TO THIS DAY I can’t listen or watch or think about The Color Purple without tearing up and melting into an emotional mess. The power of the human voice y’all.
@@3lizabethrose the first time I heard that… it broke my brain. To completely honest I’m kind of over “she used to be mine” simply as a song, but in this performance there’s a moment where it’s like, “Jessie has left the building.”
It should be noted that Bernadette was incredibly ill during that year’s Tony performance - and STILL showed such passion and force as Rose. That is a true performer!
Her performance is incredible ... and it's not the voice that makes me love LuPone's more. It's Patti's complete immersion into the soul of Rose. There's plenty that Bernadette is tops in ... but Gypsy ... that belongs to LuPone.
@@hotram1 Love Merman - in general and as Mama Rose ... and LuPone as Evita; a definite fan of both. However, Arthur Laurent's comments and standing "O" for LuPone, seems to give me a one up on 'ya. LuPone as Mama Rose is a gut wrenching joy to behold. I would pick Merman's Annie over anyone else's though. AND since we're talking ... the short time LuPone was with Sunset Boulevard was spectacular. ;)
@@melanielingenfelter806 You really don't have one up on me because Arthur Laurent's comments are biased since LuPone was the star of the production he directed. But regardless, if a part belongs to anyone it would belong to the person who originated the role. But that's not really the correct way to look at it. A part doesn't belong to any one person, it belongs to each person who in habits the role. You have your favorite, and not everyone agrees with you. I think Patty LuPone is terrific, even though I can't always understand her when she sings, the sound is wonderful.
@@hotram1 Say, buddy. I was teasing you. It's all good ... and definitely subjective ... I will point out that Arthur Laurent's actual wrote the book for Gypsy (Sondheim, of course, the music), so I don't believe his reaction was biased ... It looks (on the video available right here on TH-cam) like a pretty spontaneous and sincere - gut reaction. So nice to meet fellow musical lovers here. Peace! ;)
No surprise that Jennifer Holliday is #1. And I'm Telling You is absolutely legendary. I read that crowds went wild every show and she received constant standing ovations throughout the shows run. No one had heard a voice like that before! No wonder she won the Tony and Grammy for that song. Wish I was alive then to witness it all.
As soon as I started watching this, I told myself that if Jennifer Holiday wasn't at the top of the list, I would be truly pissed. That performance was Earth shattering!
@@giomediaworks I am not the one you asked, but I saw both the performance on the Tony Awards and got tickets to Dream Girls. I can honestly say that she was consistent and totally deserved the Tony. What made this special, was that before on the Tony Awards, no other song stopped the Tony Awards show like this.
I also saw the show in person, and the theater was actually shaking. We all rose unanimously to our feet and broke out in wild applause when she was done. I have never seen anything like it. I still have the Playbill.
@@nardoalves if I remember the news from that right, she had had an asthma attack as she was getting ready to go on. So she was literally gasping for breath and still killed it
Patti literally screaming with perfect pitch through Evita and to an unsurprising and extremely deserving Tony... LEGEND. Cynthia is pure perfection. GIVE HER MORE ROLES NOW.
Absolutely agree! Tony-award winner Jennifer Holliday put the template down for Jennifer Hudson AND Amber Riley who both went on to win an Oscar and Olivier award, respectively -- and BOTH of them were simply doing a Holliday!
@@themicrochip I wouldn’t say junk songs, but they missed some big stuff. I’m pissed that “Beautiful” isn’t here. I mean Carole freaking King was part of it.
Miss Saigon doesn’t get the love it deserves. I saw it a few years ago and it was one of the best shows I’ve seen. Also I LOVED Beetlejuice. It got snubbed. It should have won best lighting and Adam Brightman should have won actor with the way he sang and everything.
not only best lighting, but best set design!! i saw it live, and everything was incredible. they have several videos on how they change the house THREE TIMES to give completely different vibes, with just lighting and different furniture. it’s amazing. it was definitely robbed.
My favorite is "Sunday" from the original Sunday in the Park With George. Gave me goosebumps. So incredible how they slowly made the actors become a painting on stage.
As soon as I saw the list I knew what was going to be number 1. I am a musical theatre instructor and I show this video to my kids every year to show the amount of emotion that can be told in a song.
You featured the incomparable, Patti Lupone, in the video's opening sequence...but not in the countdown at all! Her (and Mandy Patikin's) performance of A New Argentina from Evita, truly deserves to be in the top 10!!!
Um. Yes. Mathilda and no EVITA???? PIPPIN in 1972? And are you kidding with Dear Evan Hanson? I usually love all your countdowns but boy you missed the mark on this list. Her Royal highness Bernadette Peters was the weakest Rose ever. Falsettos? Ugh.
As much as I love the more recent revival, having seen a preview performance before it opened, Matthew Broderick’s led cast had a much better Tony performance
@@oscar007999 A matter of taste I suppose. I found Radcliffe and John Larroquette perfectly cast against each other and the Tony performance was so darned energetic. found myself humming Brotherhood of Man for days afterwards.
