I went to this show with a friend when it was new on Broadway. I hate musicals, but Jennifer Holliday blew my mind that night. I almost cried it was so tasty!
+Keisha Blocker This was the first Broadway song they use to play regularly on the radio back in 1982. Everytime it would come on, I would stop, stand still and listen until it was over. It was and is just that amazing!
My introduction to Effie White was Jennifer Hudson, in the feature film. She was great, and showed exceptional anguish in her performance... but Jennifer Holiday's was BEYOND. Simply, beyond anything. Her use of desperation in her version is chilling.
When I first watched Ms Mojo video about the most memorable Tony performances of all time, I thought it's slightly exaggerated to put this in the 1st place. Then I watched it. Man, how wrong I was.
I saw this back in 1982 (?) ...early 80's back in the day... I was 17/18 yrs old...white middle class kid from the suburbs...visiting my older sister in nyc...she couldn't make it due to work...i went alone on broadway...when i heard this song done my the great jennifer holiday, I literally cried in the audience...my only comfort was that everyone else in the audience was in tears...thank you ms. holiday!
Every time I watch this, I get chills and tears. Holliday not only possesses a superb voice, she’s an incredible actress. Her acting, in particular, is mind blowing. The pain, the anguish in her beautiful voice is just astounding. One of the best performances of any kind, of any era. Stupendous!
Wow. Again. Every time I see this clip I'm blown away by the sheer power of these performers. Collectively they knock me out of my seat every time. And of course, Jennifer Holiday is a living Broadway legend. And deservedly so.
It wasn't Michael Bennett that found Jennifer Holliday. It was a friend of Michael that went to her church in Houston, TX and bought her to NY. And then after one audition of singing God Will Take Care Of You, she was hired in the play Your Arms Are Too Short To Box With God. After a year of that she signed over to do DreamGirls.
The film didn't even come close to being as good as this! Jennifier Holliday was absolutely amazing! She sang this song like it was the Gospel! Whew!!!!!!
It's interesting how a song can make you search for who originally sang it. Today, there was a young lady on stage in a singing show competition. Truly, she did well. She sang every note wonderfully. When I Googled it, the first listing showed Jennifer Hudson performing the song. Truly, she was able to beautifully hold her own with this song, too. HOWEVER, I Remember FIRST hearing it with Jennifer Holiday! When I watched this video today it is evident, that Holiday still sings it best, in my eyes. It also reminds me how Musicals should still be written, to tell the story with action and dialogue...in musical form, not just promote songs themselves. Sing on! Sing on!
This is seriously one of the best videos in the history of musical theater... if ever there was a reason to send a video to space, this may be one. The pure emotion in her voice, combined with that delivery is insane. No one, no matter how vocally amicable, will EVER be able to match this performance. Flawless.
I watch this about once or twice a year just to feel goosebumps, palpitations and cry. No other single performance except Betty Buckley's "Memory" does this to me. God bless this woman.
Geez! That's a song that just cuts straight to your soul. Ms. Holliday set the bar way way waaaaaayyyy high on this. Plenty have tried but you always end up at the original. I grew up listening to this and it'll never get old.
That's cute Hope it came true......But if not, follow these two P's to heart..Pray and Practice! Believe me that should work. Stay Encouraged and GOD Bless.
Oh my God. Their performance... And their voices... And... That was just FLAWLESS! Even after seeing it with my own eyes, I still can't believe how someone can be this talented!
I saw her perform it on Broadway too. Everyone went wild when she was singing. Everyone up on their feet. I always felt sad that she never received the credit for introducing this song.
@@441ann Only time Ive been in a broadway crowd that went nuts like this Tony crowd was when Cynthia Erivo sang Im Here in The Color Purple. Fucking magical.
OMFG...that was the best singing I have ever seen. Jennifer Holliday should be the only one to ever sing this song!! No matter how many times I see her sing this, I always, always get goose bumps. Whenever I need a pick me up - I watch this video. She is amazing!
Beyond supernaturally excellent and heartbreaking performance. Still sends chills up my spine. To have performed that every show one after another--electrifying and truly talented!
Wonderful clip, thank you. I was sitting here bawling - so overwhelmingly forceful, passionate and heartbreaking. It doesn't get more real or soulful than this, she's a treasure. Right, like a roaring train. She just broke me into little pieces
I wished I could have witnessed this electrifying performance in person! Ms. Jennnifer Holliday was overflowing with passion and power. I felt the pain her character was protraying. I never can watch this performance without weeping. It would be a gift if this footage could be improved in quality. I want it to be available to everyone. It appears as if this is the only footage of the Tony awards available. Bravo! Bravo to Ms. Holliday!
