the Dreamgirls gala night.

Jennifer Holliday

ELIZA SPIKESphoto courtesy of the artist

Special GueSt Gala niGht December 9, 2010

BEHIND THE SCENES: A PHOTO DIARY

EARLY REHEARSAL IN THE GYM. The first stages of rehearsal, the cast rehearses in the school’s basement gym. Casting for the show took place in the previous academic year so students hit the ground running at the start of the new school year. Rehearsal each Monday to Friday begins at 3:30pm and oftentimes can last up until 7:30pm. The blue mats serve as comfort from the hours of dancing and singing on the cast feet. The dancers run steps from one side of the gym to the other while the band plays and the rest of the cast watch on.

COSTUMES. Ms Beverly Johnson, Costume Technician, pins together the gold petal leaves for the dress the character Effie White will wear in Act Two. She as well as her staff and students are working overtime to get the costumes in top shape. “But for the most part things are going well,” she says in a soft but reassuring tone.

STUDY GROUP. Cast for the production gather in the White Library for an afternoon study group. Rehearsals can often mean time away from homework, so instructors ensure that time is allocated in order for students to catch up on their academic work.


RADIO SHOW. As the opening day of the production draws near, the promotion of the show starts to gather steam. Dreamgirls cast members Anitra McKinney, Jumohny Walker, Ayanna Bakari, along with Ellington Head of School Rory Pullens are in the studio taping Guy Lambert’s Community Focus morning show on WPGC.

Photos by Kelli Anderson, Brian Nielsen, Jamila Okubo, Layla Sharaf

TECH. The lighting crew work on the newly-ordered lights and light board that was purchased for the upcoming show. Wearing all black to blend in with the stage, these hardworking students have a crucial role in ensuring that the Dreamgirls production runs a smooth course. Lighting team leader Joel Joseph says: “If one person has to stay and finish a job then the rest of us has to stay. It’s really a team effort, and is really demanding. I had to interview to land the position of Team Leader for the lighting crew, and others had to do the same for the other teams: maintenance, sound, costumes and stage management.”

A VOTE FOR DREAMGIRLS. Duke Ellington was a polling site for the recent elections (November 2, 2010) in Washington DC. Ellington students connect to the theme of “casting a vote for what one believes in” by promoting arts education and Dreamgirls at same time. As our production of Dreamgirls is both an opportunity for practical application of skills being learned through the arts programs and a fundraiser that will hopefully allow us to retain arts faculty---the placards read: “A Ticket to Dreamgirls is a Vote for Arts Education”.

STAGE REHEARSALS. Rehearsals are taken to the theater stage as the weeks draw closer to the opening of the production. It’s here that the dancers, vocal, theater, instrumental, and tech students get to put into practice the lessons learned in the classroom.

THE BAND. The drums are the heartbeat of the whole production. “Think of the production like the body, you know? Without the band there is no show,” says Corbin Johnson, ‘drummer one’ for all rehearsals. The attention to detail of the band sets the mood for the cast. No one moves until the band starts to play.

ASHA SHANNON

Meet the team Behind the DreamEvery production requires a team of dedicated workers that won’t be on stage to receive any encore. Daisy James Editor Raven Reese went behind the scenes to talk to the dedicated staff and students ensuring that the technical aspects of the production run smoothly.

PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGERDuring rehearsals, the production manager works side-by-side with the director, providing blocking notes and scheduling details and helping the director remain focused on directing. Communicating these notes to the entire production team is essential for producing a successful show.

MASTER ELECTRICIANThe master electrician is responsible for implementing the lighting design for the entire production.

What aspect of your work do you most enjoy? “We have tons of new equipment which makes my job even better! The most difficult part of my job is ensuring EVERYTHING turns on.” - Kim Davis, Master Electrician

What aspect of your work do you most enjoy?

“The collaborative effort is definitely my favorite part of this production, because my hand in one way or another touches every aspect of the show. But the collaborative effort would also be my least favorite.” -Nicole Leonard, Production Stage Manager

“Working with Dreamgirls as an assistant stage manager has been an experience of a lifetime. Working closely with the director Ms. Lynda Gravatt has been very challenging, but in a good way. Basically by the time she says do something, it should’ve already been done, and you should be working on the next thing”.- Lonnell Lomax, 10th grade assistant stage manager

“Dreamgirls equals long days and even longer nights! It’s all a part of the Ellington experience. I love being an assistant stage manager though at times it can become overwhelming, because I had to tell all my peers what to do, but it worked out in the end. - Kamali Drumgoole, 11th grade assistant stage manager

KAMALI

LONNELL

KIM

NICOLE


DECK HAND / SWINGSThe deck hand is responsible for preparing and changing sets.

