The Tony Awards bring Broadway to the small screen. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the greatest musical performances at the annual Tony awards ceremony.
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00:00Underneath there is somebody new, I am not, the boy next door.
00:06Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the greatest musical performances
00:12at the annual Tony Awards ceremony.
00:14I believe all my life that I should be off, After grieving I quickly learn,
00:17He makes me laugh, there is nothing can offend, And then only life harkens to the man.
00:23Number 30. I hope I get it from a chorus line. 30th Tony Awards.
00:28Again, step, kick, kick, leap, kick, touch. Again, step, kick, kick, leap, kick, touch. Right.
00:35A showcase of its entire ensemble, the opening number of this blockbusting musical was the
00:39perfect representation of its power and gravity. It features the cast of hopeful
00:44dancers attempting to land a spot in the chorus of a Broadway show.
00:47Facing away from the mirror, from the top, a 5, 6, 7, 8.
01:01I hope I get it is as blatantly desperate and adrenaline pumping as the title would suggest.
01:06Recreated for the Tony stage, it's a dazzling display of sharp choreography and desperation
01:12that pulls us into its world and makes us forget we're here to watch a bunch of people win some awards.
01:17I really need the job. Thank God I need the job. I've got to get it done.
01:28A chorus line decimated the competition that night, winning nine of the nominations it earned.
01:33Considering it was up against a heavy hitter like Chicago, that was no small feat.
01:38Oh.
01:52Number 29, I Got Love from Pearlie, 24th Tony Awards.
02:08Melba Moore won the Tony for her performance as the love-struck young Ludabelle Gussie Mae Jenkins
02:13in this musical about a preacher working to emancipate a group of plantation workers.
02:18Moore is easily one of Broadway's most underrated belters.
02:24Love, love, love, love, love, love. I got love. Oh, I got love. Sweeter than a flower.
02:36She begins the number in a rocking chair, cooing the first verse,
02:39and swinging like a little girl who becomes awakened by her newfound love.
02:44I got love. Oh, I got love. Oh, I got love.
02:57And then she belts the roof off the theater. It's a performance so good
03:01that the audience breaks into applause twice right in the middle of it.
03:15I got love. Oh, I got love. Oh, I got love.
03:17By the end, we can't even hear Moore's last note.
03:31Number 28, Ring of Keys from Fun Home, 69th Tony Awards.
03:36Caption, my dad and I both grew up in the same small Pennsylvania town.
03:42Oh.
03:43And I didn't know it, but both of us were gay.
03:46Based on Alison Bechdel's tragicomic graphic memoir of the same name,
03:50this Best Musical winner features the artist as a character in three different phases of her life.
03:55At the Tonys, the Ring of Keys scene was chosen to represent it.
03:59I don't know where you came from. I wish I did. I feel so dumb. I feel...
04:07I feel...
04:08Young Alison, played by nominee Sidney Lucas,
04:11is riveting as she has her first realization about who she is and what she wants to be.
04:16You're swagger and you're bearing and just right clothes.
04:21You're wearing your short hair and your dungarees and your lace-up boots.
04:29It's a moment a lot of Tony viewers recognized in themselves.
04:32To see it rendered so beautifully for the live audience and everyone watching at home
04:37was an overwhelming experience.
04:40And it's your keys, oh, your Ring of Keys.
04:49I know you.
04:53Number 27. Medley from Matilda the Musical, 67th Tony Awards.
04:58Even if a little, you can do a lot. You must not tell it all. Things like, little stop you.
05:06This West End transplant made a huge splash when it came to Broadway.
05:10Whimsical, bombastic, and full of talented child performers who will
05:14make you feel old and unaccomplished, Matilda was a crowd pleaser and a half.
05:18We get to be L-I-V-E. You can tell us what's so wrong, wrong,
05:23It's right, every line, N-O-R-T, boy. We're ready for the big old game.
05:27The show's Tony's package was a medley of its most ensemble-heavy songs.
