THE music world has always been filled with dreams and dreamers from Elvis Presley to The Beatles and Motown.

But dreams don’t come easy as this exceptionally entertaining musical show reveals.

Dreamgirls was the big Christmas hit at the Empire last year on its inaugural tour.

Now it's back for a short run and as sparkling, glittering, punchy and poignant as ever.

Not many shows can guarantee a standing ovation at the end of the first half.

The Dreamgirls of the title are three talented performers - Effie, Deena and Lorrell who step into the music industry with their eyes wide open.

This story has a beginning, middle and an end and in over two and half hours we go behind the scenes as duplicitous svengalis, music-makers and mean-spirited dream destroyers set to work.

It's a level above the standard music biog and jukebox-styled show genre.

There’s plenty of heroes and heroines and villains.

The sets reflect the '60s recording studios and neon-light filled concert halls and there are some stunning very quick costumes changes.

There’s well-placed observational humour and more than 25 top-notch numbers including ballads and up tempo songs.

The original compositions are what you would expect from a Broadway and West End hit from One Night Only to Listen and I Miss You Old Friend.

The undoubted showstopper is the soaring, gut-wrenching, love-gone-wrong epic And I am Telling You I’m Not Going sung by Nicole Raquel Denni as Effie.

The last time I saw Nicole belt out this song I wondered how she could perform it with this amount of passion night after might.

She has done. She still does.

It is a mesmerising theatrical moment And top marks to the other all dancing, all singing Dreamgirls Lorrell Robinson (Paige Peddie) and Holly Liburd as Deena Jones.

There are some fully-rounded supporting characters and astute parodies notably Brandon Lee as Jimmy Early - a Little Richard-styled outrageous performer.

Matt Mills as Curtis Taylor - the manipulative manager - is another example of the high standard of acting throughout from the main cast to ensemble.

For my last review of the show in 2021 I awarded it five stars.

This time around nothing has changed it’s bigger, slicker and better than ever.

It’s here until Saturday (January 7) – catch it while you.

Verdict: Five stars Dream On!

Tickets from www.atgtickets.com/liverpool .