Hinton Battle Speaks

Hinton Battle who plays Wayne in DREAMGIRLS and also played James "Thunder" Early on Broadway spoke with Playbill.com about DREAMGIRLS and soon to be released Idlewild. Here is an excerpt: "Battle, the dancer, succeeded Cleavant Derricks in Dreamgirls on Broadway, playing James “Thunder” Early, which remains his favorite role. “You can be wild, scream, yell, and then drop your pants and have a good time. [Laughs] It was cool. Michael Bennett [who directed and choreographed] and Michael Peters [co-choreographer] came in and sort of re-crafted the role for me because I was a dancer. I loved the show, and I said, ‘I want to be involved in the movie; I don’t care how.’ [He plays Wayne.] Instead of the young buck, I’m [portraying] an older man.” "Eddie Murphy plays Early in the film. Did he consult at all with Battle? “No, he has his own take on it. It’s really cast well. Beyonce [Knowles as Deena] is fantastic! Jamie Foxx [Curtis Taylor Jr.] is great! I loved working with him. I’m pretty much his right-hand guy in the movie. Danny Glover [as Marty Madison] is in it. It’s a great cast.” To read the full article click here or go to playbill.com. Source: Thanks amartinpr2 for the tip and playbill.com