Okay, this is NOT a diss on Beyonce [because ya'll know I love homegirl], but I just would like to point out that Jennifer Holliday won the Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical...therefore why are they pushing for Jennifer Hudson to be nominated for a Supporting Actress?

I'm just saying...the politics around Hollywood Awards can make you a little perturbed...Effie White is a Lead character in Dreamgirls....

I wonder if Jennifer was a White actress, who gave a "breakthough" performance, they would put her up for a lead role. On top of that, we all know that even if Beyonce and J. Hud are nominated for Oscars [as they are for the Golden Globes, which are good Oscar indicators] will they win? Because we all know that the award doesn't always go to the best performance, but rather who's turn is it to win...

Case in point, Denzel Washington should have won for Glory [and Malcolm X], but it was Al Pachino's turn to win, because he had been snubbed times before, so Training Day wasn't Denzel's best performance, per se, but it was just about time he won. Halle Berry should have won for Losing Isaiah, but it was time for not just her, but an African American woman to win for lead. It is definitely a stretch to say Beyonce should even be nominated for an Oscar for Lead Actress, if anything Jennifer Hudson should be nominated for Lead Actress, but as it being her first film, she'd be in an uphill battle. So she has a good chance of being nominated and winning a Supporting Actress award...

It's just the politics of Hollywood!

I know one thing though, she should definitely be tapped to sing "And I am Telling You" and "I am Changing" for the Oscars...that should liven up the stiff show!

Other Tidbits about Dreamgirls:

• There is a cameo by one original Dreamgirl in the movie version...
• Whitney Houston was the first to be be attached to a film version, however she wanted to sing both Deena's and Effie's songs...Whitney however did record a medley of Dreamgirls songs on a live concert CD. WATCH WHITNEY SING "And I am Tell You..." and "When I First Saw You"
  
• In 1998, another attempt to bring it to the big screen was made, with Lauryn as Deena, Kelly Price being considered for Effie, as well as Don Cheadle and Andre Braugher being attached, however after the financial failure of Why Do Fools Fall in Love, Warner Brothers shelved the project.
  
• In the working project of the original play, Effie was to die at the end of the Act I which ultimately led to Jennifer Holliday leaving the production [twice], however after revisions, Jennifer returned.
• Phylicia Rashad (then Ayers-Allen) was the original understudy for the role of Deena. When Sheryl Lee Ralph went on vacation and Phylicia was not asked to fill in, she quit (according to her, she tendered her resignation directly to Bennett in very direct words).

Labels: Beyonce, Dreamgirls, Jennifer Hudson