Did mary wilson really write the broadway musical "dreamgirl"?

[milven]

Of course not,. But in this Bizzaro world, it is being written that she did.

By Siegee Dowah, WRAL contributor

DURHAM, N.C. — Friday is the opening date for North Carolina Central University's rendition of Dreamgirls. Originally written by Mary Wilson in 1986, Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme has made way through the theatrical community by becoming a Broadway play in 1981 and then a movie in 2006. Its impact has been lasting on many thespians, including North Carolina Central University graduating senior Antwan Hawkins Jr. who is playing Curtis in this musical. This is Hawkins' final musical before he graduates this spring. “We made this show our own," Hawkins said.

How could a book that Mary wrote in 1986 become a Broadway Musical in 1981 five years before she wrote her book?

The play was inspired by the story of the Supremes, but it is not their story as Mary has said so many times and she should know. She says that it cant be their story because she wasn't paid. But five years after the debut of the successful musical, Mary released her book and titled it DREAMGIRL which caused even more confusion.

Of course the movie was inspired by the play, but ripped off much from the Supremes including gowns, album covers, moving the record label to Detroit etc.

It is all just a bunch of nothing, but it caught my eye when the author of this piece said that Mary wrote the play.

Or is this just more fake news? 🙄🙄😉

https://www.wral.com/north-carolina-central-university-senior-makes-final-play-memorable/18952732/

[PeaceNHarmony]

Well, Dreamgirls opened on Broadway in 1981 after several years of development. Wilson's book was published 5 years later. And after glomming its title from the Broadway musical. Sooooo ...

[captainjames]

Easy answer.....NO

[Levi Stubbs Tears]

Just amateur reporting. Some kid who doesn't know even to check facts via wikipedia before pressing 'publish'.

[PeaceNHarmony]

Just amateur reporting. Some kid who doesn't know even to check facts via wikipedia before pressing 'publish'.True. And, yet ... none of the Wilson 'experts' have jumped in to deny this absurd claim, so it gains a grain of trumpian 'truth' now that it's on the internet.

[gman]

Please.. we have a much younger than us "here, alive and being a record buying" fan at the time generation that seems to think the play and movie [[and award show speech) are the gospel truth of the Supremes story....very similar to now long ago Bette Midler's THE ROSE being believed to be the Janis Joplin bio.

[blackguy69]

Peace please as bias as you are you need to leave it alone and look ahead.
True. And, yet ... none of the Wilson 'experts' have jumped in to deny this absurd claim, so it gains a grain of trumpian 'truth' now that it's on the internet.

[RanRan79]

Please.. we have a much younger than us "here, alive and being a record buying" fan at the time generation that seems to think the play and movie [[and award show speech) are the gospel truth of the Supremes story....very similar to now long ago Bette Midler's THE ROSE being believed to be the Janis Joplin bio.

And for that we can blame the folks involved with the movie. The play was done in such a way that it was easy to discern the "inspired by" spirit as opposed to the "based on" line, if you had half a brain. The movie makers wanted so badly for the Dreams to be the Supremes that they did as much as they could to pattern the fictional group after the actual group. To be honest, I'm surprised Effie didn't die in the movie. The Supremes story makes for a fantastic read. It would also make for it's own great movie or even Broadway musical, but I can't see a world where these two things will ever happen because the film maker will inevitably run into the prospect that people will sit it out because the audience will believe they've seen this before.

[luke]

Jennifer Holiday left the show in rehearsals because Effie was going to die at end of Act 1 and Bennett agreed to a rewrite for her.

[Roberta75]

Jennifer Holiday left the show in rehearsals because Effie was going to die at end of Act 1 and Bennett agreed to a rewrite for her.

LOLOLOLOLOL Now you know that story came from your fearless leader/man. So because Leader M has posted it 10 time its now true? LMAO

[marybrewster]

Mary's book was originally titled REFLECTIONS. I have a MW Fanclub newsletter in which she talks about it.

I think with the success of the play, Mary jumped on the bandwagon, and it worked.

Funny also, for as much as Motown tried to denounce the movie, they sure rode the wave when the play was on Broadway. I have a Motown poster that asks ARE THE SUPREME GIRLS REALLY THE DREAM GIRLS?

