Dreamgirls

There are three definitive American art forms: jazz, film, and musical theater. Rare is the time any of the three come together. They did so in Chicago in 2002. Like that appropriately-Oscar-winning effort, Dreamgirls uses the same confluence of art to provide a spectacular movie-going experience.

Some preface. I've never seen the original stage version of Dreamgirls (or Chicago, for that matter). So I can't compare what I saw on the big screen to what I might have seen on the stage. And I'm glad, because what I saw on the big screen had me riveted. Right from the start, you know you're about the hear great songs sung by great voices. When the Dreamettes' first chance at something big seems near, you're crushed to see it taken away so quickly.

I won't give you a plot summary. You can find that elsewhere. But I will talk about the casting. Where did they get all these names? Beyonce Knowles, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Danny Glover. An outstanding cast that fit their characters perfectly; and not just the leads, but the secondary characters as well. Eddie Murphy did surprisingly well, I thought. (I hope that was his voice and not a dubbing.) And I'll talk about the set design and costuming. You knew what year it was simply by looking at the clothes or the furniture in any given scene. Outstanding.

But, by far, the best part of the film is Jennifer Hudson. Mrs. Light Bulb and I are American Idol fanatics. I say again, fanatics. We were heartbroken the week Jennifer was voted off the third season. To see this young woman in her screen debut, providing the best performace of the film was wonderfully fulfilling. The audience we saw it with cheered at the end of "And I Am Telling You." (I'm serious. I was screaming myself.) This young lady can sing AND act. And if she doesn't win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress this February, I may never watch another Academy Awards telecast again.

Dreamgirls - go see it.