“A common misconception about “swings” is that it’s a small job, but in reality it’s a very important job. We handle everything that goes on and off the stage. It’s an exciting job with Dreamgirls watching the overall process and all the different teams work together as a unit to make an extraordinary show.”- Javian Bryant, 10th grade swing

What aspect of your work do you most enjoy? “Working with students at their developmental stage, and helping them experience a real live production, preparing them for the professional arena and instilling a particular empiricism gets me through the day, it’s a beautiful thing”. -Vichelle Jones, Company Manager

“The process is fun, but things get hectic, students become unruly when food comes around!”-Brittany Briscoe, 9th grade Assistant Company Manager

COMPANY MANAGER The company manager deals with all aspects of the production outside the rehearsal process. The company manager arranges housing, transportation and contracts for cast and crew, the orchestra and the creative team. The manager is also responsible for facilitating food and meal plans. In school productions, the manager is responsible for ensuring that students are academically eligible to perform in the show.

SOUND ENGINEER The sound engineer provides sound effects and audio support for the entire production.

What aspect of your work do you most enjoy? “Being able to work with young adults who love doing what they’re doing and doing what I love to do is great; there is nothing difficult about the process”. - Charles Harris, Sound Engineer

“Being able to step outside my comfort zone [which is costumes] and work with audio. Dreamgirls has been an outstanding experience. Who wouldn’t want to control all the great music on this production?” - Claudia Brownlee, 12th grade Assistant Sound Engineer

RAVEN REESE

VICHELLE

BRITTANY

CHARLES

CLAUDIA

The Classes Go On

photos by Layla Sharaf

At the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, academics go hand-in-hand with the arts. This year’s all-school collaborative production of Dreamgirls is dependent on students, arts instructors and external professionals, such as director Lynda Gravátt. But a dedicated team of academic teachers that ensures students remain focused on their school work is also a critical component of a successful show.Productions on the scale and magnitude of Dreamgirls will always be a tremendous challenge, one that requires the dedication and participation of the entire school.To accomplish this, the Ellington family has a number of goals for the school, and chief among them is continuing in the tradition of the school’s college preparatory program. In past stage productions, mastering the art of balancing rehearsals and performances as well as prioritizing assignments was something that proved to be challenging for students. This year a number of strategies have been put in place to allow students in the show to progress academically. Teachers have taken a number of initiatives in order to guarantee

that students working on the production have grasped their lesson’s learning objectives. They’ve taken a hard line that requires students working on Dreamgirls to maintain their grades.“I think they have to let the students go from the production who aren’t interested in being successful on both Dreamgirls and their academics,” said Ms. Jocelyn Michal, a teacher in the English Department. “They have to be willing to make that sacrifice for the production, to make the statement that academics continue to...be prioritized.” The attitude and the emphasis Ms. Michal places on student achievement speaks for itself; students who cannot prioritize and balance their school work with rehearsals are taken off the production. It is a harsh reality, but the school has goals that go beyond the present, with a vested interest in the students’ futures.But how does the school help students avoid expulsion from the production? “Review the grades regularly, individually encouraging the students who didn’t hand in their assignments to complete them, and communicate with other teachers about their students


TERRA CAMPBELL

REGINALD CONWAY

who continue to have needs,” replied Ms. Michal.The school tracks the progress of students in the production with weekly report cards and daily attendance. While this may seem like a huge undertaking, the payoff is that it allows the school to know exactly how the students are progressing academically while participating in the show. When asked about the difficulties the show has caused for classes, Mr. James Bennett, a longtime science teacher at Ellington said, “I don’t have any problems with the kids in Dreamgirls simply because they know what’s expected of them. They know what to do and I expect the students to do what they need to do.” Although difficulties and high stress levels are to be expected given the scale of the all-school collaboration, most challenges can be met with hard work, as Mr. Bennett asserts.And that is a sentiment that 12th grade history teacher Ms. Alice Chandler agreed with. “There are no difficulties because I’ve been doing this already. I faced it before and know how to deal with the students. Plus, those students who are working on Dreamgirls know the commitment they established.”Ms. Chandler is also part of the Academic Monitoring Team, which is one of three groups started by the faculty to maintain the academic progress of the Dreamgirls students. “We’re putting together packets and study guides, and giving deadlines. The administration has taken adequate steps to ensure that the academic needs be met, which is an improvement from the last production,” said Ms. Chandler. Along with the Academic Monitoring Team, there is also the Academic Intervention Team and the Study Guide Contributors. When asked about her personal initiatives, Ms. Chandler responded happily, “I have a website in which students can get the info they need, which is updated every week. And also I provide a skype which my students can use just in case they need to contact me.” These kinds of initiatives are found across the entire academic faculty. “I will do a lot of copying. And a huge

difference will be that I’ll make a change to my finals [schedule] for these students in Dreamgirls,” explained Ms. Ava Burke, the health teacher and leader of the Academic Intervention Team. “Instead of testing them I will find out what they know and what they’ve learned, which will be addressed by a short essay. Dreamgirls makes me proud because it is what I call the Student Protective Factor (SPF). By students focusing on this show and the arts in general they avoid drugs and promiscuity, which is always a good thing. It allows students to show their craft and talent on stage.”For many Ellington teachers, Dreamgirls is not merely a show but an outreach project that allows students to focus on something positive, instead of the myriad of negative influences that await outside the building. For many students, staying after school and working as part of a team toward a particular goal often means avoiding other disruptive factors. As Ms. Burke said, “A student who is a star in the class is a star on stage.”There are many ways to measure the success of Dreamgirls, such as box-office sales. But the teachers say it’s something a whole lot more. “Finances won’t be the only measure of this school’s success. In the all-school production, we continue to look at the way it has brought the community together and how it has helped students to learn how to balance their lives,” Ms. Michal said.The success of Dreamgirls, no matter how it is measured, offers an important lesson for the students at Ellington. Just as the “show must go on,” so too, must the academic classes.

