Listen up, newbies.  Before there was Dreamgirls, the movie, there was Dreamgirls, the show.  And before Dreamgirls was on Broadway, it premiered in Boston.  That’s how it was back in the day: Broadway shows had tryouts in Boston.  And back then, in the autumn of 1981, the word on the street was that there was this girl…

For months, every theatre queen had been buzzing about Chorus Line-creator Michael Bennett’s new show: his take on the Supremes and their meteoric rise to the top of the charts.  And when Dreamgirls opened in Boston, nearly every theatre queen from all over the States had begged, bought, or stolen a ticket to the Shubert Theatre.  And when the curtain fell on the first act, when the stunned audience erupted in near-pandemonium, cheering and yelling, applauding for minutes on end, there was no question that the previously unknown 21-year-old singer who had just sung “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” was now a full-blown star.

Welcome to the limelight, Miss Jennifer Holliday.

MRNY
When you think back to that time in your life, what do you most remember?

Jennifer Holliday
Well, [honestly] I think back [to] how very hectic and grueling it was trying to put together a new Broadway show. We did eight shows a week—EIGHT!—evenings and matinees. Plus [there were] rehearsals during the day and press interviews, too!

MRNY
You know, of course, that your performance and your singing in that role had a very serious impact on the lives of gay men.  Why do you think that is?   

Holliday
Well, I know that the bond between my voice and gay men has always been quite strong, but I believe that the bond [is there] especially because of the pain in my voice. 

MRNY
That’s extremely perceptive.

Holliday
You see, twenty-seven years ago, when I first came on the scene in Dreamgirls, gay men were in the midst of fighting a devastating disease, which [back then] was labeled the “gay man’s disease.”

MRNY
You’re right. AIDS was initially termed "GRID," for gay-related immune deficiency.

Holliday
Gay men had been fighting for rights, although many were still “in the closet” and were trying to find ways to cope with their hurts and the consequences of coming out.  So, therefore, I feel that the character Effie and the song “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” reached down deep into the core of the haunting sadness that lived within the souls of so many gay men back in the Eighties.

MRNY
Oh—  That’s beautiful.  You know your history. 

Holliday
Of course we’re now in the twenty-first century and the gay community has finally found its own voice and can sing their own song of hope!

MRNY
Not without you, we can’t—  Remember back in 2001 when you generously took a frantic call from CareResource and performed at Vizcaya for White Party, almost on the fly.  If we’re not mistaken, you’re the only singer to perform twice at Vizcaya.  Have you started thinking about your outfit?  And your material?     

Holliday
Actually, I filled in for Deborah Cox who had the flu that year.  This time I asked CareResource to help me select the songs for this year’s White Party.  But as far as my outfit…  Fortunately, since I’ve been able to keep my weight under control, I can usually just wait and go shopping before a special event.

MRNY
We know a whole bunch of boys who would love to go shopping with you, so just give a holler, if you need…  You’re working on a new CD, right?  Can you tell us about it? 

Holliday
Yes, I’m working on a new CD of love songs, most [of them] covers of jazz standards and some R&B songs.  Unfortunately, I don’t have a record deal right now, but I felt like recording again and since I haven’t released an album in over fourteen years, I felt like this might be a good time for me to do something new.

MRNY
That sounds delicious: your voice covering standards.  You’re lucky to have one of those distinctive voices that many people identify as soon as they hear it.  How would you characterize that quality in your voice?

Holliday
If I had to choose just one phrase to characterize my voice, it would have to be “old soul,” meaning that I have a voice that reminds you of someone you love, or once loved, or long to love.  My voice is like an old friend or a cozy chair and it allows the listener to snuggle up and smile with relief or just have a good cry and release. 

MRNY
Oh, that’s good.  Who wouldn’t want to take you home?  You know, before the Dreamgirls film was released, Ralphi Rosario and Abel Aguilera of Rosabel remixed your signature song—and created a serious dance club hit.  It was massive!  Have you ever witnessed a packed club work it out to your vocals?

Holliday
Actually, you know, I never have witnessed folks working it out to that particular remix, but I really did love what Rosabel did with “And I’m Telling You.”  And of course I was very grateful for how well it was received by my fans and the success that we enjoyed on the dance charts.

