Plot

A trio of black female soul singers cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960s, facing their own personal struggles along the way.

Detroit, the early 1960s. Curtis Taylor, Jr., a car salesman, breaks into the music business with big dreams. He signs a trio of young women, the Dreamettes, gets them a job backing an R&B performer, James "Thunder" Early, establishes his own record label and starts wheeling and dealing. When Early flames out, Curtis makes the Dreamettes into headliners as the Dreams, but not before demoting their hefty big-voiced lead singer, Effie White, and putting the softer-voiced looker, Deena Jones, in front. Soon after, he fires Effie, sends her into a life of proud poverty, and takes Deena and the Dreams to the top. How long can Curtis stay there, and will Effie ever get her due?—<jhailey@hotmail.com>

It's the mid-1960s. Detroit-based The Dreamettes, a black girl singing group, is comprised of lead Effie White, and her backup singers Deena Jones and Lorrell Robinson. They are struggling to make a name for themselves despite their talent. At a local talent competition, they are approached by Curtis Taylor Jr., a used car salesman who wants to break into the music business on the management side. He offers them a job singing backup for James "Thunder" Early, a renowned local black performer who has more of a reputation as a married man seducing his backup singers than his onstage actions, hence the reason he is having problems finding those backup singers. The girls reluctantly accept the offer, that reluctance based on Effie in particular not seeing themselves as backups to anyone else. In making a name for himself and the girls, Curtis brings along for the ride Effie's songwriting brother C.C., and in the process also takes over Jimmy's career. Despite embarking on a sexual relationship, Curtis and Effie, both strong personalities, begin to have diverging views of what it takes to make it in the business, Curtis who sees them needing to break what is racial barrier by sounding more mainstream or "white". The others have to decide what to do, and to who their loyalties lie as they try to make it to the top. Those views may change over time with the onset of the seventies and the change of mainstream musical tastes to disco, and as they see the view from the top in trying to stay there as opposed to looking at the top from the bottom.—Huggo

1960s Detroit. Brimming with soul and emotion, The Dreamettes--a Detroit-based black vocal trio composed of lead singer Effie White and backup singers Deena Jones and Lorrell Robinson--are bent on fulfilling their big dream to conquer the top. And after a chance encounter with ambitious used car salesman Curtis Taylor Jr at an amateur talent show, The Dreamettes become backup singers for legendary R&B star Jimmy "Thunder" Early. This is a pivotal, make-or-break opportunity, and the girls are determined not to waste it.—Nick Riganas

Based on the 1981 Broadway musical comes Dreamgirls, a story of greed, tough hate, and romance. Three young women - Deena Jones, Effie White, and Lorrell Robinson - desire to become pop stars and get their wish when they're picked to be backup singers for the legendary James "Thunder" Early. Then they're set free for leads, but Curtis Taylor and Effie's brother C.C. decide for Deena to be lead which upsets Effie.—Corey Semple (MrAshleyTisdale07)

In 1962 Detroit, car salesman Curtis Taylor Jr. meets a Black girl group called "The Dreamettes", consisting of lead singer Effie White and backup singers Deena Jones and Lorrell Robinson, at an R&B amateur talent show at the Detroit Theatre. Presenting himself as their new manager, he hires them as backup singers for Chitlin' Circuit R&B star Jimmy "Thunder" Early. He soon starts his own record label, Rainbow Records, out of his Cadillac dealership, appointing Effie's brother C.C. as head songwriter. Their first single "Cadillac Car" under-performs after a white pop group, "Dave and the Sweethearts", releases a cover version. Curtis, C.C., and their producer Wayne resort to payola in order to make "Jimmy Early & The Dreamettes" mainstream pop stars, beginning with their follow-up single "Steppin' to the Bad Side". Offstage, Effie falls in love with Curtis while the married Jimmy does likewise with Lorrell.

Jimmy's manager, Marty Madison, grows weary of Curtis' plans to make his client more pop-friendly and walks out. When Jimmy fails to connect with an all-white Miami Beach supper club audience, Curtis sends him out on the road alone, keeping The Dreamettes (whom he renames "The Dreams") behind to headline in his place. Feeling that Effie's plus size image and soulful voice will not attract white audiences, he appoints the slimmer, more conventionally attractive Deena as the new lead singer, as Deena's voice, although more basic and generic, is more marketable.

Aided by new songs and a new image, Curtis and C.C. transform The Dreams into a top-selling mainstream pop group. By 1965, however, Effie begins acting out, particularly when Curtis' affections also turn towards Deena. He eventually drops Effie, hiring his secretary Michelle Morris to replace her, beginning with their 1966 New Year's Eve debut in Las Vegas as "Deena Jones & the Dreams". Though Effie defiantly and desperately appeals to Curtis, he, C.C., and The Dreams abandon her, forging ahead to stardom. Effie learns she is pregnant with his child, but conceals the news.

By 1973, Effie has become an impoverished single mother living on welfare in Detroit with her young daughter Magic. To restart her music career, she appoints Marty as her manager and begins performing at a local nightclub. Meanwhile, Deena Jones & the Dreams have become superstars and Rainbow, now headquartered in Los Angeles, has become the biggest pop label in the nation. Curtis, now Deena's husband, pitches a Cleopatra movie with her in the title role. However, Deena clandestinely hopes that the film will end up in development hell, wanting to pursue other acting gigs.

The following year, Jimmy has descended into drug addiction due to both Curtis' preoccupation with Deena and his rejection of Jimmy's politically-charged charity single "Patience", written by C.C., that he recorded with Lorrell. During a televised special of Rainbow's tenth anniversary, Jimmy abandons his soulful act to do an impromptu rap, which excites the audience, until he goes too far and drops his pants. Embarrassed, Curtis promptly drops him from the label and Lorrell ends their affair. Sometime later, C.C., who feels Curtis is undermining his songs' artistic merit by making them into disco music, quits the label. Jimmy soon dies from a heroin overdose, devastating Lorrell, who is barred from his funeral.

Disillusioned by Curtis' cold reaction to Jimmy's death, C.C. reconciles with Effie in Detroit, writing and producing her comeback single, "One Night Only". As it begins gaining local radio play, Curtis uses payola to blackmail the radio stations into playing The Dreams' disco cover of the song. His scheme crumbles, however, as Deena, who has been increasingly frustrated over Curtis' control of her career, discovers his corruption and contacts Effie, who arrives in Los Angeles with C.C., Marty, and a lawyer. Deena and Effie reconcile, with Effie telling her that Curtis is Magic's father. He begrudgingly agrees to nationally distribute Effie's version of "One Night Only" to avoid being reported to the FBI. Inspired by Effie's victory and finally seeing Curtis for who he truly is, Deena leaves him, vowing to start over.

In 1975, The Dreams give a farewell performance at the Detroit Theater, inviting Effie onstage to sing lead for the final song. Towards the end, Curtis approaches the front row, encounters Magic, and realizes she is his daughter.