23

Fake Your Way to the Top: Behind the Scenes with the Dreamgirls Orchestra

When you think of Duke Ellington School of the Arts’ production of Dreamgirls, you naturally think of the vocal and theater students playing the lead roles of The Dreams. However, The Dreams and the rest of the cast would never be able to put on a great show without music. And that music is provided by the Duke Ellington school orchestra. The orchestra is made up of most of the students in the instrumental music department, playing a variety of different instruments. You wouldn’t necessarily expect a full orchestra for the show, considering that Dreamgirls is based on the rise of the R&B record label Motown. However, this orchestra includes instruments such as violins and French horns that are traditionally played in classical music.

As the opening performance drew near, the pressure was on for every department to make their contribution to the show, and the instrumental

department is no exception. “We rehearse every day from 3:30 to 5. And now, it’s going to be every day from 12:30 to 2, and then from 5 to 6:30,” said violist K.B. Vickers, describing the orchestra’s hectic rehearsal schedule. For instrumental students like K.B, the pressure to pull everything together for a show was nothing new. “Dreamgirls is not that much different from other school performances,” he said, “It’s just longer and has more rehearsals.”

With such a rigorous rehearsal schedule, anyone would wonder if the members of the orchestra even have time to practice at home. Truth is, they really don’t. “We practice so much at school,” explains K.B, “I mean, I do practice at home, on parts I need to, but if it’s easy, I pretty much learn it in class, and so far that’s gone pretty well for me.” While rehearsing, the orchestra was also preparing for a performance of Handel’s Messiah and

much of their practice time at home was devoted to working on the music for this.

At the time of going to print the Dreamgirls rehearsals have started to include the entire orchestra. In two weeks, school will be out for Thanksgiving weekend. When school resumes in December, the month will be filled with dress rehearsals, last-minute preparations, and Dreamgirls performances, which end on the 18th. Like all of the musicians involved in the show, K.B is ready to be there, providing the soundtrack that will be at the core of the Dreamgirls production. “It’s all just music that needs to be played,” he says with confidence, “And I’m gonna play it.”

MADISON HARTKE-WEBER

Photo by Layla Sharaf

From Dreamgirls to Destiny’s Child

Carolann Collins explores the common threads between female R&B groups, The Supremes and Destiny’s Child, and finds a case of “life imititating art” with Dreamgirls.

As a musical, Dreamgirls serves as more than the retelling of the Supremes story, but instead charts the journey of what successful girl groups generally experience during their careers. Members change over time, one artist in their career obtains an increasinging amount of fame, while love and relationships are at the heart of their lives as well as their songs. The argument that Dreamgirls is directly modelled after the Supremes is valid because of the obvious similarities, but the question whether the musical Dreamgirls can extend beyond the Supremes is rarely raised. Other modern female R&B acts such as Destiny’s Child can be compared to the story of Dreamgirls.

The Supremes were a female singing group from Brewster Housing Projects in Detroit, Michigan. Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard met each other at a song contest in 1959, and later decided to begin a singing group. Mary Wilson invited her friend Diana Ross to join them and the group known as the Supremes was born. The Supremes signed with Motown Records after they finished high school but got off to a rocky start. Their first eight releases barely made the Billboard Hot 100. The Supremes did not break into the charts until the song When The Lovelight Starts Shining In Your Eyes made it to number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. From then on the Supremes went on making number one hits such as Baby Love and Stop! In The Name Of Love.

Destiny’s Child was a female group that began in 1990. Beyoncé Knowles and LaTavia Roberson were nine years old when they met at a talent contest. The two became friends and, with the help of Beyonce’s father, Matthew, they began singing together. Two years later Kelly Rowland joined the group and LeToya Luckett completed the quartet.

In 1997 they were signed to Columbia Records and had their big break with the recording of Killing Time, a song that appeared on the soundtrack of Men In Black. They went on to make other number one hits among them the song No, No, No.

In Dreamgirls, success leads to a rearrangment of the group’s line-up. In the Supremes, Florence, who had been singing lead in the past, was replaced with Diana Ross and is forced to sing backup with Mary Wilson. After Florence is demoted, she is then permanently removed from the group and is replaced by Cindy Birdsong, who formally sang with Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles. Destiny’s Child follows a similar path. At the height of their fame there are grumblings amongst the group. Letoya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson claimed that the group’s manager, Matthew, was favoring his daughter Beyoncé and niece Kelly by paying them more money than the other members. The dispute eventually costs them their spots in the group. Some stories suggest that Letoya and LaTavia were unaware of their replacement until the airing of the new video to the song Say My Name featured the two new members Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin. The group took on a new leader in Beyoncé Knowles who began appearing as a front member in promotional images. Eventually Farrah Franklin left the group owing to personal problems and the quartet then moved forward as a trio. They went on to make hits such a Soldier with Beyoncé now writing and producing songs on the album. She eventually went on to begin her own successful solo career as both an artist and actress, not unlike Diana Ross of the Supremes.

