Dreamgirls, “It’s All Over”/“And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going”

The only appropriate reaction, no matter how many times you witness Jennifer Holliday's tremendous performance of Dreamgirls' rafter-ripping Act I conclusion, is still astonishment. After some backstage squabbling, the scene begins at the three-minute mark. Holliday, who plays a lady caught in a vicious cycle of rejection on both a personal and professional level, seizes her aria by the throat and extracts every last drop of sobbing agony from it. She was only 21 at the time, which is amazing.

Director Michael Bennett, a master of dynamic stagecraft, chooses painful slowness in this instance. Up to the striking penultimate picture of the performance, Holliday's movement grounds her in unyielding abasement: As she descends under the golden waves of a falling curtain, the singer lets out a massive scream, her face a Kabuki mask of agony, and cries out one last note. That is greatness, not just showbiz. This is one of Best Tony Awards Performances Of All Time.

Year: 1982