MRNY
If we put in a call to Rosabel and got them to remix another of your charted hits, which one would you like it to be?  Or is there something on your new CD you could see as a dance track?  

Holliday
Wait, guys! [Laughing] First, let’s find out if I can even afford Rosabel before you make that call. Do they take credit cards? [Laughing again]  Honeys, I ain’t got no Beyonce dollars!

MRNY
You’re too funny.  Of course you know that Abel adores his big-voiced girls.  He lives for remixing them.  He never forgets those voices he loved when he was just coming up. 

Holliday
You know, if I could get a remix on one of my new songs that would not only be very exciting, but a much needed boost for my career.  It’s been proven that a great dance hit has revived the careers of many divas much faster than a big ballad. 

MRNY
Can we say Shirley Bassey?

Holliday
I think I’ll put that on my “Wish List” for 2009.  Thanks, guys, for bringing that positive idea into my universe!

MRNY
You are so welcome.  Because, you know, we were remembering when you sang at the Paradise Garage.  That year, you were basking in the success of Dreamgirls; you were the toast of the town, and everyone wanted you—and there you were at the most famous gay club in New York City.  You’ve always seemed so comfortable with your gay brothers and sisters.  To what do you attribute that comfort zone?

Holliday
I attribute my beautiful comfort zone experience with my gay brothers and sisters to one powerful force and that is unconditional love. For almost twenty-seven years, the gay community has remained faithful and has never wavered in their unconditional love for me.  And what I mean by that is, with the gay community, as an artist, you are more than a hit record of the year.  With the gay community, once the flame is lit in their hearts for you, you’re a hit [with them] throughout your life. That love is not [just] seasonal.  They continue to love you!

MRNY
We are kind of loyal that way, aren’t we?

Holliday
Mark and Robert, I am not ashamed to say that if it hadn’t been for the LGBT community, there is absolutely no way that I could have survived—not only as an artist, but as a human being.  When my career reached rock bottom, it was only the LGBT community that kept me working and allowed me to keep my dignity and not end up a tragic story for the E! Channel. 

MRNY
Now, you see—hearing that kind of makes our own struggles worthwhile.

Holliday
So guys, I say with great gratitude—“And I Am Telling You…” that there would be no Jennifer Holliday [and no] Dreamgirls legacy without the LGBT community. 

MRNY
We love it when you testify.

Holliday
That’s why I am praying that the same love and acceptance that you’ve given me will be returned to you through equality and the many other desires of your hearts that you have been fighting so hard for over these past thirty years.

MRNY
Girl, you better stop right now—you’re gonna make us tear up.  Now, back to that night at the Garage—or rather, that Sunday morning—Larry Levan was in the booth, and everyone seemed to regard your performance as the choir singing in our church.  Who were your musical influences when you were first coming up? 

Holliday
ARETHA! ARETHA! ARETHA! Or, when I was growing up,“IRETHA” as we called her down in Texas.

MRNY
Love that!  IRETHA!

Holliday
If Aretha didn’t sing the song, then I didn’t know the song! It wasn’t until I started working on Broadway that I began to learn of other artists—[and the man who] became my all-time favorite influence, D.J. Rogers, Sr. I recorded his biggest hit “Say You Love Me” on my second solo album.

MRNY
You know, that song has been looping through our head for the past couple weeks.  We’re calling Rosabel now!

Holliday
Then while I was starting the whole Dreamgirls creative process, I fell in love with Barbra Streisand and that’s where I “stole” holding a single note longer than you can hold your breath. [Laughing]

MRNY:  Can you hear your influence in the work of singers today? 

Holliday
Well, let me say that I have not heard of any of today’s artists publicly stating that I’ve had an influence on their work or their singing style. Now, of course, I have watched countless singers compete [on television] with both “And I’m Telling You” and “I Am Changing” on shows like American Idol, America’s Got Talent, Star Search, and Showtime At The Apollo.  And I’m okay with that because it means that if you really want to win, then choose a Jennifer Holliday song.  I love being associated with winning!

MRNY:  You winner!  You know, it’s somewhat apocryphal that initially you weren’t all that keen on becoming a “star,” and that, in fact, your Dreamgirls director Michael Bennett had to lean on you to make you see otherwise. How would you counsel someone today who’s just starting a career?

