I had the privilege of attending a special screening of Dreamgirls a couple of nights ago and I must say that this film is the perfect example of one of those times when you really should believe the hype. Glowing performances are turned in by the entire cast, but none is more luminous than the one given by Hudson, whose spine tingling voice and impressive acting chops herald the arrival of a major new talent.

In conversation after the film, it occurred to many of us who had seen it that because Dreamgirls was originally produced more than two decades ago, an entire generation of people might not understand the buzz surrounding the release of the film or the story that inspired it.

So we decided to put together a little cheat sheet to help those unfamiliar with Dreamgirls grasp both the landmark significance of the filmís release and the real life characters from which it draws inspiration. Letís start with the facts:

Jennifer Hudson as Effie White in Dreamgirls, the film version

Dreamgirls opened on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre on December 20, 1981. It was the first of 1,522 shows that would come to an end on August 11, 1985.

During its run, Dreamgirls was nominated for thirteen Tony Awards, six of which it won, including a Best Actress in a Musical Award for Jennifer Hollidayís portrayal of Effie White, the role played in the feature film version of the musical by Jennifer Hudson. (Jennifer Holliday also won a Drama Desk Award for her portrayal of Effie and a Grammy Award for her gut-wrenching rendition of ìAnd I Am Telling You (Iím Not Going)î, which is considered by most to be the arresting number of the musical).

For an idea of just how captivating Holidayís performance was, check out a performance of the number from the 1982 Tony Awards here.

Although many will deny that Dreamgirls was inspired by the story of 1960ís super girl group The Supremes, there can be no denying the similarities between the story surrounding the rise of the Supremes and storyline developed in Dreamgirls. Letís examine a few of the most obvious similarities, shall we?

Warning: You might want to skip to the next section if you know nothing about the Dreamgirls story and donít want any of the plot revealed to you.

• The Supremes were a í60s girl group from Detroit that rose to prominence under the guidance of Motown founder, Berry Gordy, one of the most influential African-American men in the music business. In Dreamgirls, The Dreams are a í60s girl group from Detroit who rise to prominence with helpful guidance of Curtis Taylor, Jr. (Jamie Foxx), who forms his own record label and becomes one of the most important players in the music biz.
• The Supremes were a trio, originally composed of Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard, who was widely known to have the best voice in the group, but was also the heaviest of the girls. In Dreamgirls, The Dreams are a trio composed of Deena Jones (a name which is even reminiscent of Diana), Lorell Robinson and Effie White, a powerhouse singer whose big voice and larger frame costs her the lead position in the group.
• Florence Ballard was the original lead singer of The Supremes. In Dreamgirls, Effie White was the original lead singer of the Dreamettes, who would later become The Dreams.

 Diana Ross and The Supremes

• Berry Gordy had an affair with Diana Ross which resulted in the birth of a daughter, Rhonda Suzanne Silberstein, who was raised by Ross and her then husband, Robert Silberstein. In Dreamgirls Curtis Taylor, Jr. has an affair with Deena Jones. It results in marriage but no child.
• Florence Ballard was booted from The Supremes for being too difficult. In Dreamgirls, Effie White is booted out of The Dreams for being too difficult.
• Florence Ballard was replaced in the Supremes by Cindy Birdsong at the 11th hour. In Dreamgirls, Effie White is replaced by Michelle Morris (Sharon Leal) at the 11th hour.
• When Cindy Birdsong joined the Supremes, the group was renamed ìDiana Ross & The Supremes." In Dreamgirls, when Michelle Morris joins The Dreams, the group is renamed ìDeena Jones and The Dreams."

Deena Jones and The Dreams (from left, Leal, Knowles and Rose)

There are many more similarities between the Dreamgirls musical and the real-life story of The Supremes, but suffice it to say these are the glaring ones.

Finally, one interesting bit of information that Dreamgirls hints at that many people donít know about is the level of rivalry between black girl groups in the 60ís. The Supremes and Patti Labelle & The Bluebelles were constantly getting into skirmishes backstage during the í60s, according to Patti Labelleís New York Times bestseller Donít Block The Blessings. Most interesting of allóthe fact that when Berry Gordy decided to replace Florence Ballard in the Supremes he stole Cindy Birdsong from Patti Labelle & the Bluebelles while the group was in the middle of a tour.

In Dreamgirls, viewers witness Effie being replaced but they do not know from whence her replacement came on such short notice. Labelle & Co. only found out about Birdsongís defection in the news, which only further solidified the rivalry between the two groups. Ironically in 1983, at the Motown 25 special, Patti Labelle would steal the show from Diana Ross, once the queen of Motown, by garnering three of the eveningís four standing ovations, one of which she famously took with Diana Ross at her side.

Like they always say, there are no better stories than the ones we live.

Dreamgirls opens in limited engagements around the country on December 15, with wide release scheduled for Christmas Day.

For more on the film, visit www.dreamgirlsmovie.com.