I kept waiting for the Matthew Broderick performance to appear on this list. It blew me away that night in 1995! Though I adore seeing Daniel Radcliffe singing and dancing in his rendition!
I went to college with Michael Jeter. He was a very special person, sensitive and incredibly talented, even then. No one could make you laugh or cry better than Michael. We miss this supremely talented man.
I wish I could have seen the Grand hotel with this cast. Was it amazing? And are there any complete recordings? And HOW does Michael Jeter sing and dance like that? I could watch him for hours!!
Yes, so agree with your #1. But of the list should have been on the honorable mentions. 2 of the numbers you showed in the preview… Betty Buckley performance in Cats (are you kidding me… 100% untouchable by any belter of the past or present! It’s literally a laser that is also HUGE) and Patti Lupone Evita, I am completely stunned at those two. Frankly LuPone’s Mamma Rose is much better. Bernadette & Mandy Patinkin and Sunday the park with George? Secret Garden, in Lillys eyes? Will Rogers Follies or 42ns St. These are not only iconic but haven’t been out done to date. LaCage should have gotten honorable mention as well as Sweeney Todd! Jerome Robins Broadway “West Side” brings tears. Baby should have had honorable mention, as well! I can go on but you top 20 was really off from my perspective
If Newsies wasn’t in here I was going to STRIKE. Jeremy Jordan deserves all good things for being a wonderful human It’s so crazy they thought the stage show would fail. Take that
Pippin's Tony performance made us want to run to Broadway. So disappointed that it isn't at least mentioned here. We were lucky enough to get first row, on the aisle seats and practically felt part of the show. Amazing and fantastic! Broadway at its best!
I am sooooooooooo glad you included "We'll Take a Glass Together" from Grand Hotel. Such a wonderful moment in Broadway history. That said, there are so many wonderful performances throughout the years; it's impossible to keep it to a top 20.
@@theatrebear to be honest, I'm not sure what I'd put at #1... maybe Les Mis. I definitely don't agree with the order provided by MsMojo, but I do like most of the selected performances. I would've tossed a few of the numbers out and replaced with other show-stopping performances, and I would've added maybe 5 more for a top 25, but that's just me. It was GREAT to revisit ALL of these performances, regardless of my opinions.
Betty Buckley performing Memory from Cats didn't make the cut? That's incredibly odd. I called that either it or Holiday would be number one with the other being number two.
Absolutely! Betty Buckley tore the roof off the theater,Tony night. Also would just say how disappointed I was to see Lea Salonga relegated to honorable mention
Ahhhhh I remember literally “discovering” The Great Comet of 1812 through the Broadway cast album the day of its Tony’s & seeing them perform that night was MAGICALLY ELECTRIC!! ✨❤️ I really hope to see it one day live, it really left broadway far too soon! 🥺☄️
You are so correct. I saw The Great Comet 7 times, originally because of Josh Groban but I fell in love with the whole experience. You could sit in a different seat each performance and see something new. It played to full houses every show and closed due to controversial decisions that the producers made.
Really a great Broadway memory for me. I sat at a table on stage, made friends for the evening with my two tablemates, and experienced an amazing show. It's going to be hard to replicate due to the size of the production, though.
Saw "Les Miz in 1987. "Phantom" on Broadway in 1988. Michael Crawford was absolutely amazing! Also saw Patti LuPone in "Anything Goes" that same year. ❤️ Saw "Grand Hotel" in 1990. Being a theater student in the late 80's/early 90's in NYC and getting discounted student tickets meant I got to see a lot of amazing stuff. 😊 (A bit of trivia: The actor playing Zach in "A Chorus Line" is Robert LuPone, Patti's brother.)
I got to see the Lion King live in New York in 1998, I remember having a crush the guy who played young Simba, and seeing all the animals in the aisles and floating in the air. I still have my poster and program to this day, absolutely stunning
I'm so thrilled to see some Next to Normal recognition. It's story is absolutely heartbreaking and it's one of my all time favorite musicals. I wish people talked about it more.
Was I the only one that was moved beyond measure by Hadestown’s Tony performance? The performances, the choreography, the direction? STUNNING. It is something I go back and watch again and again. Not discrediting any of these performances but I’m shocked it’s not on the list. Maybe I’m crazy. Hahaha.
With the recent passing of the great Stephen Sondheim, I want to include the 1994 performance of his musical Passion at the Tonys. Passion is a romantic and complex story of a love triangle in mid-1800's Italy. Donna Murphy (who is also Mother Gothel in Disney's Tangled) is amazing as Fosca, an unattractive woman who is weak in spirit and body. She falls for a soldier whose moment of kindness towards her sparks her obsession. The soldier is involved with a beautiful married woman and is uncomfortable and confused about Fosca's desperate obsession towards him. The songs are beautiful and beautifully sung. Passion would win several Tonys. It is currently a respected but still underrated musical. EDIT: I should also mention the 1984 Tony performance of Sondheim's Sunday In The Park With George. It's a look at the approach to painting and life of artist George Seurat. His most famous painting was Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. Sondheim's song, Sunday, depicts Seurat's final decisions as he finishes this painting in one of the most beautiful moments ever done on the stage.
