It was recently announced that former Glee star Amber Riley will heading to London’s West End for the first UK production of Dreamgirls. Riley will be stepping into the role of Effie, which was made famous in 1981 by Jennifer Holiday in the original Broadway production and played on the screen by Jennifer Hudson in the 2006 film of the same name. This is a role that Riley knows well having performed Effie’s signature number, “And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going,” on Glee. Meanwhile, NBC’s production of The Wiz Live, which featured Riley as Addaperle The Good Witch Of The North, has won two NAACP Image Awards.
If you want a preview of Amber Riley’s performance as Effie, look no further than her days on Fox’s Glee:
Now, let's compare that with Jennifer Holiday performance at the 1982 Tony Awards:
Dreamgirls heads overseas to London’s Savoy Theater this November. Tickets will go on sale in spring 2016. For more information visit the official website for Dreamgirlswestend.com.
NBC’s Holiday 2015 production of The Wiz Live recently won two NAACP Image Awards including Outstanding TV-Movie, Miniseries or Dramatic Special and Outstanding Actor in a TV-Movie, Miniseries or Dramatic Special (David Alan Grier).