It has to give a reason that she wons the GRAMMY and everbody try to copy her in every Talentshows ( whats stupid ). The ONE AND ONLY - JENNIFER HOLLIDAY:
This is most definitely the MOST INCREDIBLE performance in the last hundred years, at least. An EPIC outpouring of will and utterly perfect breathing while pouring every emotion into every word sung...Incredibly grateful that there is an audio-visual record of Jennifer Holliday's truly ASTONISHING live rendition of "And I Am Telling You"..No one can do what she did...Amazing, amazing, amazing...
+Legion Ivory ... Yes! That's a younger & thinner Loretta Devine from back in the 1980s. She was one of the original Dreamgirls from the original play.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but think about this. This is the original cast so this is how it was meant to be performed. Also, the character, Effie, has just lost literally everything in the course of about 10 minutes. The group she was the lead singer of kicked her out when they were supposed to be her friends. Then the man who supposedly loved her turned on her. Of course she's screaming. She's trying so hard to save something, anything she can. It's just pure desperation.
She lost her friends, her family (brother), EVERYTHING. And she is raging.....in act two, it is revealed what was going on for her and she wins the audience back immediately. Brilliant show.
There are many great songs, and every once in a while, there are a few unbelievable performances. OMG.....what a gift to mankind. Transforms mere music into a river of emotion. Thank you Effie!!!
This is by far the greatest single performance I have ever seen and heard. Not just the voice but the expressions that go with the song at the exact time needed. you cannot duplicate this no matter how good you are unless you are Jennifer Holiday. Thank you for the greatest expression of a great voice and great actress. You are one of the greats that people did not appreciate.
How could someone dislike this? Jennifer Holliday is just amazing in this. The way she expresses her pain in her song just gives me the chills. She can do so much with her voice that the singers of today can not. So I ask again...how could someone dislike this?!
I still love this.....saw her live on Broadway......and took my mother and sister and best friend to her show in LA. They all loved the show. WOW that was a long time ago can't believe it's been over 20 years.......seems like yesterday. Damn I'm getting old and don't even know it.
This is the only show I have ever seen twice. Each time I got shivers and cried and cried. The audience was on their feet and screaming at the end of her performance. Fantastic!
Vocally, each version has its moments, but no one can perform this song the way Holliday did. This is hers. And I think she has the better vocal performance too! Really, everyone in this clip was so talented and I can only imagine being in that audience seeing this live! What a privilege.
A powerful voice, a powerful interpretation, and an astonishingly open and real performance. She leaves nothing left of her soul and heart. Its all sitting out there on the stage spilling into the audience.
And I am telling you that this is still one of the best Broadway performances ever! I am grateful and forever thankful that I saw this truly memorable show. Oh the talent on that stage! Those ladies gave wonderous full out performances every show and all but chewed up the set and stage.
This voice carries so much emotion and character. The way she sings inspires me! She is remarkable and I only wish I could carry as much emotion in me when I sing as she has in her pinky!!!!! An amazing, moving, touching, and overall incredible performance!!!!! Words can't even describe her and her voice and her emotion!!!
I have probably watched this like a 100 since I found TH-cam and I swear, I never get tired of it. Ths is real gut renching soul singing and superior delivery, execution and conviction. It's a timeless masterpiece! I have a relative who saw this show live but she was 7 years old then. She talks about how she cried after this showstopper and how the adults in the audience was stomping, crying, shouting and fainting in the ailes. I just wish that I was old enough to have experienced it then!
This is without question, one of the all-time best show stopping performances from any musical in Broadway's history.
I went to this show with a friend when it was new on Broadway. I hate musicals, but Jennifer Holliday blew my mind that night. I almost cried it was so tasty!
Ooh mercy. I almost threw something at my screen that was so good. Legendary performance.
Keisha Blocker It is 2am. I am sure my neighbors are like WHAT THE HELL IS HE GOING THROGH over there?"
+Keisha Blocker This was the first Broadway song they use to play regularly on the radio back in 1982. Everytime it would come on, I would stop, stand still and listen until it was over. It was and is just that amazing!
This is without question, one of the all-time best show stopping performances from any musical in Broadway's history.
The way the audience erupts - theatre legends, all - in her last notes just tells you what kind of stupendous performance this is!
My introduction to Effie White was Jennifer Hudson, in the feature film. She was great, and showed exceptional anguish in her performance... but Jennifer Holiday's was BEYOND. Simply, beyond anything. Her use of desperation in her version is chilling.