CAROL-ANN COLLINS

artwork by Massiel Estefany Gonzalez

The Duke Ellington School of the Arts’ production of Dreamgirls has attracted widespread attention from both the media and public. The Washingtonian Magazine dropped by for a photo shoot just weeks before the production was set to open and Daisy James editor Sierra Reaux-McNeil was on hand to witness it all.

Walking into the Duke Ellington Theater during the Washingtonian Magazine’s photo shoot of Dreamgirls is like entering a world of organized chaos. A sea of students dressed all in black files into the room in disarray. The sound of folding chairs swinging open fills the air.Then the show’s director, Linda Gravátt, enters the room and commands attention effortlessly.

ORGANIZED CHAOS IS PICTURE PERFECT Photography by Kelli Anderson with Jamila Okubo


The room waits in anticipation for the Dreamgirls.The stage is framed by amplifiers, wooden pillars and unfinished staircases. Chairs and instruments are added and subtracted. The Washingtonian photography crew runs between the camera and the stage. The constant undertone of chatter and ruffling is broken only by the authoritative voice of the school’s Dean of Arts, Tia Powell-Harris, her voice echoing, “The masters are working people,” reminding the students that there are lessons to be learned through simple observation.Principal Rory Pullens stands beside operations manager Ron Newman and Curtis Hodge, head of technical, design and production, discussing the production’s progress.When our leading ladies, the three Dreams, finally walk onto the stage a sigh of relief descends over the theater. Joined on stage by the many students in the auditorium, they are the only splash of color in a sea of black clothing. They are dressed in powder blue dresses adorned with sequins and sparkle, wigs coiffed to perfection and make-up that adds sophistication and years to their looks. Wig dresser Greg Bazemore and make-up artist Frankie Lezlee Bethea closely follow with lip-gloss and hairbrushes in hand.Despite the girls having had their hair and make-up worked on for more than an hour-and-a-half , they are subjected to additional nose powder and touch -ups as the announcement is made that the three Dreams would be positioned first for the photos. Then the ensemble from the cast is positioned, instrumentalists next, and so forth, until students from other departments complete the fringes of the

frame. The photographer jumps on stage and orchestrates everyone into their spots; with the buzz of conversation and excitement growing. Guitarists raise their instruments as the lead males are handed suit jackets. The photographer urges students to smile as the shots are taken. After a series of shots a smaller number of students are asked to stay behind with the Dreams for another round.At the close of the Washingtonian shoot, a team from Duke Ellington School’s Literary Media and Communications Department swoops on the set for the Daisy James photo shoot. Bazemore and Bethea once more return to touching up the Dreams while photographer and new media instructor Kelli Anderson positions her subjects accordingly. Students circle with flip, video and photo cameras, as Anderson feverishly directs the activity.Student and Daisy James contributor Destiny Jackson, is handed a reflector and positions herself under the subjects. The mood in the room turns, everyone seems to breathe a little easier and the shoot becomes light-hearted. The lingering Literary Media students disperse into empty theater seats to conduct interviews with the rest of the cast. The organized chaos appears to end just as quickly as it began. Ms. Anderson seems to be satisfied with what she has. The shoot is wrapped and cameras drift from the theater one by one until the only black shirts left are those of the tech students striking the set.

Behind the scenes at a Dreamgirls photo shoot

SIERRA REAUX-MCNEIL

Sewing up the Dream

Through all of the lace, satin, and piles and piles of glitter and sequins, the characters of Dreamgirls come to life on Duke Ellington's stage. Jillian Burford and Reggie Conway caught up with the designers and students behind the costumes.

Since its Broadway debut on December 20, 1981, Dreamgirls has been performed on stages around the world. The musical was adapted for the screen in 2006, and now in 2010 it comes to the stage at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. With over 350 costumes and over 100 wigs, Dreamgirls is expected to be an absolute sensation.Along with the singing, acting and instruments, the costumes play a central role in the success of this production. Theoni Aldredge, the original Dreamgirls costume designer, was nominated for Best Costume Design for both Tony and Drama Desk Awards. Given these acheivements, we at Daisy James decided to spotlight the hardworking crew of designers working on Duke Ellington's production of the show, a team that ranges from external designers to faculty teachers and students alike. Karen Perry is the designer and creative mind behind the Dreamettes ensembles. A graduate

of The Fashion Institute of Technology and American Academy of Dramatic Art, Perry has designed costumes for productions such as Brother from Another Planet, Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk, and One Day in Montgomery: The Rosa Parks Story.Betty Fenner-Davis, Ms. Perry's assistant, is the owner and founder of Fenner Originale. She has worked on Denzel Washington and Spike Lee's zoot suits in Malcolm X as well as costumes on various other motion pictures that include Living Single, Meteorman, and House Party II.Beverly Johnson, Duke Ellington's resident costume designer, is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology and Tennessee State University. Johnson has been in the fashion industry for almost fifteen years and has shown her designs in various Broadway musicals, from Annie to Phantom of the Opera. She is also a member of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.), a labor union representing costume technicians, artisans and craftspersons in the entertainment industry.With the assistance of Fenner-Davis and Johnson, Ms. Perry is aiming to bring her ideas to life on the Ellington stage: “It's my dream that everybody looks fabulous, that everybody's quick