05:31It begins with children rising up against the evil Miss Trunchbull,
05:35whipping the audience into a frenzy of defiance and naughty behavior.
05:38L-B-L-E-D-O-L-T-I-N.
05:42Now don't sing time!
05:43U-S-I-N-G.
05:44Stop!
05:45U-S-I-N-G.
05:47Rise!
05:47E-R-E-V-O-L-T-I-N-G.
05:50But then, the performance's undeniable left hook is the addition of When I Grow Up.
05:55When I grow up, I will be brave enough to fight the creatures
06:04that you have to fight beneath the bed.
06:08This song points out one of the show's hard truths.
06:11Life only gets more complicated as you get older.
06:14The whole thing is fun, wicked, and surprisingly emotional.
06:18When I grow up, I will be brave enough to fight the creatures
06:21that you have to fight beneath the bed.
06:25Number 26.
06:26Being Alive from Company.
06:2861st Tony Awards.
06:33Someone to hold you too close.
06:40Someone to hurt you too deep.
06:42Director John Doyle's novel and innovative revival of Stephen Sondheim's musical
06:47About Marriage featured the actors playing the instruments.
06:50Lead actor Raúl Esparza sang the show's climactic number at the 2007 Tonys.
06:55It starts simply and intimately.
06:57Esparza accompanies himself on the piano before the orchestra joins.
07:01Make me confused.
07:05Mark me with praise.
07:09Let me hear you.
07:15As he stands center stage and delivers his character's desperate plea for a partner
07:20to share the experience of being alive,
07:22he seems to be reinventing the way the song is understood.
07:25He plays Bobby's big breakthrough like a painful and heart-wrenching rebirth.
07:30It's a raw performance, full of desperation and destructive yearning.
07:34Bigger love.
07:49Number 25.
07:50Let It Burn from Paradise Square.
07:5275th Tony Awards.
07:54But I know that our spirit is bigger than this place.
08:01Although this production was infamous for behind-the-scenes issues and underwhelming box office,
08:06the Civil War-set musical got its moment of glory at the 2022 awards.
08:10Lead actress Jaquina Calacango stunned the crowd with her 11 o'clock number.
08:15With tears streaming down her face, she loses herself in the character's defiant stance.
08:20She holds her anguished last note for an astonishing 18 seconds.
08:30The applause is almost deafening.
08:45As she screams her approval from the front row,
08:47we were on the same page as Cynthia Erivo in this moment.
08:53It was the perfect encapsulation of what won Calacango the Tony later in the night.
09:01Number 24.
09:03A New Argentina from Evita.
09:0534th Tony Awards.
09:17With an ensemble led by stage legends Patti LuPone and Maddie Patinkin,
09:21the anthem to the Peron's quest for power is a soaring moment of musical theater.
09:26Looking back, it's relatively simple staging for an Andrew Lloyd Webber show,
09:30but the impact is huge.
09:32Watching LuPone balance Eva Peron's roles as the president's supportive lover
09:36and a political power player on her own is as hilarious as it is enthralling.
09:42But it's her vocal command that's truly stunning.
09:52The score asks the performer playing Eva to do insane things,
09:59and LuPone makes it look like child's play.
10:13Number 23.
10:15Memory Reprise from Cats.
10:1737th Tony Awards.
10:22Turn your face to the moonlight, let your memory lead you.
10:31Another Andrew Lloyd Webber show makes its way onto the list.
10:35This time, it's the Jellicle cast of Cats.
10:37Whether or not you get Cats, it set Broadway aflame in the 1982-83 season.
10:43But if you didn't even feel a tug at your heartstrings after Broadway's original
10:47Grizabella took the stage, you might just be determined to be a hater.
10:51That's when the performance went from good to great.
10:54Betty Buckley's lilting voice buoyed the show's standout tune, Memory, for the Tony audience.
11:00Even behind all the makeup and fur, she gave an all-time great performance.
11:05Also, let's talk about that sustained belt as she comes out of a crouching position.
11:10It's iconic.
