Dreamgirls school show pulled after licensing company criticised lack of diversity in mostly white cast

It was billed as an ‘unforgettable journey’ and promised a night of music and glitter.

However, the local production of Dreamgirls was canceled after the show’s owners took back the staging rights because only one of the actors was black.

Gillian Banks Theater School had hoped to stage the musical, which chronicles the rise of a black singing trio, at Rotherham Civic Theater later this month and had received permission from the body that manages the rights to the show.

However, after it was revealed, the cast was mostly white and only one person had been cast. While he was portraying black actor Curtis Taylor Jr., the agency revoked his license.

The drama school, based in Maltby in South Yorkshire, where the population is over 90 per cent white, said it had ‘never intended to whitewash this production’.

He said he sought a diverse cast but was ultimately constrained by the demographics of those featured.

‘We are a small dance school in one of the most deprived areas of Rotherham, seeking to give our students experiences on a very small scale,’ she said in a statement.

Eddie Murphy and Anika Noni Rose, who played the character Lorrell Robinson in the 2006 movie

The musical was written by Tom Eyen and Henry Krieger in 1981 and was adapted into a film in 2006, starring Beyoncé as Deena Jones, a character inspired by Diana Ross, as well as Jamie Foxx as Taylor, Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Effie White.

The film chronicles the rise of the Dreamettes, a fictional black female singing trio who became superstars in the 1960s and ’70s.

The academy, which once counted Barry Chuckle of the Chuckle Brothers as patron, has been open for almost 50 years.

It currently has approximately 200 students on its books. It had already started selling tickets for the June show.

Concord Theatricals, which owns the rights to thousands of shows, said the school was clearly informed that Dreamgirls must have a diverse cast that reflects the historical authenticity of its content.

The agency stepped in when it was made clear in the casting that this requirement was not met, The Sunday Times reported.

He insists that the productions be broadcast ‘authentically’ and ‘responsibly’.

This is the first time the script rights for Dreamgirls have been revoked since Concord began directing the musical in the 1980s.

In a memo to the Gillian Banks Theater School, Concord said: ‘Dreamgirls is a show about a period in black American musical history when rhythm and blues blended with other popular musical styles to create a new American sound.

It tells the story of the Dreamettes and celebrates their rise to fame, mirroring the similar trajectory of iconic black boy and girl groups of the time such as the Supremes, Marvelettes, Temptations, and Shirelles.

‘Your production must be appropriately chosen to represent and reflect these artists and their backgrounds.’

Concord told the Sunday Times it was trying to resolve the dispute before revoking the rights. ‘We also offered them alternative names from the hundreds of musicals we have presented,’ he said.

‘Following the casting announcement, we asked the band to rearrange the production accordingly; The license was later cancelled.’

The school said: ‘We are good people trying to give opportunities on stage to young people from all backgrounds.

“Color doesn’t come into it anywhere for us because everyone is equal and is judged on their own ability, the best ability for the character.

‘There was nothing racist in our intentions’ [and] Even though Concord emailed, there was nothing in the contract. ‘All of this has caused a lot of stress, anxiety and frustration.’

Despite efforts to encourage black actors to take roles, the school said ‘we did not audition enough’ and that ‘all casting decisions were made in good faith and with the intention of providing opportunities for the actors who auditioned’.

According to the 2021 census, Maltby East’s white population exceeds 90 per cent.

An American blogger who regularly writes about Dreamgirls productions is understood to have reported the school to Concord, the newspaper reported.

The school said: ‘We know that many of our artists are deeply saddened and disappointed by this news, which is understandable.’

The statement concluded by advocating for the students and announcing a ‘new variety production featuring our incredibly talented cast, celebrating Motown, musical theater and jukebox classics’ to ensure their hard work ‘will not go to waste’.