Jennifer Hudson Producing Dreamgirls Revival
Jennifer Hudson is producing a revival of "Dreamgirls" for Broadway, leveraging her star power and industry credibility to bring new attention to the classic musical. John Legend and Pulitzer-winning playwright Lynn Nottage are also collaborating on a new musical adaptation of "Imitation of Life," set for its world premiere at The Shed in New York City this fall.
- Jennifer Hudson's connection to *Dreamgirls* runs deep; she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Effie White in the 2006 film adaptation, which was her debut film role. This new revival marks her third Broadway producing credit. - The upcoming production will be the first Broadway revival of *Dreamgirls* to be newly directed and choreographed since the original 1981 production. It will be helmed by five-time Tony Award nominee Camille A. Brown and is slated to open in the fall of 2026. - The original Broadway production of *Dreamgirls* opened in 1981 and was a major success, earning thirteen Tony Award nominations and winning six. It launched the career of Jennifer Holliday, who won a Tony for her iconic performance as Effie White. - A worldwide talent search is underway to cast the central trio, 'The Dreams,' for the 2026 revival. - The new musical *Imitation of Life* is based on Fannie Hurst's 1933 novel, which was previously adapted into two films in 1934 and 1959. The story explores race, class, and gender through the intertwined lives of a Black mother and a white mother and their daughters in the 1920s and 30s. - This project will be the first full musical written by singer-songwriter John Legend, who achieved EGOT status in 2018. - Playwright Lynn Nottage is the first and only woman to have won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama twice. Her winning plays, *Ruined* (2009) and *Sweat* (2017), focus on the experiences of marginalized and working-class people.