11:22Number 22.
11:27Everything's Coming Up Roses from Gypsy.
11:3062nd Tony Awards.
11:45Mama Rose is a role that separates the legends from everyone else.
11:48If an actress of a certain age hasn't played her yet,
11:51there's a rumor going around that she's going to.
11:54It was the kind of role it seemed shocking LuPone hadn't played on Broadway yet.
12:07Well, timing must have been key here.
12:10When she brought the show's famous Act I closer to the Tony stage in 2008,
12:14it was a divine experience.
12:18She's rapturous in the number.
12:33LuPone is a woman possessed.
12:35Her grand gestures and manhandling of co-star Lara Benanti are almost threateningly real.
12:40She fills the stage with all the wrath, resentment,
12:42and boundless determination of a woman who cannot be stopped.
12:48Number 21.
13:05Turkey Lurkey Time from Promises Promises.
13:0723rd Tony Awards.
13:19Michael Bennett's choreography changed the way musicals looked and moved.
13:23His style of contemporary dance is perfectly captured in this
13:26wacky number from Promises Promises as staged for the 1969 Tonys.
13:31Donna McKechnie leads the trio of performers,
13:34office secretaries in the show, as they sing about the holidays.
13:37But the real star is the dancing.
13:49Apparently, Bennett's choreography was so taxing that it required many dancers to see chiropractors.
13:54Watching it now, it's definitely dated, but that only adds to the charm.
13:59It's so technically precise and sensational.
14:02It's a miracle that it doesn't end with a massive pileup of dancers by the end.
14:18Number 20.
14:24Opening Up Finale and She Used To Be Mine from Waitress.
14:2770th Tony Awards.
14:41Opening up the performance, we're given a glimpse into Jenna's pie-making world.
14:46However, if Tony performances could win Tony Awards,
14:50this musical's powerful and heartfelt ballad would be a strong contender.
15:02She Used To Be Mine begins with songwriter and composer Sara Bareilles at the piano,
15:07before transitioning to its Tony-nominated leading actress Jessie Mueller.
15:17Both are sensational performers, who leave us with chills.
15:27The show was nominated for four Tonys, including Best Musical and Best Original Score.
15:32And after watching this, it's hard to believe that they didn't win.
15:36In all fairness, the competition was pretty stiff that year,
15:39with Hamilton dominating most categories.
15:47Number 19.
15:55A Day in Falsettoland from Falsettos Revival.
15:5971st Tony Awards.
16:11When Falsettos arrived on Broadway in the 90s,
16:14it won the Tony for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score.
16:19So when it was revived with Broadway icons Christian Borle, Andrew Rannells,
16:24Brandon Uranowitz, and Stephanie J. Block in 2016, we had big expectations.
16:30And although the revival didn't win any of its multiple nominations,
16:35we were still treated to this animated and exhilarating performance
16:39that proved why Falsettos will always be a timeless classic.
16:44Even if you're unfamiliar with the musical, after watching this star-studded number,
17:07you could probably understand why some fans felt that the show had been robbed of a Tony.
17:15Number 18.
17:26The Phantom of the Opera and the Music of the Night from The Phantom of the Opera.
17:3142nd Tony Awards.
17:34Imagine telling audiences back in 1988 that Phantom would one day become
17:39the longest-running best musical on Broadway.
17:43After watching this rousing performance, they probably would have believed you.
18:04Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman captivated audiences with an electrifying presentation
18:10of the title song and the music of the night.
18:13The passion and drama behind these numbers never fails to leave audiences utterly mesmerized.
18:19Phantom went on to win seven of its ten nominations that night,
18:38including Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for its Phantom.
18:42Is it any wonder that the show still draws in large crowds after all these years?
18:50Number 17.
19:14Prologue Ragtime from Ragtime.
19:1752nd Tony Awards.
19:28This musical follows three communities living in upstate New York at the beginning of the 1900s.
19:34The stirring title number, performed at the Tonys, expertly sets up the show's tone.
