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A number of talented actors, actresses, directors and playwrights stepped foot on the stage during the 74th Annual Tony Awards. However, no one took advantage of their time quite like Jennifer Holliday. Introduced by fellow Dreamgirl Sheryl Lee Ralph, Holliday took the stage to deliver an outstanding performance of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going." The original production of Dreamgirls may have debuted 40 years ago, but Holliday's voice is still as powerful as ever. Fans around the country showered the talented vocalist with praise throughout the night and morning afterward.
"You can no longer say you never heard Jennifer Holliday sing 'And I am Telling You' on Broadway. Holy Mary," theater critic Peter Marks tweeted.
"Give Jennifer Holliday another Tony," author R. Eric Thomas added.
Holliday and Ralph attended Sunday night's ceremony to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their groundbreaking musical, Dreamgirls. Loosely based on The Supremes, the production told the story of a powerful music trio that fights through adversity to make it to the top. Playing the lead role of Effie, Holliday earned the Tony Award for best performance by a leading actress in a musical. She also picked up a Grammy Award after releasing "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" as a single. Not to mention, the breakout Broadway production was adapted into a film starring Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles, Jennifer Hudson, Eddie Murphy and Danny Glover.
"Jennifer Holliday is a living legend," one fan tweeted.
With that voice and those accomplishments, it's hard to argue against that statement.
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