Photos by Layla Sharaf


changes run smooth, and that the show goes really well,” says Perry as she sorts through piles of fabrics and pins. Her team are faced with deadlines and under no illusions about the magnitude of their work. Having jumped from one show to the next, when asked about complications and time contraints faced, Ms. Perry says, “I've just finished three trilogies in Dallas. And I had a month to do all three plays, but they were nowhere near as big and as complicated as Dreamgirls. Along with the task of the actual design of the costumes comes the study of the character. Perry spends a lot of time considering the theoretical approach to her design, and attempts to live in her character's shoes. “At the beginning of the musical there isn’t really much of a difference between the girls [lead characters Effie, Deena and Lorell]. But the changes start to come when Curtis puts Deena in front and the group becomes Deena Jones and the Dreams”, says Ms. Perry.Although Perry, Johnson and Fenner-Davis head up the project, supporting them are twelve students in the school's Technical Design and Production Department. The students assist with a range of duties from sewing snaps to assembling ensembles. “It takes a lot of time. You have to be focused and patient,” says 11th grade junior Assahian Campbell. I have worked on the costumes that 'Deena' will wear and those that will feature in the song 'Steppin' to the Bad Side.'”The production has been testing for the students but they relish the challenge. “I've learned to manage my time well. I've learned to balance my arts and school work better,” says Cheyanne McDuffie, a seventeen-year-old junior, “It's been very difficult. You have to be patient and dedicated. You have to keep up with your work and not procrastinate.” “The costumes are about the history of rhythm and blues during the 60’s. The crossover which was the change from what Jimmy describes in the show as 'Rough and Black’ to 'Rhythm and Blues'. You can see it in the costumes because there is a change in time, they went from conservative to bright and colorful and

miniskirts. Hair became longer, and that’s when we came to the establishing of pop music,” says Perry, Dreamgirls is a musical about not only music but also the ‘Cross-Over Era.’When asked about the process of creating each costume, Ms. Perry replies, “It's sort of personal what you want your Dreamgirls to look like and what the Broadway Dreamgirls might look like and what the Dreamgirls out on tour might look like. And then you get the actual actors, and so then things kind of change. You know, some things might need to be different because now you have a person, so now it's not just an idea in your head.” “When I met [Theoni Aldridge],” she continues, “one of the things that she had said was 'Always be yourself'. And that a character gets up and just like we get up and put on a different outfit everyday, that character should have a closet full of clothes',” Ms. Perry beams as the sound of sewing machines and chat amongst the students fills the room, “And so I've done that for the last thirty years. I've tried to stay within the character's idea. Stay within the period, but just kind of make it my own. Particularly, for wherever it is that we are. Ms. Gravatt [The director] wanted to make certain that Dreamgirls is a real production, not a quote-unquote 'high school production', that it had real professional production values and so that's what I set out to try to do.”

REGINALD CONWAY

JILLIAN BURFORD

1. Rehearsal Hall by photographer Joel Bernola, Museum Studies Department 2014

In photo (left to right):Lamar Gaskin, Vocal Music Department 2011Asiyah Williams, Museum Studies Department 2014Sherman Wood, Dance Department 2011

MUSEUM STUDIES– THE MAKING OF DREAMGIRLS EXHIBITION

The Making of Dreamgirls is an exhibition produced by Duke Ellington School of Arts Museum Studies department. It chronicles the work that took place behind the scenes to mount the magnificent Dreamgirls collaborative production. Through the use of photography, students captured the rehearsals, the meetings, and some of the key players who worked to make the dream of this all-school production come true. Museum Studies students have also created installations that give a flavor of the 60s, the time in which the musical is set. Selected paintings and prints feature work by students in the Visual Arts department and a video produced by the Literary Media & Communications department accompanies the exhibition. The Making of Dreamgirls gives the visitor an insight into the work that goes into such a major undertaking as Dreamgirls and how inspiring it is for young people to live up to the challenge to create quality work for all to enjoy.

Marta Reid StewartChair, Museum Studies Department

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2. The Singer by photographer Andres Ringer, Museum Studies Department 2014

In photo:Je’juan Everett, Vocal Music Depart-ment 201230

DaisyJames SPECIAL EDITION

5. The Dreamgirls by photographer William Boggerson, Museum Studies Department 2014

In photo (left to right):Jumohny Walker, Vocal Music Department 2011Anitra McKinney, Vocal Music Department 2011Victoria Ellington, Vocal Music Department 2013

Tours of The Making of Dream Girls are available from 2-5pm weekdays through January 2011.

