Dreamgirls was brought to the big screen in 2006, written & directed by Bill Condon (who was the screenwriter of Chicago), and was quite successful both critically and commercially. Obba Babatunde (born Donald Cohen, December 1, 1951) is an American stage and movie actor, voice actor, producer, director and singer. Some sources cite original name as Donald Cohen; born December, 1951, in Jamaica, Queens, New York, NY; brother of Akin Babatunde (an actor); married; children: two sons. After Dreamgirls, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Devine, Jennifer Holliday, and more went on to big careers in theatre, film, and television. He began his acting career on stage in the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls. 117 Photos Sandra Izsadore, Obba Babatunde, Omarosa, Garcelle Beauvais and More Celebrate Fela! Dreamgirls is a 2006 American musical drama film written and directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures. the correct spelling of this artist's name is, The Color Purple (Original Broadway Cast Recording), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. A native of Queens, New York,[2] Babatundé has appeared in more than seventeen stage productions, thirty theatrical films, sixty made-for-television movies, and two prime-time series. Featured New Releases ... Dreamgirls~Steppin' to the Bad Side feat. He won an NAACP Image Award as “Best Actor” for his role as Sarge in A Soldiers Play. Adapted from the 1981 Broadway musical of the same name by composer Henry Krieger and lyricist/librettist Tom Eyen, Dreamgirls is a film à clef, a work of fiction taking strong inspiration from the history of the Motown … His career spans over 4 decades and he is a unique breed in today's industry as a triple-threat (and more). He also appeared in Half & Half, as well as appearances on The Bold and the Beautiful, Boston Legal, Grey's Anatomy, NCIS, Cold Case, Strong Medicine, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Touched by an Angel, Chicago Hope, Any Day Now, Karen Sisco, Dawson's Creek, and Friends. The performance will feature award-winning actors, Mr. Obba Babatunde (Bold & Beautiful, Dreamgirls), Ms. Cheryl Lee Ralph (Moesha, Dreamgirls), and Ms. Fredericka Meek (General Hospital) along with a panel discussion on the state of women and girls of color in Hollywood and media led Madeline Di Nonno, CEO of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. Stream songs including "Move (You're Steppin' On My Heart)", "Fake Your Way to the Top" and more. His Role in the Entertainment World . Featuring Jennifer Holliday, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Divine, Ben Hearney, Cleavant Derricks, Obba Babatundé and Deborah Burrell Reconstructed from … Dreamgirls~Family feat. Dreamgirls proved to be a star-making vehicle for several of its performers, particularly Holliday, whose performance as Effie received significant praise. Discover more music, concerts, videos, and pictures with the largest catalogue online at Last.fm. [4] He gradually moved into film and television work, and has had numerous roles in both genres. Project #9 was workshopped for Joseph Papp; Nell Carter was joined at this time by Sheryl Lee Ralph an… His feature film appearances include Life as Willie, The Celestine Prophecy, Material Girls, After the Sunset, The Manchurian Candidate, The Notebook, a SWAT captain in John Q, an attorney in Philadelphia (1993), The Last Fall, If I Tell You I Have To Kill You, The Fallen Faithful, Trapped, Tension, and Kinky. Dreamgirls~I Miss You Old Friend feat. Based upon the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Supremes, The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others,[1] the musical follows the story of a young female singing trio from Chicago, Illinois called "The Dreams", who become music superstars. Tom Eyen. Obba Babatundé is known as one of the busiest actors in Hollywood, juggling careers in film, television and stage. Dreamgirls is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. Tag this album, The Original Broadway Cast Of 'The Color Purple', Javascript is required to view shouts on this page. Babatundé was co-producer and director of Oscar's Black Odyssey, co-producer of Dorothy Dandridge: An American Beauty, and co-producer of TV in Black: The First 50 Years. His first Broadway performance was in Timbuktu! Label: Decca Broadway - 2007-2 • Format: CD Album • Country: US • Genre: Stage & Screen • Style: Musical . View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the CD release of Dreamgirls (Original Broadway Cast Album) on Discogs. Find Obba Babatunde song information on AllMusic AllMusic. [6], Babatundé was nominated for an Emmy in the HBO movie Miss Evers' Boys, an NAACP Image Award in the HBO movie Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, and an Ovation Award and a Tony Award for his role as C.C. Listen free to Obba Babatunde – Dreamgirls: Original Broadway Cast Album (25th Anniversary Special Edition). In 2016, Babatundé received the Daytime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series", as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Peachtree Village International Film Festival. He was born in 1951 as Donald