"THE RAINBOW Room celebrated a real star last week when event planner Preston Bailey tossed a party for his new book, "Inspirations." His friend of years Jennifer Holliday came to lend support - and to sing as only she can.
Jennifer was the original "Effie" of Broadway's hit musical "Dreamgirls." And, yes, she blasted out "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" for Preston's guests, just as she did when she won the Tony Award 25 years ago.
She told the partygoers she is rooting for Jennifer Hudson, today's big-screen "Effie," to win an Academy Award, just as she has already won the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild awards.
When the movie of "Dreamgirls" opened weeks ago, Holliday says, "What I thought would be a dreadful experience has turned into a blessing. People are rediscovering the wonderful music and my part in bringing it to life. I'm so happy to have created something that has moved into a new century. And, thanks to people watching my version of 'Dreamgirls' clips on YouTube, I have hope."
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
Rooting for Ms. Hudson and yet making it all about her...
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
Hey, at least she now seems to understands what legacy means, that she is ultimately a big part of the Dreamgirls legacy, and that there's enough room for two Effies in the world.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
I honestly could not be happier that she has come to her senses.
Butters, go buy World of Warcraft, install it on your computer, and join the online sensation before we all murder you.
--Cartman: South Park
ATTENTION FANS: I will be played by James Barbour in the upcoming musical, "BroadwayWorld: The Musical."
While I'm still not so sure she's being genuine, at least her PR people have finally talked some sense into her.
Glad to hear she's staying positive.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
I actually respect the fact that she's changed her mine. Didn't she say that she did her own management, she was her own agent, and did her own PR? I remember reading something to that effect in another thread. Either way, if she says something bad about the film she gets bashed, if she says something good she gets bashed. She can't win.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
I hope she truly is okay with passing the Effie crown to Hudson. I mean, seriously, to cling that desperately to something that happened twenty-five years ago...
Ray, it's not that she bashed the movie, it's how she said that she had hoped to be offered a role that she played 25 years ago. That is what makes me think she's koo-koo for coco puffs.
"I think of avant-garde as downtown shows where you rub waffles and chocolate on yourself."- Hunter Bell
I feel like people took her saying that she hoped to play the role the wrong way. i never got the feeling that she meant to play the role at the present time but at a time before when she was younger and could have very well played the part in a movie version. Who wouldnt want to recreate that magic? get over it. The woman is a fierce living legend and i am glad she is being supportive. It was nothing personal towards hudson in the first place.
Maybe she thinks if she smiles enough they'll just skip Hudson and give her the oscar...
"I never had theatre producers run after me. Some people want to make more Broadway shows out of movies. But Elliot and I aren't going to do Batman: The Musical." - Julie Taymor 1999
It's been reported on another message board that Entertainment Tonight recently did a brief segment on Jennifer Holliday at the event Liz Smith was talking about.
The BIG news is that ET reported that Jennifer Holliday will be attending the Oscars!!!
This has lead to some speculation regarding the specifics of her invitation...will she be in the audience rooting on Jennifer Hudson....or do the producers have a "surprise" up their sleeve....a stage appearance by Ms. Holliday to introduce Jennifer's performance of the nominated song "I Love You I Do"? Or perhaps there will be an OBC Dreamgirl reunion onstage to introduce Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce and Anika in a melody of their nominated songs? Updated On: 2/5/07 at 11:45 PM