19:39Through the song's lyrics, choreography, and even their costumes,
19:44you can really feel the friction between the groups.
19:47Among the original Broadway cast are musical legends Brian Stokes Mitchell,
19:51Audra McDonald, and the late Marin Mazzi.
19:54For many fans, this show is so underrated and deserves more recognition.
20:00Nevertheless, in 1998 it led the nominations, receiving a whopping 13.
20:21That night, Ragtime won the Tony Awards for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score,
20:27among others.
20:29Number 16.
20:43Waving Through a Window from Dear Evan Hansen.
20:4671st Tony Awards.
21:00Originating the role of Evan Hansen,
21:03Ben Platt gives a moving and powerful performance as the awkward titular teen.
21:08His portrayal of the character feels so raw and authentic that it's impossible
21:12not to sympathize with him.
21:14Platt's smooth vocals only elevate the character's depth further, too.
21:32The show, whose book was written by Steven Levinson with music from Pasek and Paul,
21:37won six out of the nine Tony Awards it was nominated for.
21:40This included Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score.
21:46Aged 23, Platt also became the youngest solo recipient for
21:50Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical.
22:04Number 15.
22:06Anything Goes from Anything Goes Revival.
22:0965th Tony Awards.
22:20With Sutton Foster at the helm, this revival was welcomed back to Broadway by critics and
22:25audiences alike in the early 2010s.
22:28It received nine nominations, winning Best Revival of a Musical and Best Choreography.
22:34Foster also won her second Tony for her portrayal of Reno Sweeney.
22:39Performing the title number, the company proved why this show is always a firm fan favorite.
22:56Catchy music, a talented cast, and an unbelievable tap dance break.
23:01What's not to love?
23:03And to think that they did all this eight times a week.
23:06We're exhausted just watching.
23:08But we'll happily sit back and relax while the pros show us how it's done.
23:25Number 14.
23:26You Don't Know and I Am the One from Next to Normal.
23:2963rd Tony Awards.
23:36Do you read obituaries and feel jealous of the dead?
23:41Delving into one family's experiences with mental illness, Next to Normal is full of
23:46songs that explore the angst, turmoil, and pain of dealing with loss.
23:50The original Broadway cast included Alice Ripley, J. Robert Spencer, and Aaron Tveit,
23:56who all gave an incredibly gripping and heart-rending rendition of You Don't Know
24:00and I Am the One here.
24:02The songs illustrate the family's struggles,
24:05and the intensity of their acting is simply mind-blowing.
24:20The musical was nominated for 11 Tony Awards that year, winning three.
24:25They took Best Original Score, Best Orchestration,
24:28and Alice Ripley won Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical.
24:44Number 13.
24:46I Believe from The Book of Mormon.
24:4865th Tony Awards.
24:59Making another appearance on our list,
25:05Andrew Rannells made audiences laugh out loud as devout Mormon missionary Elder Price.
25:10This hilarious, albeit playfully irreverent number,
25:14points out some of religion's eccentricities, all in good spirits of course.
25:29While it's not the musical's grandest showstopper,
25:33Rannells single-handedly and excellently encapsulates the tongue-in-cheek vibe
25:38of Matt Stone and Trey Parker's satirical musical.
25:41Rannells was nominated for his role, along with Josh Gad,
25:44who played the Elder Cunningham to his Elder Price.
25:47Although neither won, the show still took home nine Tony Awards,
25:52including Best Musical, Best Orchestrations, and Best Original Score.
25:59Number 12.
26:11Spring Awakening Medley.
26:1261st Tony Awards.
26:14Mama who bore me, mama who gave me, no way to handle things.
26:26Exploring teenage sexuality at the end of the 19th century,
26:29Spring Awakening blossoms with moving songs about angst, confusion, and rebellion.
26:35This musical's original Broadway cast,
26:38which included the likes of Jonathan Groff and Lea Michele,
26:41stole the show at the 2007 Tony Awards.
26:56The company presented three songs woven into one deeply effective performance.