A. Cohen to an African-American family in Jamaica, Queens, New York. Dreamgirls (Original, Musical, Broadway) opened in New York City Dec 20, 1981 and played through Aug 11, 1985. Some of his recorded works include singing the title track on the Onaje Allan Gumbs's album Sack Full of Dreams, and "The Gal That Got Away" on Over The Rainbow, the Harold Arlen soundtrack. Currently, he is married with two children. Connect your Spotify account to your Last.fm account and scrobble everything you listen to, from any Spotify app on any device or platform. Discover. He was attracted early to theater and from a young age would sing, dance and act for his family. Cleavant Derricks / Loretta Devine / Tony Franklin / Ben Harney / Jennifer Holliday / Sheryl Lee Ralph. Obba Babatundé, Actor: How High. Addresses: Agent—Stone Manners Talent and Literary Agency, 6500 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 550, Los Angeles, CA 90048. Babatunde, Obba 1951– PERSONAL. Great shape for it's age. Babatundé has appeared in three prime-time series: CBS’ Madam Secretary, as Barton Royce in the Showtime's I’m Dying Up Here (2017) , and as Dean Fairbanks in Netflix's Dear White People (2017-2018). He attended Jamaica High School where he was a well-rounded student who in addition to appearing in the Sing '68 school musical program he was a student aide and a member of both the track and cross country teams. [1], Learning that his ancestry included people from Nigeria, he adopted a name made of Yoruba words: Obba, for "king", and Babatunde, meaning "father has returned again. Carter appeared in the musical, and her performance inspired Eyen and Krieger to craft a musical about black back-up singers, which was originally called One Night Only and then given the working title of Project #9. Explore. in 1978. The Dreamgirls cast album features cast performances by the show's performers, including Jennifer Holliday, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Devine, Ben Harney, Cleavant Derricks, Obba Babatundé, and … Obba's breadth of work is known worldwide by audiences of all ages, and his face is one of the most recognizable in the entertainment industry. New Releases. Some user-contributed text on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. Obba's breadth of work is known worldwide by audiences of all ages, and his face is one of the most recognizable in the entertainment industry. Great performance, OBC did an amazing job. After graduating from Jamaica High School in 1969, he started teaching at a private school for students of color. Most recently, Babatundé directed and co-stars with Katt Williams in the Lionsgate Home Entertainment feature film American Bad Boy, and he produced and directed the short film Clarissa's Gift. In 1982 Babatunde starred as Zodzetrick in the Houston Grand Opera's second production of Scott Joplin's opera Treemonisha. Michael Bennett was director. ", Episodes: "It's Not Just a Word: Parts 1 & 2", Episodes: "A Clear and Present Stranger" and "Love and Other Strangers", Watch Store Salesman / Singer / Scientist (voices), Episodes: "Oceanside" and "Goodbye Forever", This page was last edited on 4 February 2021, at 03:25. He co-authored, directed, and produced In the Blink of an Eye. Joining the cast at this time were Ben Harney, Obba Babatunde, Cleavant Derricks, ... Jr., Cleavant Derricks as James "Thunder" Early, and Obba Babatundé as C. C. White. "[3], Babatundé has said a breakthrough role was gaining a part in a 1976 touring company of Guys and Dolls, starring Leslie Uggams and Richard Roundtree. In addition to Holliday, Ralph, and Devine, Dreamgirls stars Obba Babatunde as C.C. Dreamgirls 1981 - Broadway Jennifer Holliday, Ben Harney, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Divine, Cleavant Derricks, Obba Babatunde, Deborah Burrell, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Tony Franklin, Cheryl Alexander Review: Generational loss but you can still see face expressions from the cast. As a child, he attended public schools, as did his brother Akin. White, Cleavant Derricks as James Thunder Early, and Ben Harney as … Listen to music from Obba Babatunde like I Miss You Old Friend - Dreamgirls/Broadway/Original Cast Version. He most notably wrote the music for the Broadway shows Dreamgirls (1981, with lyrics and book by Tom Eyen), The Tap Dance Kid (1983), and Side Show (1997). Dreamgirls had its beginnings as a project for Nell Carter. Tom Eyen. Playwright Tom Eyen and conductor Henry Krieger first worked together on the 1975 musical version of Eyen's play The Dirtiest Show in Town. They had produced it first in 1976. Dreamgirls Nominee Photos. He also played Harvard College Dean Cain in the movie How High, as well as the role of Willie Long in the movie Life, the role of Lamar, the hotel concierge in the film That Thing You Do!, and in Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups, he played Mayor Denny. White in the original Broadway cast of Dreamgirls. Dreamgirls is a musical with music composed by Henry Krieger. The film also won 3 Golden Globes (including Best Motion Picture-Comedy/Musical) and was nominated for 8 Academy Awards, winning 2 (including Best Supporting Actress for Jennifer Hudson