When "Dreamgirls" made its Broadway debut in 1981 it gave us one of the greatest musical theater moments ever. Night after night, audiences alternated between clapping and crying during "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." If you somehow forgot, it's the incredible song that brings the house down at the end of Act One. Who was the first person to absolutely own that stage as Effie?
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Correct Answer: Jennifer Holliday
Jennifer Holliday was Broadway's first Effie White and, honestly, to a lot of people she's Broadway's ONLY Effie White. She turned "Dreamgirls" into Broadway history, and earned both a Tony and Grammy for it. For almost any musical buff (myself included), her 1982 Tony performance is still considered the award ceremony's greatest. Holliday was only in the role for two brief years, but she's performed the song with that same passion and powerful talent ever since.
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