SO glad to see Great Comet and Newsies on this list! If you want to watch a show that'll have you grinning from the infectious energy from beginning to end, Newsies should be your go-to :)
@@michellerever3564 Let me start off by saying, I don’t condone the behavior of Alice Ripley and I believe the young people who have been affected by her. With that said, I saw the live Tony performance back in 2009 and knew nothing of the show or her. I just thought her performance was amazing, and eventually saw the show in 2010 in NYC.
Fun Home is a fantastic show! I saw a local production in San Diego ( SD has several award winning local theater companies.) and the kids were incredible performers. "Ring of Keys" took my breath away.
Great choices, but Julie Andrews was magnificent and unforgettable singing a medley of My Fair Lady and Camelot in 1991 and also if I am not mistaken a perfect Send in the Clowns at an 80's Tonys
If you look into the Tony award performances before the 1980’s, you’ll find some gems. I recommend watching: - the entire 1971 Tony awards, which showcases around 22 musicals of the Golden age - Ethel Merman’s medley at the 1972 Tony awards - “Charlie’s Place” and “Over Here” from Over here at the 1974 Tonys - A Whole Lotta Sunlight from Raisin at the 1974 Tonys - Life Is from Zorba at the 1969 Tonys - many many more
Barbra Streisand funny girl, Jennifer Holliday Dreamgirls, Carol Channing Hello Dolly, Patti Lupone Evita, Audra McDonald Porgy & Bess, Fantasia then Cynthia Erivo The Color Purple, Mandy Patinkin Fiddler on the Roof, Bernadette Peters Gypsy/ anything from A Chorus Line/ Phantom of the Opera/ Hamilton/ THERE ARE JUST soooo many gifts from broadway! THANK YOU.
I think the video may have been pre hadestown. But I can't believe they didn't even mention ring of keys. Sydney Lewis owned that stage especially for a performer of her age.
I 100% agree with your #1 choice. Jennifer Holliday's performance was nothing short of brilliant. I remember seeing her at the Imperial Theatre and she certainly did bring the house down. Your Top 2 are from my 2 favourite shows, Dreamgirls & Les Miz but from Les Miz I would have chosen I dreamed a Dream but all the numbers were great.
I’m disappointed that the oldest performance listed is from 1982, which really was beautiful. There are many wonderful ones since it was first televised in 1967.
Honestly, I don’t think anyone can beat Patti LuPone, Barbra Streisand, Imelda Staunton, Jennifer Holiday, Jennifer Hudson, Idina Menzel and Cynthia Everio
I remember when Hamilton preformed I kept rewatching the video and crying over and over to it, especially when I found out about the not using the gun props thing, I started crying all over again. I went back to it when the country was having a school walk out in protest of school shootings and cried all over again
Patti LuPone's TONY Performance of Gypsy should have been on the list over Peter's. That evening even earned a standing ovation that included Arthur Laurents the playwright. Peter's is wonderful but LuPone's performance was earth shattering brilliance.
TO THIS DAY I can’t listen or watch or think about The Color Purple without tearing up and melting into an emotional mess. The power of the human voice y’all.
LITERALLY SAME
The song's delivery is amazing but the lyrics of it just crush me every time. blubbering mess I am.
I saw it front row on tour and the stars looked down on me in pity because I couldn't stop crying as I was applauding at the end.
I lose it in the movie when she meets her son, and he calls her "Mama"
The theatre I work at had The Color Purple on their last season, and I was able to see it twice, and both times I got chills and was a sobbing mess.
The amount of times I’ve watched Sutton fosters anything goes performance is astounding
I got to see her do it live the other day and I just transcended into another universe. She's so talented
I saw her live in AG 2 weeks ago!! Genuinely nearly passed out I was on cloud 9 watching it after so long
@@brodydicks4174 me too! It’s incredible how talented she still is!!
OMG YES I SAW HER LIVE TOO AND I LOVED ITTTTTT
*Astonishing? 😏🤍 I agree
Of course "And I am telling you" is nº 1 on the list. It is PERFECT.
Which is TOTALLY deserves!
Amen
It’s tony performance not broadway performance
@@mamabear1135 why the difference?
I agree. But I have always had a soft spot in my heart for "Ain't No Party."
Ten years later and Sutton Foster is again doing it eight times a week, no big deal. Legend.
Pppplp
flawless, been to london just for her, 10 years didn't touch her
@@irisestherkorda1257 seen it twice in august, going again next week before she leaves, still cant believe that i got to see her live in this role.
@@irisestherkorda1257 me too!! :)
i saw it, and it literally slapped
Just saying, Waitress should be higher on this list for the fact that Jessie Mueller literally had LARYNGITIS and still belted like a QUEEN!!!
