SPOTLIGHT ON THE 2011 TONY AWARDS: DAY 24 - DREAMGIRLS

As a super-special Spring extension of BroadwayWorld's SOUND OFF column, every day until the Tony Awards on June 12 we will be presenting a spectacular new entry in the SPOTLIGHT ON THE 2011 TONY AWARDS series featuring a particularly entertaining, interesting, relevant and exciting Tony Awards-related clip from the last sixty-three years of the ceremonies and subsequent seasons on Broadway with a rundown and commentary on the sights, sounds and showmanship on display in each carefully chosen selection - all, of course, coming in anticipation of Broadway's biggest night, which will be broadcast on CBS this year, as always. Once again this year, BroadwayWorld is the official home of the 2011 Tony Awards and we will also be featuring exclusive interviews, articles, photos, video content, interactive features and more in the coming days and weeks leading up to the event so be sure to check back daily for your theatre fix!

Before the presentation of the first of the final 7 of our Tony Awards clips beginning tomorrow, today we have one of the true standouts of Tony Awards lore, and one of those clips to show the theatrically uninitiated who ask you, "What are the Tony Awards anyway?" Well, honey, this is the Tony Awards. Furthermore, this is the Tony Awards at their very best - and most moving and most theatrical - DREAMGIRLS. Here is the Michael Bennett-directed original cast in a medley specifically devised by Bennett for the Tony Awards telecast - just as he had done for the sequences from A CHORUS LINE featured on the 1976 Tony Awards, choreographing the camera shots and cuts to, and on, the quick - and the original Broadway cast led by that year's Tony-winners Jennifer Holliday and Sheryl Lee Ralph alongside LorEtta Devine and Obba Babatunde. There had never been a score or a show quite like DREAMGIRLS on Broadway before and there has not been one yet since - unless the blatant homages in last year's Best Musical MEMPHIS somehow count as soul and originality. This is soul. This is originality. This is genius. And, this is the Tony Awards at their utmost best.

It Ain't Over

"I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" is a force of nature. Combine it with a performer who can pull it off and you have magic. Present the song and the performer doing the song perfectly for a rapt audience for the very first time and, if you are lucky, you may very well have theatrical magic-made-man - or, in this case, magic-made-woman. Broadway babies to this very day still talk about the original production of DREAMGIRLS on Broadway and how enthralling, emotional, impressive and revolutionary it was in its style, storytelling, choreography and stage movement, physical production, and overall tone, mood and feel. Michael Bennett was a master magician and for over two hours he made musical theatre manna on that stage eight times a week with his direction and choreography of DREAMGIRLS - for which he took home a Tony Award this same night; though DREAMGIRLS lost the big prize to NINE, directed by Bennett's protégé Tommy Tune, winning to much uproar and hubbub in the theatre community at the time with some saying the NINE prize was bought. The return DREAMGIRLS engagement with a reduced set and some score alterations a few years later was also a delight, but the original production of DREAMGIRLS was an event to never be forgotten - or equaled. The same can be said for this shattering performance of "It's All Over" and "I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from the 1982 Tony Awards. Broadway at its best - and the Tony Awards at the tip-top of their top-hatted peak.

Now, as a bonus, here is Tom Eyen accepting the award for Best Book for his work on DREAMGIRLS, as introduced by Robert Goulet.

DREAMGIRLS may not be on Broadway any longer, but, after all, all you have to do is dream and, baby, they'll be there! Starting tomorrow: The Final 7!

That's all for today. Be sure to stay tuned to BroadwayWorld for all things Tony Awards and subscribe to this column to be the very first to check out the clips, commentary and take part in the conversation in our deluxe toast to the one and only Antoinette Perry every day until June 12 - and, especially, on that day! Until then…