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3. Tech at Work by photographer Keiry Benitez, Museum Studies Department 2011

In photo (left to right):Jabari Jefferson, Technical Design & Production 2014Joel Joseph, Technical Design & Production 2012Lance Lewis, Technical Design & Production 2011Brittany Briscoe, Technical Design & Production 2014

4. The Band By photographer Asiyah Williams, Museum Studies 2014

In photo:Joshua Jenkins, Instrumental Music Department 2011

Allen Jones, Instrumental Music Department 2012Jonathan Stewart, Instrumental Music Department 2011

Jonathan Hunt, Instrumental Music Department 2011

Sweet Dreams: Ben & Jerry’s partners with Dreamgirls

Upon walking into the Georgetown Ben and Jerry’s, you may immediately notice the 8-foot novelty front of a Volkswagen bus with flashing TV screens, the countless illustrations of cows that adorn the pink and periwinkle walls, or the inescapable scent of vanilla ice cream. On November 10th, the first thing you would have noticed about this Ben & Jerry’s store were girls in bright scarlet sequined dresses surrounded by photographers in front of the store.

The three girls, Ellington sophomores Daryl Bright, Chinelle Mitchell, and Tyeisha Kennedy, came out to Ben & Jerry’s as “The Dreamettes”, part of a series of community promotions of the Dreamgirls production that took place in November. Free ice cream was awarded to everyone who posed in a picture with The Dreamettes and then posted it to their social networks to spread the word about the show. The seemingly random photo-op confection charity was a natural fit, according to Ben & Jerry’s franchise manager Karen Morse: “Ben & Jerry’s has a long history of supporting

Photos by Layla Sharaf


MARCUS BROWN

the community that supports the store,” she says. “We really believe in collaboration.” Morse was recently awarded Businessperson of the Year by the Marriott Foundation’s Bridges program for her work with at-risk DC youth.

Flyers were passed out and tickets to the show were sold on the spot as curious onlookers flocked to the ice cream store to see what all of the commotion was, and several people tweeted to their followers about the ice cream giveaway, which drew more attention to the event. Even for the most skeptical of passersby, the promise of free dairy proved too strong to pass up; traffic was literally halted for the complimentary

confections and a chance to pose with a “Dreamgirl Diva”.

Overall the promotion was an enormous success with more hype for Dreamgirls drummed up across Facebook, Twitter, and the blogosphere, as everyone left the store with a smile and minus one sweet tooth. All of you ice cream lovers out there should keep your eyes open for future collaborations between Duke Ellington and Ben & Jerry’s: “Come up with something fun, and we’ll do it,” says Morse. It’s a guarantee that the school won’t disappoint.

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THE SUPREME‘DREAM’ STORY


MARCUS BLANCO

While Dreamgirls playwright Henry Krieger has been quoted as saying that his musical – a collaboration with Tom Eyen – is not based on the Supremes, the similarities are striking. Of course it would be wrong to view Dreamgirls as an historical representation of Motown and the story of the Supremes, but drawing comparisons between the characters in Dreamgirls and the real-life experiences of the Supremes can provide an interesting and human perspective to watching the show.Dreamgirls is the story of three young singers -- Effie White, Deena Jones and Lorrell Robinson -- who are signed to an up-and-coming small black music label during the 1960s as the Dreamettes. Their manager Curtis Taylor Jr. takes Effie White, the powerhouse of the group, off lead vocals due to her heavy look and ‘soulful’ voice, and gives Deena Jones the role in a group renamed “Deena and The Dreams”. Tensions within the group arise as Effie begins to show up late to performances and practices, until she is eventually replaced in the group with Michelle. This storyline is filled with many similarities to the personal and professional lives of the Supremes. Florence Ballard, Diana Ross and Mary Wilson started as the Primettes- a sister group to the Primes, which later became the Temptations. Before signing to Motown Records, a small and up-and-coming black-owned music

label, all three young girls shared mostly equal lead parts, but Florence had the strongest voice. After signing to Motown, they decided to change their name to distinguish themselves from the Primes. Florence Ballard came up with the name the Supremes. Once signed, Berry Gordy, the Supremes’ new manager, took Florence completely off lead vocals and placed Diana up front. Ballard never had another lead in a song after their second single “Buttered Popcorn”.If it wasn’t obvious to Florence by then that she had been bumped from the limelight, it likely became clearer when Berry Gordy announced the group’s new name – “Diana and the Supremes.” Ballard began coming late to public appearances and rehearsals, and Mary and Diana decided to temporarily replace her with another girl. After more late appearances, they made the temporary replacement permanent, but offered Ballard the opportunity to perform on a “trial” basis with The Supremes.Unable to recover from a sense of betrayal, Ballard left the Supremes. After Ballard’s failed attempt at a solo career, she fell into a deep depression and alcoholic state. Florence Ballard died on February 21, 1976 from coronary thrombosis – just nine years after leaving the Supremes.In other similarities between the two stories, Mary Wilson can be compared to Lorrelle in Dreamgirls.