She had WHAT NOW? *bows to queen*
Love Jessie.
@@3lizabethrose the first time I heard that… it broke my brain. To completely honest I’m kind of over “she used to be mine” simply as a song, but in this performance there’s a moment where it’s like, “Jessie has left the building.”
THIS! Jessie OWNES this song!
@@hannahremmel9550 YES!!! Jessie w/out a doubt blew me away that night & I can’t believe I’m only learning of this now. WOW!!!
It should be noted that Bernadette was incredibly ill during that year’s Tony performance - and STILL showed such passion and force as Rose. That is a true performer!
Her performance is incredible ... and it's not the voice that makes me love LuPone's more. It's Patti's complete immersion into the soul of Rose. There's plenty that Bernadette is tops in ... but Gypsy ... that belongs to LuPone.
@@melanielingenfelter806 Gypsy belongs to Ethel Merman. Evita belongs to LuPone.
@@hotram1 Love Merman - in general and as Mama Rose ... and LuPone as Evita; a definite fan of both. However, Arthur Laurent's comments and standing "O" for LuPone, seems to give me a one up on 'ya. LuPone as Mama Rose is a gut wrenching joy to behold. I would pick Merman's Annie over anyone else's though. AND since we're talking ... the short time LuPone was with Sunset Boulevard was spectacular. ;)
@@melanielingenfelter806 You really don't have one up on me because Arthur Laurent's comments are biased since LuPone was the star of the production he directed. But regardless, if a part belongs to anyone it would belong to the person who originated the role. But that's not really the correct way to look at it. A part doesn't belong to any one person, it belongs to each person who in habits the role. You have your favorite, and not everyone agrees with you. I think Patty LuPone is terrific, even though I can't always understand her when she sings, the sound is wonderful.
@@hotram1 Say, buddy. I was teasing you. It's all good ... and definitely subjective ... I will point out that Arthur Laurent's actual wrote the book for Gypsy (Sondheim, of course, the music), so I don't believe his reaction was biased ... It looks (on the video available right here on TH-cam) like a pretty spontaneous and sincere - gut reaction. So nice to meet fellow musical lovers here. Peace! ;)
Cynthia’s performance of I’m here never fails to make me cry. It’s just absolutely beautiful and uplifts my soul every time.
No surprise that Jennifer Holliday is #1. And I'm Telling You is absolutely legendary. I read that crowds went wild every show and she received constant standing ovations throughout the shows run. No one had heard a voice like that before! No wonder she won the Tony and Grammy for that song. Wish I was alive then to witness it all.
As soon as I started watching this, I told myself that if Jennifer Holiday wasn't at the top of the list, I would be truly pissed. That performance was Earth shattering!
i'm so happy i got to see this waaay back when, and consider it a real privilege. good choice for #1...
@@loon-a-sea3872 thats awesome! what was your experience like watching it live ?
@@giomediaworks I am not the one you asked, but I saw both the performance on the Tony Awards and got tickets to Dream Girls. I can honestly say that she was consistent and totally deserved the Tony. What made this special, was that before on the Tony Awards, no other song stopped the Tony Awards show like this.
I also saw the show in person, and the theater was actually shaking. We all rose unanimously to our feet and broke out in wild applause when she was done. I have never seen anything like it. I still have the Playbill.
Gentleman’s Guide & Defying Gravity absolutely deserved to be on this list, not just as honorable mentions…
Problem was Idina’s awkward breathing
I disagree with Defying Gravity. They sped up the song and she sounded so uncomfortable
Completely agree
@@nardoalves if I remember the news from that right, she had had an asthma attack as she was getting ready to go on. So she was literally gasping for breath and still killed it
Patti LuPone in Evita wasn't even mentioned
Patti literally screaming with perfect pitch through Evita and to an unsurprising and extremely deserving Tony... LEGEND. Cynthia is pure perfection. GIVE HER MORE ROLES NOW.
Once on This Island doesn’t get enough love! Their Tony performance always gives me chills!!
AGREED!!!!
It’s my favorite music of a show, ever
Yes! A "hidden gem".
OOTI should have definitely been on here.
Yup. A close friend was one of the producers. She missed my birthday for the Tonys that year. 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬😉
Cynthia Erivo’s performance has left me sobbing uncontrollably over and over.
There really was only one choice for number 1. I mean...Almost 40 years later and still chills.
Absolutely agree! Tony-award winner Jennifer Holliday put the template down for Jennifer Hudson AND Amber Riley who both went on to win an Oscar and Olivier award, respectively -- and BOTH of them were simply doing a Holliday!
@@truegatorguyodonnell5092 and that (I hate how overused this word is, but it fits here) ICONIC gasp. The song is wrong if it’s not there.
Where is Patti LuPone with her "Everything's Coming Up Roses"? It got a full standing ovation that evening! 🌹
They put a lot of junk songs and musicals on here. They forget the icons like Joel Grey and Ann Reinking along with Bob Fosse.
