Dreamgirls is an iconic Broadway musical, documenting the rise to stardom for a girl group called The Dreams. It made the jump from stage to screen in 2006 with a star-studded cast to fill out the movie — including the debut of eventual Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson. Indeed, alongside Hudson, Dreamgirls also starred Beyoncé, Anika Noni Rose, and Jamie Foxx, to name a few. With Bill Condon’s direction, the musical movie adaptation became a hit, earning a slew of trophies from major industry awards like the Oscars, Golden Globes, and Screen Actors Guild.
The music, of course, is one of the most notable aspects of Dreamgirls. In fact, the film earned three nominations in the Best Original Song category at the Oscars for: “Listen,” “Love You I Do,” and “Patience” (via Playbill). With an extremely packed soundtrack, the standout moments can sometimes get lost. With that in mind, we’ve listed the greatest performances in the movie.
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7 Move
DreamWorks Pictures
In Dreamgirls, the performance of “Move” shows The Dreams getting their big break at a local contest. Effie leads the performance strongly, with Lorrell and Deena providing back-up vocals. The performance starts strong, but only ends up getting stronger. By the end, the whole crowd is on their feet, clapping along. Behind the scenes, we also see Curtis and C.C. agreeing to go into business with each other to develop The Dreams and to make the most money out of them that they can.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
6 Fake Your Way to the Top
One of Eddie Murphy’s best musical performances in Dreamgirls, “Fake Your Way to the Top” features The Dreams as back-up singers for Jimmy Early. It starts with a quick rehearsal of the chorus before it jumps into a whirlwind of performances in front of packed crowds every night, and sets the tone for the developing relationship between Jimmy and Lorell. There’s a lot going on during this sequence, which shows off the hectic life of being on the road with Jimmy. This performance is a great one, which shows a lot in a very short amount of time, and it showcases Murphy’s fantastic vocal skills alongside his well established acting chops.
5 I Am Changing
In Dreamgirls, “I Am Changing” begins in a basic room, with Effie performing to record execs, trying to get back on her feet after her expulsion from The Dreams and everything that followed. The performance ends with her singing the song to a packed crowd, and receiving massive cheers for it. The beauty of this performance is it mirrors the early performance of “And I Am Telling You,” only in reverse: she starts alone, but finishes in a packed room, without having to beg for anyone’s love. It marks an important change of perspective for Effie and sets her up for greater and further success.
4 Love You I Do
“Love You I Do” is one of the songs that weren’t taken from the Broadway musical. In the film, this performance shows Effie both trying to advance beyond mere back-up singing and her trying to express her undying love for Curtis. Elsewhere in the scene, we see Curtis lusting after Deena Jones instead, before entering the performance room and playing along with Effie’s performance. Hudson, once again, shines vocally, as well as with her acting as she pours herself into the performance, and we clearly see her devotion to him.
3 Dreamgirls
In terms of 21st Century movie musicals, the performance of “Dreamgirls” starts as a fairly standard one, with The Dreams performing the song to a packed club. They are wearing coordinated outfits, performing a routine for the crowd. The scene includes shots of Curtis talking about the girls as a product, foreshadowing later issues between him and Effie. However, the song also documents The Dreams and their spectacular rise to stardom, and that makes it a crucial performance for the film.
2 It’s All Over
“It’s All Over” takes place when Effie sees The Dreams rehearsing with Michelle, a former secretary who was hired to take her place (without her knowing). This performance takes place on stage with Effie arguing against the other girls, Curtis, and C.C. to stay in the group. They gang up on her and leave her onstage with Curtis by the end of the performance. In Dreamgirls, this scene is staged spectacularly, with everyone on stage against a backdrop of mirrors, as they each get in Effie’s face and leave her completely alone, both emotionally and physically. Beyoncé puts in a strong vocal and acting performance during this song, making it one of the highlights for her in the movie.
1 And I Am Telling You, I Am Not Going
“And I Am Telling You, I Am Not Going” is the big moment of both the stage musical and the film, as it is the signature song for Dreamgirls. If you think Dreamgirls, this song is likely the first that comes to mind, and Hudson doesn’t disappoint despite the magnitude asked of the singer. It features Effie White on a stage with mirrors behind her, desperately appealing to Curtis to reverse the decision to kick her out of The Dreams. When he walks out, she remains, singing to a completely empty theater. Hudson’s voice really shines in this number, however, her acting is what makes the performance a standout. Effie’s desperation transforming into begrudging acceptance is made clear, and this sets up her storyline for the film’s second act.
