Backstage at Dreamgirls, the women make lightning fast changes into fabulous costumes with increasingly bouffant wigs.
But they are not the only ones who need to quick change in record time. Chester Gregory can testify that he has almost as much interaction with the dressers for his role of James “Thunder” Early, the R&B star who gives the “Dreamettes” their first big break and who undergoes his own rise and fall in the wildly changing music scene and costume styles of the 1960s and early 1970s.
“There’s twelve costume changes plus wigs,” he said over the phone. “For one scene, I’m very high energy, then I run off stage, change the costume and the wig, and come back on as though I’ve been sitting around in this new outfit for hours. And I have to do this complete change of mood in ten seconds! It’s fun and challenging at the same time.”
When the show rolls into a new town, Gregory shows up early at the theater to rehearse this “backstage choreography” so that it can all go without a hitch. He never knows exactly how much space he will have. “At the Apollo Theatre in New York, we didn’t have much room at all. In Los Angeles, there’s a lot of space.”
In front of the set, Gregory also keeps moving, even though the Early does not have the same type of choreographed sequences as the Dreamgirls. “It’s more about how the singers of that time moved. James Brown, Little Richard, Otis Redding, all of them were very physical. You have to have 100% of your body involved,” he said.
With a five-octave range and fifteen years of vocal training, Gregory has burned up Broadway as the title role in The Jackie Wilson Story as well as Terk in the Disney musical Tarzan. Seattle audiences saw him create the role of Donkey in Shrek the Musical at the 5th Avenue.
Now he’s back singing the Motown style of music that he calls a personal favorite. “Oh, if I was singing in that era, I’d be there all night with them, singing in the studio. I really would be a Jackie Wilson type performer,” he said.
Gregory was one of the first actors cast in this new production of Dreamgirls and he has been with the show since it opened at the Apollo last year. “I enjoy the traveling, going to different cities, and seeing how Dreamgirls plays regionally. It’s always interesting to hear how the audience reacts,” he said. “When this wonderful music is performed live, it’s an experience.”
During his last performance in Los Angeles, the audience reaction got even a little louder as the earth literally moved under their feet. Later, Gregory tweeted to fans and friends: “I didn't even feel the earthquake, I just heard the audience going crazy!”
As the national tour of Dreamgirls rolls across the country (the show stops in Seattle April 6 through 11 at the Paramount), Gregory also indulges in a little gastronomic tourism.
“I love discovering new restaurants,” he said. He is also making a point to return to favorites discovered on other visits. “Seattle has some of the best food in the country. There’s Purple’s lobster mac ‘n cheese. And Wild Ginger, I love that place!”
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Chaz Lamar Shepherd (Curtis)
and Chester Gregory (James Early
Photo Credit: Joan Marcus, courtesy of STG
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But they are not the only ones who need to quick change in record time. Chester Gregory can testify that he has almost as much interaction with the dressers for his role of James “Thunder” Early, the R&B star who gives the “Dreamettes” their first big break and who undergoes his own rise and fall in the wildly changing music scene and costume styles of the 1960s and early 1970s.
“There’s twelve costume changes plus wigs,” he said over the phone. “For one scene, I’m very high energy, then I run off stage, change the costume and the wig, and come back on as though I’ve been sitting around in this new outfit for hours. And I have to do this complete change of mood in ten seconds! It’s fun and challenging at the same time.”
When the show rolls into a new town, Gregory shows up early at the theater to rehearse this “backstage choreography” so that it can all go without a hitch. He never knows exactly how much space he will have. “At the Apollo Theatre in New York, we didn’t have much room at all. In Los Angeles, there’s a lot of space.”
In front of the set, Gregory also keeps moving, even though the Early does not have the same type of choreographed sequences as the Dreamgirls. “It’s more about how the singers of that time moved. James Brown, Little Richard, Otis Redding, all of them were very physical. You have to have 100% of your body involved,” he said.
With a five-octave range and fifteen years of vocal training, Gregory has burned up Broadway as the title role in The Jackie Wilson Story as well as Terk in the Disney musical Tarzan. Seattle audiences saw him create the role of Donkey in Shrek the Musical at the 5th Avenue.
Now he’s back singing the Motown style of music that he calls a personal favorite. “Oh, if I was singing in that era, I’d be there all night with them, singing in the studio. I really would be a Jackie Wilson type performer,” he said.
Gregory was one of the first actors cast in this new production of Dreamgirls and he has been with the show since it opened at the Apollo last year. “I enjoy the traveling, going to different cities, and seeing how Dreamgirls plays regionally. It’s always interesting to hear how the audience reacts,” he said. “When this wonderful music is performed live, it’s an experience.”
During his last performance in Los Angeles, the audience reaction got even a little louder as the earth literally moved under their feet. Later, Gregory tweeted to fans and friends: “I didn't even feel the earthquake, I just heard the audience going crazy!”
As the national tour of Dreamgirls rolls across the country (the show stops in Seattle April 6 through 11 at the Paramount), Gregory also indulges in a little gastronomic tourism.
“I love discovering new restaurants,” he said. He is also making a point to return to favorites discovered on other visits. “Seattle has some of the best food in the country. There’s Purple’s lobster mac ‘n cheese. And Wild Ginger, I love that place!”