@@themicrochip I wouldn’t say junk songs, but they missed some big stuff. I’m pissed that “Beautiful” isn’t here. I mean Carole freaking King was part of it.
Came here to say this...Patti's performance EARNS a spot on this list more than several others that are on it...
Agree!
I preferred Bernadette Peters' Tony rendition of Rose. That to me was incredible.
I’m convinced people go out of their way to not mention Once on This Island in videos like this! That tony performance was AMAZING!!!
The original cast of Once on this Island was amazing. One of my all time favorites.
Facts! Mama Will Provide was everything!
@@amygreen4408 the original cast of the revival you mean. Because Alex Newell is everything!!!
A very underrated musical.
Miss Saigon doesn’t get the love it deserves. I saw it a few years ago and it was one of the best shows I’ve seen. Also I LOVED Beetlejuice. It got snubbed. It should have won best lighting and Adam Brightman should have won actor with the way he sang and everything.
not only best lighting, but best set design!! i saw it live, and everything was incredible. they have several videos on how they change the house THREE TIMES to give completely different vibes, with just lighting and different furniture. it’s amazing. it was definitely robbed.
Miss Saigon is one of the worst shows that I've ever seen 🤣
The Color Purple's performance is breathtaking. I have watched it countless times
Absolutely! I always get chills
Alan Cummings performing Cabaret reignited my passion for these shows. I was blown away by that!
Drinking Game: every time Andrew Rannells licks his lips during “I Believe”
That's such a deceivingly difficult song
Thank you thank you thank you for reviving this now ancient meme
@@dylangrosh8954 missed it. I’m sure it was a funny meme but I still prefer it as a drinking game.
Every time Ben Platt closes his eyes while singing
.
My favorite is "Sunday" from the original Sunday in the Park With George. Gave me goosebumps. So incredible how they slowly made the actors become a painting on stage.
Walked out during intermission.
As soon as I saw the list I knew what was going to be number 1. I am a musical theatre instructor and I show this video to my kids every year to show the amount of emotion that can be told in a song.
You featured the incomparable, Patti Lupone, in the video's opening sequence...but not in the countdown at all! Her (and Mandy Patikin's) performance of A New Argentina from Evita, truly deserves to be in the top 10!!!
I agree, I was looking for it and was so disappointed.
Um. Yes. Mathilda and no EVITA???? PIPPIN in 1972? And are you kidding with Dear Evan Hanson? I usually love all your countdowns but boy you missed the mark on this list. Her Royal highness Bernadette Peters was the weakest Rose ever. Falsettos? Ugh.
Hello I'm Jake I love your comment
I can't believe Andrew is here twice and he hasn't won a tony yet
For real!!!!
Josh Groban opens his mouth and I get chills. Doesn't matter what he sings. Every, single, time. ❤️💖
BILLY PORTER SINGING EVERYTHING’S COMING UP ROSES IN THE COMMERCIAL BREAK!!!!! So amazing
Daniel Radcliffe and the cast of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying would like a word with you.
As much as I love the more recent revival, having seen a preview performance before it opened, Matthew Broderick’s led cast had a much better Tony performance
@@oscar007999 A matter of taste I suppose. I found Radcliffe and John Larroquette perfectly cast against each other and the Tony performance was so darned energetic. found myself humming Brotherhood of Man for days afterwards.
That WAS a great one. I've watched that one at least a hundred times!
I kept waiting for the Matthew Broderick performance to appear on this list. It blew me away that night in 1995! Though I adore seeing Daniel Radcliffe singing and dancing in his rendition!
Yes!
Raul Esparza singing Being Alive is my personal favorite. I can’t believe he sang like that 8 times a week.
I know right?!
After that performance I was like, "wow how did that guy not win the Tony!?! I also love Fantasia's performance of "I'm Here" that same year.
Sobbing at Michael Jeter's speech. That performance was absolutely amazing.
I went to college with Michael Jeter. He was a very special person, sensitive and incredibly talented, even then. No one could make you laugh or cry better than Michael. We miss this supremely talented man.
I wish I could have seen the Grand hotel with this cast. Was it amazing? And are there any complete recordings? And HOW does Michael Jeter sing and dance like that? I could watch him for hours!!
Yes, so agree with your #1. But of the list should have been on the honorable mentions. 2 of the numbers you showed in the preview… Betty Buckley performance in Cats (are you kidding me… 100% untouchable by any belter of the past or present! It’s literally a laser that is also HUGE) and Patti Lupone Evita, I am completely stunned at those two. Frankly LuPone’s Mamma Rose is much better. Bernadette & Mandy Patinkin and Sunday the park with George? Secret Garden, in Lillys eyes? Will Rogers Follies or 42ns St. These are not only iconic but haven’t been out done to date. LaCage should have gotten honorable mention as well as Sweeney Todd! Jerome Robins Broadway “West Side” brings tears. Baby should have had honorable mention, as well!
I can go on but you top 20 was really off from my perspective
Agree completely. Too young. A LOT happened on the TONY show before 2000. Some shows got nearly 5 minutes and some even more to shine.