27:00They all have different melodies,
27:02but each perfectly encompasses the frustration tied to adolescence.
27:07Gaining applause from every corner of Radio City Music Hall,
27:10Spring Awakening ultimately took home eight Tony Awards,
27:14including Best Musical.
27:25Number 11.
27:26We'll Take a Glass Together from Grand Hotel.
27:2944th Tony Awards.
27:41The late Michael Jeter lit up the stage,
27:46and brought us so much joy in his unforgettable appearance as Otto Kringlein.
27:51It's a bittersweet story about a terminally ill man
27:54who plans to live out his final days in luxury.
27:58This song sees him indulge in a drink, or several,
28:10and dance as if he's made entirely of jelly.
28:13It's seriously impressive,
28:14and you can imagine how this number would totally steal the show.
28:28Grand Hotel received 12 nods,
28:31winning five, including Best Direction of a Musical,
28:34and Best Choreography for Tommy Tune.
28:37Jeter won Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical, too,
28:41reducing us to tears with his heartfelt acceptance speech.
28:57And dreams come true.
28:59Number 10.
29:00Sugar Daddy from Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
29:0368th Tony Awards.
29:15We all know that Neil Patrick Harris is a triple threat,
29:18but his Hedwig is simply electrifying.
29:22Harris reportedly told The Hollywood Reporter
29:24that embracing the character's femininity and mastering heels
29:27was particularly challenging.
29:29Although, watching him, you'd never know.
29:32He takes the show into the audience,
29:34making himself rather comfortable among the showbiz elite.
29:37Even his co-star Lena Hall was apparently stunned
29:41as he treated Orlando Bloom to a car wash,
29:44gave Sting a lap dance,
29:46and even saved some extra sugar for his husband David Burtka.
29:55Hedwig picked up four awards,
29:57with one unsurprisingly going to Harris
30:00for Best Leading Actor in a Musical.
30:17Number 9.
30:18Dust and Ashes and the Abduction from Natasha, Pierre,
30:22and the Great Comet of 1812.
30:2471st Tony Awards.
30:37Why showcase just one song?
30:39That's exactly what this musical,
30:41based on a 70-page segment of the novel
30:44War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy decided to do.
30:47Audiences got to hear crowd-pleasers like Dust and Ashes
30:50and The Abduction.
30:59The cast was led by multi-platinum recording artist Josh Groban,
31:03who was making his Broadway debut as the titular Pierre.
31:07Fans of the show were also given the opportunity
31:10to join the cast on stage.
31:12Despite leading the nominations that year with 12 nods,
31:16they only nabbed wins in two categories.
31:19This only proved how underrated this show was.
31:33Number 8.
31:34Rose's Turn from Gypsy.
31:3657th Tony Awards.
31:50Thank you!
31:52Broadway royalty incarnate,
31:54Bernadette Peters had to storm onto this list at some point.
31:57Peters earned a Tony nomination for her portrayal of Mama Rose
32:01in the 2003 revival of Gypsy.
32:04During that year's ceremony,
32:05she lit up the stage with her rendition of Rose's Turn.
32:09Mama's all alone.
32:11Mama doesn't care.
32:12Mama's letting loose.
32:14Mama's got the stuff.
32:16Mama's letting go.
32:17Mama's got the stuff.
32:25Mama's got to move.
32:26Mama's got to go.
32:30This song not only demonstrates Rose at her most domineering,
32:34but also at her most vulnerable as she finally breaks down.
32:38It takes a special kind of actress to hit so many different notes at once,
32:42but Peters was more than up to the task.
32:44Well, someone tell me when is it my turn?
32:49Don't I get a dream of myself?
32:52Starting now it's gonna be my turn.
32:54Get away world, get off of my runway.
32:57Where Rose is sometimes depicted as an over-the-top theater mom,
33:01Peters brought a real sense of humanity to the character,
33:04making the role her own.
33:06For me.
33:19Number seven.
33:20History has its eyes on you and Yorktown,
33:23the world turned upside down from Hamilton.