for her performance as … Obba Babatundé is an actor, singer, dancer, director, writer and producer. Babatundé has said a breakthrough role was gaining a part in a 1976 touring company of Guys and Dolls, starring Leslie Uggams and Richard Roundtree. He starred as Zodzetrick in the Houston Grand Opera's 1982 revival of Scott Joplin's opera Treemonisha. Babatundé appeared in a recurring role on Kingdom and Amazon's Hand of God, as Bishop Bruce Congdon. [7], Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike, Cover Me: Based on the True Life of an FBI Family, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II - Rogue Leader, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III - Rebel Strike, "Folio '69 "Donald A. Cohen" (Jamaica High School, Jamaica, New York)", Chika Udeh, "Everything You Must Know about Hollywood Icon Obba Babatunde", "Babatunde, Gurira and Zambello Win NAACP Theatre Awards | Playbill", "Kiss Me Kate Tops 2011 Ovation Award Nominations", Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Obba_Babatundé&oldid=1004739649, Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series winners, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with PLWABN identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Episodes: "The Client" and "What's Will Got to Do With It? One of such people is Obba Babatunde. He is associate producer of the horror film Voodoo Dolls and executive producer of Journey. White' TV commercial for Budweiser Beer (1980's) ... "Dreamgirls," at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway in New York City with Obba Babatunde, Cleavant Derricks, Loretta Devine, Ben Harney, Jennifer Holliday, and Linda Leilani Brown in the cast. White in Dreamgirls, for which he was nominated for a 1982 Tony Award as Best Featured Actor in a Musical. [5] In the animated feature The Wild Thornberrys Movie, Babatundé voiced the character of Boko, and in the 2016 Air Bud Entertainment movie Pup Star, he played the soul-singing Basset Hound, Big Ears. He's also an actor on The Bold and the Beautiful.[1]. Start the wiki, Do you know what kind of music this is? Jennifer Holliday . Obba Babatundé is an actor, singer, dancer, director, writer and producer. A new version of Last.fm is available, to keep everything running smoothly, please reload the site. ), Deborah Burrell (Michelle), Vondie Curtis-Hall (Marty), and Tony Franklin (Wayne). In 2010, Babatundé won NAACP Theatre Awards' "Best Lead Male" for his portrayal of Sammy Davis, Jr. in the Old Globe production of the musical Sammy. Education: Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, graduated. After the opera was rediscovered, the world premiere was produced in 1972 by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Morehouse College chorus. Member of the original Broadway cast of the 1981 musical "Dreamgirls" portraying 'C.C. Babatundé also directed a version of the Broadway musical Dreamgirls. Discover more music, concerts, videos, and pictures with the largest catalogue online at Last.fm. He is known for starring as C.C. Label: Decca Broadway - 2007-2 • Format: CD Album • Country: US • Genre: Stage & Screen • Style: Musical. Listen free to Obba Babatunde – Dreamgirls: Original Broadway Cast Recording. Tryin’ to Sleep in the Bed … Do you have the artwork for this album? He received a Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for Dreamgirls in 1981. Go directly to shout page. In the 1998 miniseries, The Temptations, he played Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records. After performing on Broadway in this role, he also toured for two years with the company. He also pursued acting jobs in New York, gaining some roles Off-Off-Broadway. The original Broadway staging featured Jennifer Holiday (Effie), Sheryl Lee Ralph (Deena Jones), Loretta Devine (Lorrell), Ben Harney (Curtis), Cleavant Derricks (James), Obba Babatundé (C.C. Since then he has performed in many other stage productions.[3]. Can you help us out? Since then he has performed in many other stage productions. Hmm, it looks like we don’t know much about this album. She started her career on Broadway in musicals such as Dreamgirls (1981–83), Your Arms Too Short to Box with God (1980–81) and later became a … Listen to Dreamgirls (Original Broadway Cast Album - 1982) by Tom Eyen on Apple Music. His career spans over 4 decades and he is a unique breed in today's industry as a triple-threat (and more). Add artwork, Do you know any background info about this album? Babatundé appeared as Daniel Harrelson, Sr., the father of Shemar Moore's character in the 2017 series S.W.A.T.. Babatundé's voice acting roles in animated movies and games include Lando Calrissian in Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike, and Disney Infinity 3.0 as well as Conroy in Rocket Power. Then he has performed in many other stage productions. [ 3 ] we ’. Apple music 1981 musical `` Dreamgirls '' portraying ' C.C may apply Eyen play. Beauvais and more Celebrate Fela of Last.fm is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License ; additional terms apply! Version of Last.fm is available, to keep everything running smoothly, please reload the.! 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