Totally agree! See my post above.
Yep. This list got maybe half of it right. Maybe.
If Newsies wasn’t in here I was going to STRIKE.
Jeremy Jordan deserves all good things for being a wonderful human
It’s so crazy they thought the stage show would fail. Take that
Haha - I see what u did there XD
Pippin's Tony performance made us want to run to Broadway. So disappointed that it isn't at least mentioned here. We were lucky enough to get first row, on the aisle seats and practically felt part of the show. Amazing and fantastic! Broadway at its best!
Ben Vereen is SUPREME! None finer!
Another classic forgotten or pushed aside by a SJW making a list.
Ragtime is one of the most underrated musicals of all time. It’s rare for that show not to move me to tears.
Patti not on this list is a crime!
I am sooooooooooo glad you included "We'll Take a Glass Together" from Grand Hotel. Such a wonderful moment in Broadway history. That said, there are so many wonderful performances throughout the years; it's impossible to keep it to a top 20.
I am glad too but on my list, it's #2
@@theatrebear to be honest, I'm not sure what I'd put at #1... maybe Les Mis. I definitely don't agree with the order provided by MsMojo, but I do like most of the selected performances. I would've tossed a few of the numbers out and replaced with other show-stopping performances, and I would've added maybe 5 more for a top 25, but that's just me. It was GREAT to revisit ALL of these performances, regardless of my opinions.
my all time favorite Tony Award performance. It epitomizes the splendor of the art-form in ways that feel uniquely modern and timeless.
Betty Buckley performing Memory from Cats didn't make the cut? That's incredibly odd. I called that either it or Holiday would be number one with the other being number two.
I thought a chorus line would be number 2. But it get honorable mention with wicked...and nothing for 42nd Street.
I was shocked Betty Buckley's Memory was not in the list. Some of the other performances, while good, do not compare to her amazing performance.
@@christisgraphicdesignvideo6130 100%. Honestly they relied to heavily on recent performances.
I wish that they would shown some performances from before 1980.
Absolutely! Betty Buckley tore the roof off the theater,Tony night. Also would just say how disappointed I was to see Lea Salonga relegated to honorable mention
The addition of Dust and Ashes to "NP&Great Comet" was one of the greatest additions they could've made from off-broadway to broadway
Being Alive from Company...with Raúl Esparza performing!!!???? That was a powerful performance.
His facial expressions alone DESTROY me
I WAS ABOUT TO COMMENT THE SAME THING.
@@elzbthlncstr his facial expressions are incredible. He can give a moving performance without saying a single word
Yes. I absolutely agree
I’m so glad Sutton fosters face is on the photo for this video. Her anything goes Tony performance is the most amazing thing!!
Gosh, Josh Groban’s vocal range is so lovely!!! Such amazing range, and his deepest notes are just wonderfully rich and sonorous. Ugh so dang good!!
Ahhhhh I remember literally “discovering” The Great Comet of 1812 through the Broadway cast album the day of its Tony’s & seeing them perform that night was MAGICALLY ELECTRIC!! ✨❤️
I really hope to see it one day live, it really left broadway far too soon! 🥺☄️
You are so correct. I saw The Great Comet 7 times, originally because of Josh Groban but I fell in love with the whole experience. You could sit in a different seat each performance and see something new. It played to full houses every show and closed due to controversial decisions that the producers made.
Really a great Broadway memory for me. I sat at a table on stage, made friends for the evening with my two tablemates, and experienced an amazing show. It's going to be hard to replicate due to the size of the production, though.
It was definitely one of a kind, that show. I loved it. Also a JG fan first, I saw it 3 times in 5 days and it honestly changed my life!
I'm so glad you included 'I've decided to Marry You' - the Tony Award Performance is actually better than the cast album!
That was an INCREDIBLE performance!
Saw "Les Miz in 1987. "Phantom" on Broadway in 1988. Michael Crawford was absolutely amazing!
Also saw Patti LuPone in "Anything Goes" that same year. ❤️
Saw "Grand Hotel" in 1990.
Being a theater student in the late 80's/early 90's in NYC and getting discounted student tickets meant I got to see a lot of amazing stuff. 😊
(A bit of trivia: The actor playing Zach in "A Chorus Line" is Robert LuPone, Patti's brother.)
Evita is criminally underrated
really? i remember it as being huge at the time. i loved seeing it with patti lupone and mandy patinkin.
It was huge and is huge. Don't Cry for Me alone keeps it in musical history
I got to see the Lion King live in New York in 1998, I remember having a crush the guy who played young Simba, and seeing all the animals in the aisles and floating in the air. I still have my poster and program to this day, absolutely stunning
I'm so thrilled to see some Next to Normal recognition. It's story is absolutely heartbreaking and it's one of my all time favorite musicals. I wish people talked about it more.
i’m so glad y’all included next to normal. i feel this show needs a MAJOR spotlight now more than ever, especially with the pandemic and quarantine
I’m glad A Chorus Line was honorably mentioned, because it’s one of my absolute favorites, the film as well!