She was viewed as a back-up voice, but was also the “backbone” of the group. She was often in the background when it came to the media and speaking for the group, but behind the scenes she was the one that held the group together and maintained peace among the trio. Wilson herself believes the story of Dreamgirls reflects her life story, and even wrote an autobiography titled, Dreamgirl: My Life As A Supreme, which told about her life as a Supreme, particularly after Ballard left the group.

The meteoric rise of Diana Ross’s career has been linked to her relationship with manager and Motown owner Barry Gordy. Ross is the mother of one of Gordy’s eight children. In Dreamgirls, Deena has a relationship with manager Curtis, who holds the fate of her career in his hands by deciding who performs which songs – similar to Gordy’s role in the Supremes. The story of Effie, Deena, and Lorrelle is a classic story of ambition and betrayal that has been replayed throughout all types of music, from both boy and girl groups. While the stories of the Supremes and Dreamgirls take place in the 1960s and ‘70s, there are many similarities to the inter-relationships of many groups today. So don’t be surprised if when you watch the play, you think of another music group that you know.

DESTINY JACKSON

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Henry Krieger and Tom Eyen begin writing DreamgirlsNell Carters performance in the musical The Dirtiest Show in Town inspired Henry Krieger and Tom Eyen to write a musical about black back-up singers. The musical was originally titled One Night Only and then changed to Project #9 before the writers settled on the title Dreamgirls.1975-

Dreamgirls Timeline- 21 Jun 1982

The Theater World Award is awarded to Jennifer Holliday for her performance in Dreamgirls.

Drama Desk AwardsDreamgirls wins Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Musical awarded to Jennifer Holliday, Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical awarded to Cleavant Derricks, and Outstanding Lighting Design awarded to Tharon Musser.

Michael Bennett takes Dreamgirls on a national tour with Jennifer Holliday as Effie.

1983 –

Grammy awardsDreamgirls wins two Grammys; Best Cast Show Album is awarded to composer, Henry Krieger, and lyricist, Tom Eyen, while Best Rhythm and Blues Performance by a Female is awarded to Jennifer Holliday for “And I Am Telling You, I’m Not Going.”

-1982-

Broadway PremiereDreamgirls premiered on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre: the musical was directed by Michael Bennett and starred Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jennifer Holliday, and Loretta Devine as the original Dreamettes.

“And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” releasedJennifer Holliday’s recording for Effie’s solo “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” is released as a single. The recording goes on to become a number one single on the Billboard R&B charts as well as a top forty hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart.

-20 Dec 1981

Broadway revivalThe first Broadway revival of Dreamgirls takes place at the Ambassador Theater and lasts 177 performances, starting on 28 June and closing on 29 November. While the Dreamgirls 1987 revival features the same director, Michael Bennett, a new cast plays the roles of Deena, Lorell and Effie.

28 Jun 1987-

Michael Bennett diesMichael Bennett, the original director of Dreamgirls dies at age 44 due to AIDs related complications.

2 Jul 1987-

Tom Eyen diesTom Eyen, the writer of Dreamgirls, dies at the age of 50 due to AIDs related complications.

26 May 1991 - Broadway revivalThe Dreamgirls 2001

Broadway revival is directed by Brenda

Braxton, a single benefit performance for the

Actor’s fund at the Ford Center for the Performing

Arts.

The Prince Music TheaterThe Prince Music Theater

in Philadelphia produces a critically acclaimed revival of the show that, directed by Richard Parison, runs

for three months.

Dreamgirls film released Dream-

Works Pictures and Paramount Pictures co-produced a film

adaptation of the musical Dreamgirls. The film is directed by Bill Condon and

starred Beyoncé Knowles, Jennifer

Hudson, and Anika Noni Rose as the

Dreamettes.

Golden Globe awardsThe film adaptation of Dreamgirls wins three Golden Globes; Best Motion Picture, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture awarded to Eddie Murphy for his role as James Early, and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture awarded to Jennifer Hudson for her role as Effie.

OscarsThe film adaptation of Dreamgirls wins two Oscars; Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is awarded to Jennifer Hudson.

Grammy AwardsThe soundtrack to the Dreamgirls film adaptation wins two Grammys; Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media is awarded for the song “Love You I Do,” and Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.

Dreamgirls at the Apollo Theatre A national tour of Dreamgirls premieres at Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theater, opening its doors on November 22nd and runs to December 12th. Directed and choreographed by Robert Longbottom, it is the highlight of the Apollo’s 75th Anniversary Celebrations. The tour goes on to visit over a dozen cities across the United States.

Duke Ellington School of the Arts The Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington D.C. stages a production of Dreamgirls, directed by Lynda Gravatt that has an unprecedented fourteen-day run.

Research compiled by Cara Racin and Barrett SmithAdditional Research by India Berger

-24 Sep 2001

2007-

2005 –

-2010 2009 –

Tony AwardsDreamgirls wins Tony Awards for Best Book of a Musical awarded to Tom Eyen, Best Actor in a Musical awarded to Ben Harney, Best Actress in a Musical awarded to Jennifer Holliday, Best Featured Actor in a Musical awarded to Cleavant Derricks, Best Lighting Design awarded to Tharon Musser, and Best Choreography awarded to Michael Bennett and Michael Peters.