I agree. Jennifer Hudson was wonderful and deserved her oscar. But Jennifer Holiday blows her right out of the water.
And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is how this song should be done. Period! Absolute Perfection.
This is without question, one of the all-time best show stopping performances from any musical in Broadway's history.
To see the song sung in context makes it that much more powerful. And those pipes...whoa.
When I first watched Ms Mojo video about the most memorable Tony performances of all time, I thought it's slightly exaggerated to put this in the 1st place.
Then I watched it.
Man, how wrong I was.
Hudson's version is 10 over 10 but this is 10000000000000000000
Hudson's is recorded. This is live.
jp3813 she did perform live
No way!!!!! J. Holiday all the way!
Best Performance of all singers, of any time, of every dramaturgy, of any expression, of every art, ever. The revelation of the Soul.
I saw this back in 1982 (?) ...early 80's back in the day... I was 17/18 yrs old...white middle class kid from the suburbs...visiting my older sister in nyc...she couldn't make it due to work...i went alone on broadway...when i heard this song done my the great jennifer holiday, I literally cried in the audience...my only comfort was that everyone else in the audience was in tears...thank you ms. holiday!
Every time I watch this, I get chills and tears. Holliday not only possesses a superb voice, she’s an incredible actress. Her acting, in particular, is mind blowing. The pain, the anguish in her beautiful voice is just astounding. One of the best performances of any kind, of any era. Stupendous!
Simply incredible! She should have been given 2 Tony Awards for this performance.
BronxBob Hahaha or an Emmy Award for Best Actress as this was televised hahaha
Hi. I am 60, and was there 30 years ago. We were blown away and on our feet.
Everyone there got it...it was an amazing experience.
Wow. Again. Every time I see this clip I'm blown away by the sheer power of these performers. Collectively they knock me out of my seat every time. And of course, Jennifer Holiday is a living Broadway legend. And deservedly so.
This is without question, one of the all-time best show stopping performances from any musical in Broadway's history.
The BEST of Broadway, acting an singing!!! Holliday sings this like no one else.
Over 28 years later and it can still bring chills to your skin! That's talent!
Omg no body will ever sing this song better than Jennifer Holiday
Even more incredible? She would have only been about 21 here.
An unbelievable talent.
Michael Bennet found her singing in a church in the South.....miracle.
It wasn't Michael Bennett that found Jennifer Holliday. It was a friend of Michael that went to her church in Houston, TX and bought her to NY. And then after one audition of singing God Will Take Care Of You, she was hired in the play Your Arms Are Too Short To Box With God. After a year of that she signed over to do DreamGirls.
The film didn't even come close to being as good as this! Jennifier Holliday was absolutely amazing! She sang this song like it was the Gospel! Whew!!!!!!
DetroitLives313 agreed. The film was such a washout. None of the fire and grit and epicness of the stage show. What a waste!!!!
Just imagine, she did this 8 times a week when the show was on Broadway.
This part.
This is one take folks, no cut, no retakes, LIVE! LIVE! LIVE!
It's interesting how a song can make you search for who originally sang it. Today, there was a young lady on stage in a singing show competition. Truly, she did well. She sang every note wonderfully. When I Googled it, the first listing showed Jennifer Hudson performing the song. Truly, she was able to beautifully hold her own with this song, too. HOWEVER, I Remember FIRST hearing it with Jennifer Holiday! When I watched this video today it is evident, that Holiday still sings it best, in my eyes. It also reminds me how Musicals should still be written, to tell the story with action and dialogue...in musical form, not just promote songs themselves. Sing on! Sing on!
Crying. This will always be my favorite tony performance.
Can't handle the amazingness!!!!
When she started singing And I'm Telling You, I got goosebumps!
She is so freaking AWESOME!! Her performance gives me chills every time.
This is absolutely fantastic! Any performance that connects you to the performer emotionally like this deserves the highest praise! Bravo!
This is seriously one of the best videos in the history of musical theater... if ever there was a reason to send a video to space, this may be one. The pure emotion in her voice, combined with that delivery is insane. No one, no matter how vocally amicable, will EVER be able to match this performance. Flawless.
I loved the original Dream Girls,Jennifer Holiday was flawless. Jennifer Hudson was great in the movie but I am a fan of the theatre.
This is without question, one of the all-time best show stopping performances from any musical in Broadway's history.
I watch this about once or twice a year just to feel goosebumps, palpitations and cry. No other single performance except Betty Buckley's "Memory" does this to me. God bless this woman.
Geez! That's a song that just cuts straight to your soul. Ms. Holliday set the bar way way waaaaaayyyy high on this. Plenty have tried but you always end up at the original. I grew up listening to this and it'll never get old.