Was I the only one that was moved beyond measure by Hadestown’s Tony performance? The performances, the choreography, the direction? STUNNING. It is something I go back and watch again and again. Not discrediting any of these performances but I’m shocked it’s not on the list. Maybe I’m crazy. Hahaha.
With the recent passing of the great Stephen Sondheim, I want to include the 1994 performance of his musical Passion at the Tonys. Passion is a romantic and complex story of a love triangle in mid-1800's Italy. Donna Murphy (who is also Mother Gothel in Disney's Tangled) is amazing as Fosca, an unattractive woman who is weak in spirit and body. She falls for a soldier whose moment of kindness towards her sparks her obsession. The soldier is involved with a beautiful married woman and is uncomfortable and confused about Fosca's desperate obsession towards him. The songs are beautiful and beautifully sung. Passion would win several Tonys. It is currently a respected but still underrated musical.
EDIT: I should also mention the 1984 Tony performance of Sondheim's Sunday In The Park With George. It's a look at the approach to painting and life of artist George Seurat. His most famous painting was Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. Sondheim's song, Sunday, depicts Seurat's final decisions as he finishes this painting in one of the most beautiful moments ever done on the stage.
I completely agree about Passion. That show is stunning and so incredibly underrated. I hope it gets a good revival soon.
SO glad to see Great Comet and Newsies on this list! If you want to watch a show that'll have you grinning from the infectious energy from beginning to end, Newsies should be your go-to :)
Do Top Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Broadway performances this November
Yes! That's a good one!
They normally always lip sync at those performances, while at the Tonys they're singing live
The choice for 1st place is the correct decision! My oh my is that amazing!
Sutton Foster has always brought it and she proves time and time again she still can and I have HUGE respect for her
I'm still thinking of Gia Gun asking 🤔 "what's a Tony?" 🏆🤭🤣🤣
Absolutely…
@@armpitification 🤭🤭🤭🤣🤣🤣😭😭
Sutton Foster makes everything she does seem so effortless- how is that possible?!?
That Anything Goes performance should be top 10 AT LEAST.
Watching Alice Ripley’s performance in “Next to Normal” on live tv MADE me go see the show! So glad she won Best Actress!
Do you feel differently about her with all that's come out?
@@michellerever3564 Let me start off by saying, I don’t condone the behavior of Alice Ripley and I believe the young people who have been affected by her. With that said, I saw the live Tony performance back in 2009 and knew nothing of the show or her. I just thought her performance was amazing, and eventually saw the show in 2010 in NYC.
@@michellerever3564 What are you referring to?
I love seeing Next To Normal getting the respect it deserves
Cynthia’s performance is going down in history the same way Jennifer Holiday’s has. Mark my words.
When I saw the Falsettos revival pop up I lost my mind. Didn't expect it to be on the list, but I am so frickin' glad it was!
You missed out 'Not The Boy Next Door' from The Boy From Oz - Hugh Jackman was incredible in that number, and won a well deserved Tony Award :)
I wonder if he didn’t show up because he was also the host that night… so maybe it will be on the list of host numbers?
I loved "It's a Musical" from "Something Rotten". I think a show stopper like that should at least have an honorable mention.
“Ring of Keys” from Fun Home continues to be one of my favorite Tony moments.
Fun Home is a fantastic show! I saw a local production in San Diego ( SD has several award winning local theater companies.) and the kids were incredible performers. "Ring of Keys" took my breath away.
No wonder why "And I am telling you" is number 1! Best performance ever! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Raul Esparza’s Being Alive performance is something truly special. I love this list but it should have been included
Jennifer Holliday is the epitome of Broadway
"Lion King" is still one of the most breathtaking things Ive ever seen. Great list!
My favorite Tony performance was Tyne Daly singing “Rose’s Turn” from GYPSY. WOW!
How is Angela Lansbury not even mentioned on this list! She performed Gypsy and Sweeney Todd, and not even Avenue Q was on this list!
I can't believe that. She has been in many Broadway shows.
@@ashleydowney1222 she’s really an amazing performer.
Great choices, but Julie Andrews was magnificent and unforgettable singing a medley of My Fair Lady and Camelot in 1991 and also if I am not mistaken a perfect Send in the Clowns at an 80's Tonys
If you look into the Tony award performances before the 1980’s, you’ll find some gems. I recommend watching:
- the entire 1971 Tony awards, which showcases around 22 musicals of the Golden age
- Ethel Merman’s medley at the 1972 Tony awards
- “Charlie’s Place” and “Over Here” from Over here at the 1974 Tonys
- A Whole Lotta Sunlight from Raisin at the 1974 Tonys
- Life Is from Zorba at the 1969 Tonys
- many many more
Barbra Streisand funny girl, Jennifer Holliday Dreamgirls, Carol Channing Hello Dolly, Patti Lupone Evita, Audra McDonald Porgy & Bess, Fantasia then Cynthia Erivo The Color Purple, Mandy Patinkin Fiddler on the Roof, Bernadette Peters Gypsy/ anything from A Chorus Line/ Phantom of the Opera/ Hamilton/ THERE ARE JUST soooo many gifts from broadway! THANK YOU.
