High volume, high energy, the local production of Dreamgirls, produced by the Gilbert and Sullivan Society, burst onto the City Hall stage on Wednesday night, receiving a standing ovation from an enthusiastic audience. The action of this intense, fast-paced musical is relentless in its depiction of a rags-to-riches tale and the personal sacrifice involved in achieving fame.

The story follows the development of three young girls, full of raw talent but lacking in showbiz savvy, into pop-divas, who sacrifice their individuality for the benefit of the chart-topping entity that is "The Dreams". Effie White, Lorrell Robinson and Deena Jones bring to life the musical creations of Effie's brother "CC" White, and through the less-than-honest manipulations of Curtis Taylor, who spots them at a talent show, they begin their rise from obscurity, following the dream of fame and fortune. But whose dream is it exactly? And what exactly will its realisation cost?

The first price they pay is to shift from front and centre stage to sing backup to a popular R&B star, James Early; the second is to sacrifice talent for looks, as the less able and less confident, but better looking Deena is made lead singer, while plumper, more temperamental Effie is pushed into the background – and eventually offstage.

Ultimately creative and personal integrity are compromised as Curtis attempts to realise his dream of managing a mainstream pop group, neglecting James Early's career as he propels the Dreams up the charts. As the Dreamettes evolve into Deena Jones and the Dreams, each of those involved, who has had to sacrifice something of him or herself for the good of the Dreams, ultimately must choose to follow his or her own dream – for CC it is a return to his soul roots, for Deena, it's branching out into a whole new career – and the Dreams are disbanded. Effie, a little wiser, but no less brassy, starts a solo career, reaching stardom with a soulful rendition of CC's 'One Night Only'. Unscrupulous as his methods may be, Curtis does break down social and cultural barriers that threaten to limit the Dreamettes and carves a path that allows them and those that follow to take their rightful place in the American music scene.

There is no let up in the production's breathless pace, and the audience is left somewhat overwhelmed at the end. From the excitement of the opening talent show to the emotionally charged farewell performance, the whole range of human emotion is explored – triumph to despair and everything in between.

The diminutive Cindy Smith as Effie delivered a powerful performance that at times seemed to overwhelm the small theatre, and she was ably supported by the other Dreams, portrayed by Khalilah Smith, Tramaine Stovell and Nicole Burgess (who played Effie's replacement, Michelle Morris). Curtis, portrayed by Alan Smith, was not as oily as the text would suggest, and came across more as a man anxious to achieve social progress for his race than a manipulative snake solely interested in his own career. Marty, played by Danjou Anderson, and CC, played by David Minors, convincingly portrayed the struggle to maintain their personal identity and integrity in the cut-throat business of the music industry. The company provided plenty of additional energy with two pieces of particular note: 'Cadillac Car' in Act I and 'Dreams Medley' opening Act II.

The decision to focus on costume rather than set worked well, as the costumes provided a visual metaphor for the trio's progression from talented singers to slick performers. Ill-fitting shifts were replaced by glimmering sheaths that fitted like a second skin and ultimately by outfits that disguised – some might argue, betrayed – their cultural roots. It also avoided some of the technical difficulties that might have arisen from trying to manage a complicated set without a revolving stage. Having the orchestra screened-off behind the action rather than in the pit allowed the action to flow offstage, blurring the distinction between company and audience, and to shift from 'stage' to 'recording studio' with ease.

The compressed time of the action, ten years into two hours, demanded a high degree of organisation and teamwork on the part of the production crew, which rose to the challenge admirably. The talent show, with its quick shifts from front to backstage, was deftly managed with a revolving screen, and the bareness of the set during the closing numbers reinforced the idea of everything being stripped away to the essential truth of personality and performance. There was some initial imbalance in the audio levels, which meant that dialogue in the opening act was lost, but this seemed to have been rectified by the second act, and did not compromise the overall quality of the production.

The Gilbert and Sullivan Society are to be commended for taking on this challenging production and making a dream come true.

Dreamgirls will be performed at City Hall until October 20 and tickets, $40, can be purchased at boxoffice.bm or the City Hall box office.