25 Dec 2006-

Dreamgirls Academic Monitoring Team

Brittany Elaine Fenison,Team Leader

Michele Baskin Susan Avant Katy Winn-Ritzenberg Primrose Tishman Laura Moticka James Bennett Alice Chandler

Dreamgirls Academic Intervention Team

Ava Burke,Team Leader

Susan Ozment Heather Haughn Brett Scott Yura Schreiber John Payne Donna Hollis Larry DavisTia Powell Harris Dr. Mary Jane Ayers Rory L. Pullens Tyler Pullens Sandra Fortune-Green Natalie Bruford Seth Brecher

Dreamgirls Study Guide Contributors

Dawn Naser,Team Leader, Editor

Treanna Alexander-Reid,Dance Faculty

Dreamgirls Study Guide Contributors

Kelli Anderson,Literary Media & Communications FacultySusan Avant,Science ChairKwasi Brooks,Theater StudentAva Burke,Health FacultyAlice Chandler,Social Studies FacultyHannah Goldman,Theater StudentBethany Green,Math FacultyDerek Horton,Museum Studies FacultyMacVaugh Lee,Social Studies FacultyReggie Melbrough,Social Studies FacultyBrian Nielsen,Comptroller/CFOKoye Oyedeji,Literary Media & Communications FacultyRachel Peterson,Theater StudentBrett Scott,Theater FacultyElizabeth Specter,English ChairLauren Walker,Theater StudentMark Williams,Literary Media Chair

SPECIAL THANKS

Sincere thanks to the Administration, Faculty, Staff, Students and Parents of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and school co-founder Peggy Cooper Cafritz

We are also grateful to the Louise P. Zanar Fund, Tedd Davis Events, Georgetown Cupcake, Mitzi Cruz and Rohith Roy of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, The Aba Agency, Washingtonian Magazine, Mindy’s Catering, Ruby Potts, Tracie Jenkins and Art Creates Life, Guy Lambert of WPGC 95.5, The Burleith Citizens Association, Kelly and Thomas Rudin, Frances Goldman, Tenedia Davis, Cathy Hunt, Whole Foods-Wisconsin Avenue, James G. Davis Construction Co., Office of Career & Technology Education-DCPS, Jeanette McCune, Darrell Ayers, Mickey Berra and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Lisa Cobham, Cynne Simpson of ABC 7, Mike Hydeck of WUSA 9, Barbara Harrison of NBC News 4, Kris Coronado of the Washingtonian Magazine, Emily Carey, Joe Corvelli and American Valet, Paul & Jennifer Boudrye and ConnectorHub, Inc., Shawn Boxson and Cynergy Systems, Adam Hurst and Interface Media, Georgetown Business Association, Georgetown Business Improvement District, The Bickerstaff Group, TD Bank, Washington International

School, Hardy Middle School, and all patrons who’ve supported our DREAMGIRLS production and fundraising efforts.

Credits and Thank yous

Lynda, Ken, Faculty &

Students in the Dept. of Theatre:Congrats on your Dedication, Concentration & Talent in DREAM

GIRLS! Wow!Continued Creativity,

Prof. Vera J. Katz

THE WRITERS AT DAISY JAMES WOULD LIKE TO THANK STAFF OF THE LOUISE P. ZANAR FUND

FOR THEIR GENEROUS SUPPORT

Arts majors for students grades 9-12: Dance Instrumental MusicLiterary Media & Communications Museum Studies Technical Design & Production Theater Visual Arts Vocal Music

Learn more and apply at www.ellingtonschool.org Applications must be complete by December 15.

Questions? eMail [email protected] or call 202-298-1777 ext. 1774.

see. hear. feel.experience

www.ellingtonschool.org

The Literary Media and Communications DepartmentDuke Ellington School of the Arts

3500 R St., NW • Washington, DC 20007 www.ellingtonschool.org

Become an LMC Sponsor!

Thank you for your interest in sponsoring the activities of the Literary Media and Communications (LMC) department at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, a DC public school. Ellington is nationally recognized as a leading arts high school, training students in a rigorous curriculum designed to prepare them for college and entry into the “Creative Economy”, which currently captures 43% of the Washington, DC job market. These students are the future of our region.

The LMC department trains talented students in writing, filmmaking, journalism, and new media; these students produce acclaimed print and web publications, award-winning documentaries and plays for both stage and screen, and engage in a wide variety of cutting-edge social media.

Please take a look at our magazine rate sheet, as well as additional opportunities that can broaden your impact across print, film, and the digital universe. Your contribution is tax-deductible when made through the Ellington Fund, and we ask that contributions be designated specifically to the LMC Department so that your donation can directly benefit our students.

For further information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Mark Williams, LMC chair, at [email protected] or 202.247.7397.

The Louise P. Zanar Fund The Louise P. Zanar Fund

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