Local theatre company premiering Dreamgirls on Windsor stage
The show is also an eye-opening experience for the cast
Dreamgirls is a musical inspired by the careers of R&B greats like The Supremes, James Brown and the Shirelles. But this weekend, the show also gets its inspiration from Windsor.
The musical is being staged locally for the first time by the Arts Collective Theatre (ACT) and opens Friday night at The Capital Theatre.
It's a new experience for many in the cast.
"We're working with [actors who] about 80 or 90 per cent have never been on stage before, which is kind of exciting," said Chris Rabideau, director of the show. "It has been a labour of love for the last three months to put the show on."
ACT is a new theatre program, whose stated goal is to "provide training and performance opportunities for multi-ethnic artists of all ages."
Detroit native Verzell Page is an actor in the show, who has some acting experience behind him. He's also in a lead role, playing Jimmy Early.
"I always wanted to explore dancing, I always wanted to be like my influence James Brown, and that's the epitome of Jimmy Early," said Page.
Hear more from Rabideau and Page on CBC's Windsor Morning:
Rabideau said putting the show together with an unexperienced cast has been "a challenge,"
"Other groups do it in six months. We did it in three," he said.
But Rabideau said this Windsor version of Dreamgirls is special because it's hitting a first.
"This show is going to blow the roof of the ceiling. And it's the first time we've seen an all black cast like this," he said.
The show runs through April 29th at the Capitol Theatre in downtown Windsor.