33:2670th Tony Awards.
33:27Let me tell you what I wish I'd known.
33:30When I was young, I dreamed of glory.
33:34But no control who lives, who dies, who tells your story.
33:40Lin-Manuel Miranda and company were the toast of Broadway at the 2008 Tony Awards
33:45when they performed In the Heights and 96,000 from In the Heights.
33:49Several years later,
33:51Miranda topped himself somehow with another award show darling,
33:55Hamilton.
33:56Immigrants, we get the job done.
33:59When President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama
34:03introduce a Tony-nominated musical,
34:05something special is clearly in store for the audience.
34:08How did we know that this play was going to be a hit?
34:11Well, it's not just a hit, it's a hit.
34:13It's a hit.
34:14It's a hit.
34:14It's a hit.
34:15It's a hit.
34:15It's a hit.
34:16It's a hit.
34:16It's a hit.
34:17It's a hit.
34:17It's a hit.
34:18It's a hit.
34:19We got a spy on the inside.
34:21That's right.
34:27The Hamilton cast did not disappoint
34:30with their performance of Yorktown
34:31which finds the Continental Army
34:33on top of a world turned upside down.
34:36Although this number is usually performed with muskets,
34:39the cast decided to forgo the presence of firearms
34:42in the wake of the 2016 Orlando Nightclub shooting.
34:45This made the performance all the more poignant and important.
34:49We won! We won! We won!
34:52The world turned upside down!
35:05There's change coming once and for all
35:09You mix the front page and man you is major news
35:15This Disney cult classic was clearly destined for life upon the stage,
35:19as best seen in this energetic medley led by Jeremy Jordan.
35:23Fans of the movie got to see that same magic recaptured through these
35:27undeniably catchy songs and ambitious dances.
35:31However, if you thought the choreography was something in the film,
35:34you ain't seen nothing yet.
35:36This talented ensemble gives us an animated showstopper
35:39full of the most impressive athletic and acrobatic moves.
35:55So, you won't be surprised to learn that one of their two Tony wins
35:58was for best choreography.
36:00Numbers like this prove why there's really nothing like live theater.
36:06We won! We won! We won!
36:16Number 5. Circle of Life from The Lion King.
36:2052nd Tony Awards.
36:23We won! We won! We won!
36:34Bringing an animated epic to the stage is no easy endeavor,
36:38especially when all the characters are animals.
36:41With a visionary director like Julie Taymor helming the project, though,
36:45anything is possible.
36:47The Lion King ruled the 1998 Tony Awards
36:50while also enthralling viewers with a performance of Circle of Life.
37:04It's impossible not to erupt into applause
37:07from the second Sidi Lelouch hits her first note.
37:10Utilizing stylized costumes and puppets,
37:13an animal kingdom invades the theater.
37:16As elephants and rhinos stomp through the aisles,
37:19the audience becomes a part of the experience.
37:22Once Lion Cub Simba is finally presented,
37:25we truly feel connected to the Circle of Life,
37:28demonstrating the power of theater.
37:50Number 4. Seasons of Love and La Vie Boheme from Rent.
37:5550th Tony Awards.
38:08With its relevant themes, relatable characters, and infectious rock songs,
38:13Rent is often cited for spawning a new generation of theater lovers.
38:17The late Jonathan Larson's musical magnum opus
38:20won big at the 1996 Tony Awards
38:23with the cast performances of Seasons of Love and La Vie Boheme
38:26bringing down the house.
38:29These are two of the most life-affirming songs
38:32in the history of musical theater,
38:34encouraging artists to follow their dreams
38:36and people everywhere to live every day to the fullest.
38:40If you weren't a Rent head already,
38:42you definitely weren't a Rent head.
38:44But if you're a Rent head,
38:46you're a Rent head.
38:48And if you're a Rent head,
38:50you're a Rent head.
38:52And if you're a Rent head,
38:54you're a Rent head.
38:56If you're a Rent head already,
38:58you definitely were after this performance.
