i had family members who saw her in the original Dreamgirls and they all said the same thing! They all said the whole theater was shaking like a 747 was roaring down the ails! They said people were crying, fainting and loosing it. The standing ovation lasted like 15 minutes! This is by far the best live vocal performance of all time. Haven't heard nobody come close to this! By the way, the guy in the middle look so much like Chris Brown?
I might have been in the same audience as your family members back in the day! I saw Jennifer at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway in June 1982. Imagine being one of the first of the thousands to hear her/the show/that song! Interestingly, "And I'm Telling You" actually closes the first act. We could have all gone home thrilled had that been the end of the show!
I was 8 years old when I saw it, and cried so hard because her emotions were real and unfiltered. 8 shows a week, with this much precise power can't be duplicated. The Broadway show will always trump the movie.
I would sell my soul to go back in time to watch her perform this live. OMG, it really is the best of all time. She is amazing, her voice, her emotion and her stage presence. Perfection 🥰
Love y'alls reaction. This is the original Dreamgirl right here. Jennifer Hudson did good but nothing can beat the original Jennifer Holliday..those vocals..WOW. Don't see how she performed that song night after night on stage.
Back in 1981 I had tickets for the matinee of Dreamgirls and the evening performance of Nine. I felt as if I had been beaten up emotionally by the sheer vocal power that emanated from Ms Holliday. Once the curtain fell at the end of this number. the house just roared and screamed. It was intermission and I walked straight out to the lobby and went to the ticket window and asked the lady if Ms Holliday would be singing that night as I couldn't believe that she could manage two shows in one day. The ticket-lady smiled and said "oh yes, and she'll do it probably the same or even better. I immediately bought a ticket for that evening's performance and after the show was over I went to exchange my Nine ticket for another night. The ticket lady was right. Ms Holliday repeated the show stopping performance and blew everyone's minds again that night. She was a sensation and once again stopped the show. Other than seeing Patti Lupone sing Mama's song in Gypsy, I've never seen someone actually stop the show as Jennifer Holliday did.
I saw this at the imperial theater in 1982 and that song came at the end of act 1 which means the lights came on afterwards I was 19 and I remember tears and snot coming out of me and the loud chatter throughout the theater of what just happened.. it was a phenomenon onto itself really it was and I said it before I knew there was a God after that performance
To the commentators, I can understand the emotions you are feeling watching this performance by Jennifer Holiday. When I was your age several decades ago and saw her for the first time singing this song on the Tony Awards show, I felt the same way.
Love their reactions! In their own different way, but You can tell each one of them Is Amazed and entertained by the GREATNESS that Is Jeniffer Holiday! Thats What You call a DIVA!
Their eyes while watching it told it all, I saw her do this on Broadway 40 years ago, when she took her bow people were jumping up and down clapping in the aisles, 5 years agog I was lucky enough to see her in NYC at a place called 54 Below, a supper club, when she sang this it brought the house down all over again.
You took this comment right out of my head. I was lucky enough to experience Stephanie Mills in the wiz. She sang that song so well the audience was on their feet screaming and yelling... they wouldn’t shut up ...Stephanie Mills had to sing the whole song over again... I think it was the end of act one to be a lion.
Jennifer Holliday will always sing this song in the character of Effie. She was 21 when she originated the role and probably that age or 22 during this performance which is unbelievable. In the original book for the play, Effie was supposed to die after this scene but she was such a hit with the audience, and her peers at the Tony Awards they decided it was best that they changed the result. Enjoyed your reaction and take care.
What she did at the end of the song is called a vocal affectation. It's something that many singers do. It's like a singers signature sound. One of Jennifer's other vocal affects is singing Ha,Ha & Hey at the end of a vocal line. I'm On Your Side is a song where you here many vocal affects. Enjoy, ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-o5ipTaoaQRA.html&ab_channel=JenHollidayVEVO
I just found this yesterday, and I know I've watched it at least 3 times and shared it with my sisters. You guys should really do more reactions. I absolutely loved this. It wasn't just a reaction, but an appreciation--dude on the left is trying to help her sing; dude in the middle is in love (lol); and dude on the right is all techniques. I loved it. Very good job guys. I can't wait to see more.
My dad saw her do this and her gave goose bumps it was raw and emotional and same happen to me when I saw it. no one can out perform Jennifer holliday doing that number.
The story in the musical is after she just found out she is pregnant by the man who ran out. Who is leaving her for the lead singer in the girl group she just got kicked out of.
You all should review Jennifer holiday singing this 40 years later.. this year celebrates the 40th anniversary of dream girls . She sang it again 40 years later at this years Tony Awards which just aired yesterday . And tore the roof off the joint! She still has it!
Only a Black Queen like Miss Jennifer could sing this with that passion no not any other culture has this ...white ,brown ,Asian it's purely black and American 150% class
I like that the guy in the middle was actually trying to get into the performance. The other two did too much talking and laughing that they missed so much of it.
And that was end of Act 1!!!! Wow, kids!!! I will never forget what I felt inside that theater, on Broadway, on the early 80’s, when I saw it live!!!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Jennifer Holliday is an absolute icon. Can't tell you how many times I've watched this video and I always get goosebumps. I'd like recommend that you react to I'm Here by Cynthia Erivo from the Color Purple - it's amazing. AMAZING.
Watching Jennifer Holiday perform this ditty is akin to a religious experience ... Jennifer Hudson did a great job in the film but she can't beat the ORIGINAL DIVA.
Ms Holliday is a nuclear bomb singer. Queen of Riffs, she was only around 20 years during this performance. Few if any, can come near this tour de force performance.
We didn't play games back then they would turn the s*** out we didn't need the curse we need to call nobody and all of that. It was classy pure talent no computers and all that lip syncing that stuff. I'm so happy that I got to experience it I was only about 18. I remember when they played Jennifer Holliday I'm telling you I'm not going. My brother asked me who is that lady I told my brother it was Jennifer Holliday. Now keep in mind my brother has paranoid schizophrenia. I knew if she could get his attention she could get ours what a time now we got to deal with a virus I don't understand. What happened to my black people. What happened. Always looking for a fight. The new music is damaging to the brain. and the sad thing about it is nothing we can do about it but just look.
The original is always the best Jennifer holiday can sang she's amazing. When they made it into a movie with Jennifer Hudson she did this song justice I mean Mrs holiday is always going to be better but Jhud held her own and the story is bittersweet the fact that they all thought it was because she gained weight and slacking off and complaining when really she was pregnant and he didn't know none of them gave her the chance to explain why she kept being late
