Dreamgirls

Capitalizing on the success of the hit 2006 film adaptation, in November the 1981 Henry Krieger/Tom Eyen musical Dreamgirls, the story of a very Supremes-like 1960s girl group, launched its first national tour in almost 25 years. The film version restored a tarnished Eddie Murphy to critical credibility and earned “American Idol” alum Jennifer Hudson an Oscar. The cast of this revival lacks a wayward comedian but does feature another “Idol” alum: season seven’s Syesha Mercado, who Simon Cowell presciently predicted would fare better in the world of musicals than commercial pop. Mercado will star in the Diana Rosser, “Deena Jones”role. The production ends its run in Milwaukee today.