Dreamgirls!

I saw a preview screening of this movie last night, and although I am the first person to admit that stage musicals adapted for the screen have their share of flaws, this was nonetheless a really fine piece of work. Only one or two instances of sung instead of spoken dialogue, which keeps the cheese factor way down, surprisingly enough, Beyoncé was not the weakest link as I anticipated (that turned out to be Eddie Murphy), and visually and musically, it was sweet. Lovely costumes and choreography.

I really think you'll like it when you see it. http://www.dreamgirlsmovie.com/

And darlings, I must say that Jennifer Hudson is such a star. When she sang, I felt the spirit, and I'm not even kidding or trying to be witty. That young woman moved me deeply. I cried unashamedly whenever she sang. And what's more, I think that as an actor, she is not slick at all or anything, but rather she is just completely and utterly raw, artless. She's like clear glass that you can see right through to her soul. And did I ever feel her pain about being the "big girl" in the group. She clean broke my heart. Loved it.

I hope the idiots who voted her off of American Idol feel like fools (but if you replace "fools" with some kind of expletive paired with some random part of the human anatomy, you're a lot closer to the term that's truly in my mind). She totally blew Beyoncé out of the water vocally, which I know was intended for the purposes of the story, but she really outshone her. To be fair though, Beyoncé has one truly spectacular solo towards the end, that made me cry too. But a lot of that has to do with the awesome songwriting (they were terrific lyrics that I could fully relate to and I felt with all my heart).

Eww. I sound gushy. Well whatever. My access to my emotions is one of my finer qualities and is what makes me an awesome performer, so there. I won't apologize for that. I like that dimension of my humanity, empathy, and fragility, and I don't want to blunt that. It's a strength. And besides, I prefer crying for a movie than for my life (and it's not just a phenomenon that happens with musicals) . I'd rather channel my grief/anxiety/aggression into something useful and productive, like into a role for the stage, or into working out at the gym.

And here's my bit of news:

Blacks Don't Bowl has been nominated for Best English Production by the Académie Québecoise du Théâtre, for this year's Soirée des Masques! The awards show will be televised on December 17th. Go, us! It's not a bad first professional show, huh? First the MECCA awards and now this.

I will not be attending though, because apparently, they charge admission. Ah 'eh payin' no fitty dolla fuh dat. Hello, starving artist here...