I agree. I've heard so many sing this but still no one has even got in the same ballpark of this otherworldly performance (my opinion).
Very well sung!! She sung with ssssooo much passion!!!!
Jennifer Holliday is so Perfect in this Production 👍👍and deserves all the awards she had received 🤗 fantastic Performance 🤗🤗😀 Luv this Queen 😀
all i want for christmas is to be able to sing like her
That's cute
Hope it came true......But if not, follow these two P's to heart..Pray and Practice! Believe me that should work.
Stay Encouraged and GOD Bless.
this brought tears to my eyes! ive seen her sing the song before but never this performance... wow!
And this was live... No studio effects, no auto tune, no pro-tools .. Lawd jesus
5:49 he never regained his hearing in that ear.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
That Last Breath of Desperation gets me.....EVERY TIME!!!!!!!
Oh my God. Their performance... And their voices... And... That was just FLAWLESS! Even after seeing it with my own eyes, I still can't believe how someone can be this talented!
i had the pleasure of seeing the dreamgirls live on broadway. Awesome!!!!!
+Michelle Whaley Me too!!!! Nothing like it ...EVER!!!!
I saw her perform it on Broadway too. Everyone went wild when she was singing. Everyone up on their feet. I always felt sad that she never received the credit for introducing this song.
@@441ann Only time Ive been in a broadway crowd that went nuts like this Tony crowd was when Cynthia Erivo sang Im Here in The Color Purple. Fucking magical.
@@boppob1343 That was amazing! Phenomenal!
still sends chills up my spine and creates a lump in my throat
i totally agree. my goodness !!!!!
saw this in 1982 when it was the talk of nyc. you simply HAD to see it!
Best ever... Tears falling and my hart is pumping.........
Greatest Performance Ever Recorded.
OMFG...that was the best singing I have ever seen. Jennifer Holliday should be the only one to ever sing this song!! No matter how many times I see her sing this, I always, always get goose bumps. Whenever I need a pick me up - I watch this video. She is amazing!
I'm speechless. That was AMAZING
you can never get tired of great singing
Beyond supernaturally excellent and heartbreaking performance. Still sends chills up my spine. To have performed that every show one after another--electrifying and truly talented!
daamn girl..chills all over..
Wonderful clip, thank you. I was sitting here bawling - so overwhelmingly forceful, passionate and heartbreaking. It doesn't get more real or soulful than this, she's a treasure. Right, like a roaring train. She just broke me into little pieces
I wished I could have witnessed this electrifying performance in person! Ms. Jennnifer Holliday was overflowing with passion and power. I felt the pain her character was protraying. I never can watch this performance without weeping. It would be a gift if this footage could be improved in quality. I want it to be available to everyone. It appears as if this is the only footage of the Tony awards available. Bravo! Bravo to Ms. Holliday!
Wow! She is just wonderful, amazing performance
This is just beautiful
it boggles my mind how someone can be so talented
I got chills
Ms. Devine is so brilliant
And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is how you make history.
It has to give a reason that she wons the GRAMMY and everbody try to copy her in every Talentshows ( whats stupid ). The ONE AND ONLY - JENNIFER HOLLIDAY:
Man oh man! I remember this performance more than any other Tony Awards performance! I was blown away then, blown away now.
Who the heck would dislike this...oh people with bad taste in music..
Wow look at Shirl lee Ralph and Laretta Divine!
This is most definitely the MOST INCREDIBLE performance in the last hundred years, at least. An EPIC outpouring of will and utterly perfect breathing while pouring every emotion into every word sung...Incredibly grateful that there is an audio-visual record of Jennifer Holliday's truly ASTONISHING live rendition of "And I Am Telling You"..No one can do what she did...Amazing, amazing, amazing...
How does this only have 3,709,029 views, but freaking "Wrecking Ball" by Miley freaking Cyrus has over 100,000,000 views?
Dreamgirls is one of the best things that happened to Broadway.
Nearly 30 years later and it still gives me the chills.
Is that Loretta Divine!?
+Legion Ivory ... Yes! That's a younger & thinner Loretta Devine from back in the 1980s. She was one of the original Dreamgirls from the original play.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but think about this. This is the original cast so this is how it was meant to be performed. Also, the character, Effie, has just lost literally everything in the course of about 10 minutes. The group she was the lead singer of kicked her out when they were supposed to be her friends. Then the man who supposedly loved her turned on her. Of course she's screaming. She's trying so hard to save something, anything she can. It's just pure desperation.