Most that you mention are fantastic but not shown on the TONY broadcast.
Not sure Mandy Patinkin ever performed in Fiddler on the Roof. Definitely not B'way and definitely not on the TONY broadcast.
@@hawby7mgh He wasn't in Fiddler on The Roof.
Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters top my list as an exhilarating duo in Sunday in the Park with George. Will never forget it.
Totally agree with your top pick, and delighted to see Great Comet and Ragtime are in the mix of all these great performances!
Raul Esparza didn't pour his whole soul on stage while singing Being Alive for you to not mention him.
YES! Absolutely!! His performance was absolutely incredible
Hadestown, Come From Away and Fun Home's performances are some of my favourites. I wish they got an honourable mention.
Hadestown does it for me ❤
I think the video may have been pre hadestown. But I can't believe they didn't even mention ring of keys. Sydney Lewis owned that stage especially for a performer of her age.
I still remember watching Jennifer Holiday perform on the Tony’s. Even on my small TV at college I was mesmerized! Definitely #1!
I remember seeing so many of these when they originally aired and just being knocked out by them and applauding in my living room!
Grand Hotel (#11 - 14:15) should be MUCH higher on this list
Jennifer Holiday... the queen!!! There are Broadway shows and then there is DREAMGIRLS!!!
Honestly I love in Ragtime how you can just tell it’s Audra popping off that high note
Just found out from this video that Michael Jeter passed so long ago, but Im crying so hard at his acceptance speech.
It was hard watching him here. What a loss of a talented man.😭😭💔
He was sooooo talented. Seems like he was a genuinely sweet man too. His performance opposite Tom Hanks in The Green Mile wrecks me.
I 100% agree with your #1 choice. Jennifer Holliday's performance was nothing short of brilliant. I remember seeing her at the Imperial Theatre and she certainly did bring the house down. Your Top 2 are from my 2 favourite shows, Dreamgirls & Les Miz but from Les Miz I would have chosen I dreamed a Dream but all the numbers were great.
I was surprised not to see Corner of The Sky from Pippin' not on your list.
But then again we are talking Tony Award performances only, so never mind, lol.
"History Has Its Eyes On You" deserves higher I get chills without fail
I listen to phantom of the opera EVERYDAY under my welding hood...
... and i be deadass serious singing every lyric
Contents:
1:10 Waitress
2:45 Falsettos
4:10 Phantom
6:02 Ragtime
7:30 Evan Jansen
8:53 Anything Goes (revival)
10:12 Next to Normal
11:33 Book of Mormon
12:57 Spring Awakenings
14:13 Grand Hotel
15:47 Hedwig
17:07 Great Comet of 1812
18:22 Gypsy (revival)
20:06 Hamilton (20:37 In the Heights)
21:48 Newsies
23:03 Lion King
24:40 Rent
25:55 Color Purple (revival)
27:35 Les Miz
28:54 Miss Saigon
29:20 A Chorus Line
29:44 Mathilda
30:06 Gentleman's Guide to Murder
30:33 Wicked
31:14 Dream Girls
I adore Cole Porter, so of course I love Anything Goes! Sutton Foster was so charismatic, performing it!
the way the 2016 tony awards will forever be iconic
Yep. You got number one right. I was thinking it better be that when I clicked on the video.
Love seeing great comet get the recognition it deserves!!
I’m disappointed that the oldest performance listed is from 1982, which really was beautiful. There are many wonderful ones since it was first televised in 1967.
Patti didn’t even get an honorable mention!?
I mean, her version of Everything’s Coming Up Roses is phenomenal!
@@IWillBeHers And EVITA
Yes great comet in the top 10!!!!! That performance may Not be the most iconic in Broadway history, but it is absolutely my favorite
Honestly, I don’t think anyone can beat Patti LuPone, Barbra Streisand, Imelda Staunton, Jennifer Holiday, Jennifer Hudson, Idina Menzel and Cynthia Everio
I remember when Hamilton preformed I kept rewatching the video and crying over and over to it, especially when I found out about the not using the gun props thing, I started crying all over again. I went back to it when the country was having a school walk out in protest of school shootings and cried all over again
Patti LuPone opening this video and NOT being on the list is TRAGIC!
Patti LuPone's TONY Performance of Gypsy should have been on the list over Peter's. That evening even earned a standing ovation that included Arthur Laurents the playwright. Peter's is wonderful but LuPone's performance was earth shattering brilliance.
+1 on this one. It's the best Tony performance of Gypsy.
my favourite is the deaf west production of spring awaking performance it's so touching.
Thank you for giving The great comet a place, such a masterpiece
Glad you included the Spring Awakening medley, but criminal that you left off "Ring of Keys" from Fun Home and "Gold" from Once - magical