39:08Number 3. Mysterious Ways and I'm Here from The Color Purple Revival.
39:1370th Tony Awards.
39:26Starting with the lively Mysterious Ways,
39:29the cast of The Color Purple certainly caught our intrigue in the mid-2010s.
39:41And now that they had our attention,
39:43it was time for something completely different.
39:46The spirited song transitions into this iconic 11 o'clock number
39:50with the eventual Tony-winning Cynthia Erivo's I'm Here
39:54leaving us with goosebumps.
39:56After her phenomenal performance,
39:58we had no doubt that stardom was up ahead.
40:00Her voice is stunning
40:02and the emotion she puts into every lyric is spectacular.
40:16The actress received a well-earned standing ovation
40:19from the Beacon Theatre audience.
40:21We're sure the people watching from home
40:23couldn't resist jumping to their feet either.
40:25I'm beautiful
40:29and I'm here.
40:46Number 2. At the End of the Day and One Day More from Les Miserables.
40:5141st Tony Awards.
40:53At the end of the day, you're another day older.
40:56And that's all you can say for the life of the poor.
40:59It's a struggle, it's a war,
41:01and there's nothing that anyone's giving
41:03on a day standing about.
41:05What is it for?
41:06Les Mis had taken London by storm
41:08and now it seemed like it was destined for the same success on Broadway.
41:12One day more.
41:15Another day, another destiny.
41:18This never-ending road to Calgary.
41:21Then, at the Tonys, the cast subsequently proved
41:24that the music was strong and stirring enough to win over audiences.
41:28After all, not many shows could literally choreograph
41:31stepping back and forth and still move their audiences.
41:47The show won Best Musical
41:49and has continued to be a theatrical phenomenon ever since.
41:53One day more.
42:06Before we unveil our top pick,
42:08here are a few honorable mentions.
42:11Miss Saigon Medley.
42:1345th Tony Awards.
42:15A sampling of the 11-time nominated show.
42:18I still believe
42:22The time will come
42:26When nothing keeps us apart
42:31I've Decided to Marry You from A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder.
42:3568th Tony Awards.
42:37This performance alone was worthy of a Tony
42:40to join the other four they won that year.
42:42How happy I'd be to be at your disposal
42:44My darling, of course I accept your proposal
42:47Now, little kiss
42:48That would be bliss
42:49Darling, but first I'll say this
42:50I've decided to marry you
42:52I've decided to marry you
42:54I'll be with you forever
42:55I'll be with you forever
42:59Defying Gravity from Wicked.
43:0158th Tony Awards.
43:03This 10-time Tony nominated musical
43:05still manages to drop jaws with this show-stopping number.
43:09Take a message back from me
43:13I am hell, I am defying gravity
43:18I'm flying high, defying gravity
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43:39Number 1.
43:41It's All Over and I Am Telling You I'm Not Going from Dreamgirls.
43:4536th Tony Awards.
43:47Now it's definitely you
43:49It's all over
43:52And now I'm telling you
43:55I ain't going
43:57It's all over
43:58And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going is the definition of a show-stopper.
44:03Over the years, many gifted actresses have hit this torch song out of the park.
44:08However, it will forever belong to the actress that originated the role of Effie White,
44:13Jennifer Holliday.
44:23In addition to winning a Tony for her mesmerizing portrayal,
44:26Holliday blew everyone away with her performance at the 1982 awards ceremony.
44:33At this point in Dreamgirls, Effie has been betrayed and abandoned by her loved ones.
44:38Yet that doesn't stop her from singing and dancing.
44:41At this point in Dreamgirls, Effie has been betrayed and abandoned by her loved ones.
45:07But that doesn't stop her from singing her heart out, refusing to give up on her dream
45:12of superstardom.
45:13By the time it's over, you'll be racing to catch your breath.
45:32Which of these Tony performances lives rent-free in your head?
45:35Let us know in the comments.
45:45Do you agree with our picks?
45:46Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
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