[reese]

Mary's book was originally titled REFLECTIONS. I have a MW Fanclub newsletter in which she talks about it.

I think with the success of the play, Mary jumped on the bandwagon, and it worked.

Funny also, for as much as Motown tried to denounce the movie, they sure rode the wave when the play was on Broadway. I have a Motown poster that asks ARE THE SUPREME GIRLS REALLY THE DREAM GIRLS?

A similar quote was stickered onto the CAPTURED LIVE ON STAGE re-issue. Given how popular the musical was, it is not surprising that Mary and Motown capitalized on it.

[Jaap]

LOLOLOLOLOL Now you know that story came from your fearless leader/man. So because Leader M has posted it 10 time its now true? LMAO

Actually, that story is true, at least according to Jennifer Holiday herself who tells about it in an interview with The New York Times in December 1981:

Since working in the theater didn't mean that much to Miss Holliday, she dropped out of ''Dreamgirls,'' which was developed further in two more workshops under Mr. Bennett's direction. ''Last March,'' she said, ''I got a call from Michael to come back to New York for the fourth workshop. But I saw right away that the show had changed so much. My story, the story of Effie, now ended with the first act. The second act was mostly about Deena Jones.''
Effie and Deena are part of a trio strongly resembling the Supremes. Just as the girls are becoming successful, the overweight Effie is pushed out of the act and replaced by a slender singer because the trio's conniving manager wants the group to have a streamlined appearance that will appeal to white audiences. Effie eventually triumphs on her own, overcoming the corrupt practices of the music business that nearly kill her career.
''I became upset and very depressed,'' Miss Holliday went on. ''I thought Michael had lied to me. He was telling me how great it was to be a star on Broadway, but I didn't see how I'd accomplish this being in a secondary role.

https://www.nytimes.com/1981/12/22/theater/she-fought-michael-bennett-and-became-his-star.html

[johnjeb]

Mary's book was originally titled REFLECTIONS. I have a MW Fanclub newsletter in which she talks about it.

I think with the success of the play, Mary jumped on the bandwagon, and it worked.

Funny also, for as much as Motown tried to denounce the movie, they sure rode the wave when the play was on Broadway. I have a Motown poster that asks ARE THE SUPREME GIRLS REALLY THE DREAM GIRLS?

I think it might have been the publisher that "suggested" Mary use the title "Dreamgirl".

I also recall reading that Mary had planned to title her book "Reflections". In a television interview in Boston, when Mary's book was in the initial planning stages, she confirmed this. The host said he heard that her book was going to be called "Dreamgirl". Mary looked annoyed and seemed irritated that anyone would think she would title her book book after the play. I felt the same way and thought "Reflections" was the perfect title. When "Dreamgirl" was released I recalled that TV interview and Mary's reponse.

We have seen in the record industry that the people with the money make the decisions as to album art, content and release date. I can imagine the same was true with the marketing for Mary's first book.

It was ironic that Motown distanced itself from the play but then started to capitalize on it. When Motown reissued "Farewell" in 1982 as "Captured Live On Stage" the vinyl album had a round purple sticker with pink lettering "THE ORIGINAL DREAM GIRLS?" The CD release in 1993 made no similar mention.

[sup_fan]

And for that we can blame the folks involved with the movie. The play was done in such a way that it was easy to discern the "inspired by" spirit as opposed to the "based on" line, if you had half a brain. The movie makers wanted so badly for the Dreams to be the Supremes that they did as much as they could to pattern the fictional group after the actual group. To be honest, I'm surprised Effie didn't die in the movie. The Supremes story makes for a fantastic read. It would also make for it's own great movie or even Broadway musical, but I can't see a world where these two things will ever happen because the film maker will inevitably run into the prospect that people will sit it out because the audience will believe they've seen this before.

actually neither a film or play on The Supremes will ever happen because neither Diana Ross nor Berry will allow it. you'd have to get permission from the owner of the Jobete catalog to use the songs. You'd have to get permission from the various people it would be portraying.

the Motown Musical was developed because it was a rather sanitized version of history. it didn't delve too deep into the real drama or problems.