She lost her friends, her family (brother), EVERYTHING. And she is raging.....in act two, it is revealed what was going on for her and she wins the audience back immediately. Brilliant show.
OMG this just leaves u breathless and brings u to tears the raw emotion u can actually feel it.
Is that Loretta Devine?
I'mNotCharlesBarkley SoDon'tBanMe Jennifer Holliday! ;)
Maria Flores no the lady who was talking at the beginning, not the one singing.
Oh! Ooops! hehehe X)
Yes that's Lotetta Devine ☺️
Jon Roberts I see
OMG!!! She's no oil painting, but she tells me "I'm staying", I ain't moving a muscle.
There are many great songs, and every once in a while, there are a few unbelievable performances. OMG.....what a gift to mankind. Transforms mere music into a river of emotion. Thank you Effie!!!
BRAVA!!!!
Oh my God!
Just watch and listen.. there are no words to describe this performance!!
Actual tears at 6:40.
OMG! is this even real????
This is by far the greatest single performance I have ever seen and heard. Not just the voice but the expressions that go with the song at the exact time needed. you cannot duplicate this no matter how good you are unless you are Jennifer Holiday. Thank you for the greatest expression of a great voice and great actress. You are one of the greats that people did not appreciate.
Jennifer Hudson was good but Jennifer Holliday was BETTER!!!
+Kevin Scott Without question!
+Kevin Scott Absolutely;-)
No way. Holiday owns this.
he voice is rediculous
is that a good thing?
yes
Such a raw performance, absolutely blown away
She's wonderful, but... I am thinking about this poor man's ears... she's singing really well, but let's face it: she's loud!
OMG. That voice still gives me chills! Her voice is timeless! That gal be sangin!
Ive been a fan since the start and think she has a voice which no one can compare..good luck on the new cd ..Baby Gurl...you have been blessed!!
This was a moment in time that changed Broadway forever !!!
Fricking awesome! After all these years that is still a fricking awesome performance by Jennifer Holliday that is unmatched by anyone!!! Wow!
This remains probably the best vocal performance I have ever witness
I was ten-years-old when this telecast aired and I was a quivering, puddle of a mess in my seat watching it then and thirty years later, I still am.
How could someone dislike this? Jennifer Holliday is just amazing in this. The way she expresses her pain in her song just gives me the chills. She can do so much with her voice that the singers of today can not. So I ask again...how could someone dislike this?!
I still love this.....saw her live on Broadway......and took my mother and sister and best friend to her show in LA. They all loved the show. WOW that was a long time ago can't believe it's been over 20 years.......seems like yesterday. Damn I'm getting old and don't even know it.
honestly, with a million amazing versions out there, this is IT- this is the diamond standard
This is the only show I have ever seen twice. Each time I got shivers and cried and cried. The audience was on their feet and screaming at the end of her performance. Fantastic!
Vocally, each version has its moments, but no one can perform this song the way Holliday did. This is hers. And I think she has the better vocal performance too! Really, everyone in this clip was so talented and I can only imagine being in that audience seeing this live! What a privilege.
Best Tony performance ever. When emotions are too intense the character sings....this woman SANG!
I cry every time I see this - this will be forever a classic in my heart!!!!!
49 years old and my first time seeing this scene.
A powerful voice, a powerful interpretation, and an astonishingly open and real performance. She leaves nothing left of her soul and heart. Its all sitting out there on the stage spilling into the audience.
And I am telling you that this is still one of the best Broadway performances ever! I am grateful and forever thankful that I saw this truly memorable show. Oh the talent on that stage! Those ladies gave wonderous full out performances every show and all but chewed up the set and stage.
This voice carries so much emotion and character. The way she sings inspires me! She is remarkable and I only wish I could carry as much emotion in me when I sing as she has in her pinky!!!!! An amazing, moving, touching, and overall incredible performance!!!!! Words can't even describe her and her voice and her emotion!!!
I have probably watched this like a 100 since I found TH-cam and I swear, I never get tired of it. Ths is real gut renching soul singing and superior delivery, execution and conviction. It's a timeless masterpiece! I have a relative who saw this show live but she was 7 years old then. She talks about how she cried after this showstopper and how the adults in the audience was stomping, crying, shouting and fainting in the ailes. I just wish that I was old enough to have experienced it then!
Me too gives me chills every time i watch it. I love seeing Loretta Devine as well. I never saw a preformance with so much passion.
I get lost in her performance every time I watch this! AWESOME!
Greatest song, greatest performance, greatest musical ever. Jennifer Holliday is simply the greatest. She deserved the Tony and the Grammy.