All I know is that if I cannot hear Jennifer Hudson's Academy Award-winning voice booming over the Ah-Nab-Awen Park on the west riverbank of downtown Grand Rapids, then I am not going.
Because while this story, based on a stage production of the same name, is loosely repackaged for the big screen as director Bill Condon imagines the music phenomena of Detroit's Motown and its stars' rise to the top of the charts, it really comes down to that purely magical movie moment where, for just over five minutes, the air leaves your body while Ms. Hudson's character Effie White belts out the heart-stopping "And I am Telling You I'm Not Going."
And if you have only seen Dreamgirls on a tiny TV in your home, then shame on you, because this is a film made for the big screen -- it is where you need to be with your friends and a box of tissue this Friday night. (This is a big, weepy musical but it wraps up nicely with a glittery production worthy of Ms. Ross' own departure from the Supremes. Ross still claims to have not seen it, remarking in an 2007 interview with ABC, "Maybe I should go see it with my lawyer," she joked.)
If you want to enjoy a can of beer, a glass of wine, or a Thermos of margaritas, please note that this event is a BYOB event if you want to drink. Just remember you must be 21+ to drink legally in Michigan.
I have waited my whole adult life to see a BYOB series on the Grand River and as we enter into our second year of this new outdoor cinema program, it appears we have proved that we can be Beer City and still act decent once the cages often corralling us are taken down. (I am serious: they will not be selling beer but you are able to bring your own.)
Admission: Free
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