Holliday
Show business is a business and you will hear the word “No” many times before someone might give you the break that you’ve been looking for.  Fortunately, a truly talented artist has a better chance of becoming a star than in any other era [and that’s] because of the power of the Internet.  Today, an artist takes their music and presents themselves to the public and lets the public decide if they have that “special something.”  [So that even if] an executive at a record label tells an artist that they are not good enough, the [rest of] the world may [disagree with that assessment].  So the bottom line?  Believe in YOU!

MRNY
It’s always so important to hear from those who’ve paid their dues.

Holliday
You must never give up on your dreams and you must stay on top of your game.  If you’re a singer, keep your voice in good shape and take some voice lessons, just to be familiar with all music genres and styles.  Just be ready.  It’s when preparation meets opportunity that your dreams become your reality. 

MRNY
Girl, you could be behind the pulpit! And to think that back when you were singing in your church choir in Houston, you were thinking of becoming a lawyer like your idol, Barbara Jordan. What did Congresswoman Jordan represent for you back then? 

Holliday
Congresswoman Jordan, who [incidentally] was gay and “outed herself” in her autobiography, represented so many positive things for me while growing up back in Texas.  First and foremost, she was an African-American woman amidst a white male congress, who demonstrated courage and intellect and wisdom during the Watergate hearings.  She made [such] an indelible impression upon me that I almost chose law and political science as my major.  And [furthermore], for several years during [that time], I even [considered] that maybe, I, too, was gay.

MRNY
Now there’s a testimonial.  You’re even more of a sister than we thought you were.

Holliday
Well, [while] I never made it to law school and [while] I’m not currently gay, I found other ways to become like her.  [Probably] my most effective tribute to her has been through my phrasing of lyrics whenever I sing a song.

MRNY
Those were the days—when a politician’s language was worthy of emulation.

Holliday
When Barbara Jordan spoke, you knew immediately [who you were hearing, because of] her eloquence and diction.  My wanting to speak and sound like Barbara Jordan greatly influenced my singing style.

MRNY
Did you ever get to meet her? What a fascinating couple you would’ve made: the congresswoman and the Broadway star.

Holliday
[You know], for decades I tried to get Barbara Jordan’s story told through film or television. [But the pitch] was always rejected because she was a gay woman.  I wish that she could have lived to see this day, since there are [now] so many media outlets that would have embraced her.

MRNY
She died in 1996.  Things had changed a little in the sixty years since her birth in 1936.

Holliday
[That’s true, but you know], it’s still very difficult for a black woman to come out and be accepted and respected within the black community at large.

MRNY
Well, as Effie said, “We are changing.”  Too slowly, of course, but still…  And speaking again of Dreamgirls, do you ever see parallels between your life and that of your character, Effie “Melody” White?  For example, that chapter when you and Michael Bennett butted heads—only to surface on top, happier and more successful than ever? 

Holliday
First of all, guys, let me set the record straight: I was never  “fired” by Michael Bennett—because I quit! [Laughing]  Actually, Michael and I became extremely close friends in spite of our tumultuous fights.  And as far as my life and my career paralleling that of Effie “Melody” White’s, I would have to say that since I helped give birth to the character of Effie, naturally Effie and I are one and the same.  [And in this case], instead of art imitating life, it’s more like my life has imitated my art. 

MRNY
You’ve been so fortunate and blessed in your show business and musical career. A Tony award, two Grammys, five CDs, an honorary doctorate in music from Berklee College of Music in Boston, television and film work—  What’s left for you to accomplish?  Any pet projects?  The Mahalia Jackson Story, perhaps?

Holliday
The Mahalia Jackson Story, The Bessie Smith Story, The Dinah Washington Story, The Barbara Jordan Story, The Madam C.J. Walker Story… [Laughing] I would love to make a movie about any one of these incredible African-American women.  Somebody, please!  Help me get a meeting with Oprah or Queen Latifah!

MRNY
Let’s send it out there, because change is in the air.

Holliday
[You know], in spite of my setbacks and heartaches and disappointments in both my career and my personal life, I [still] have hope.  And with that hope, I believe that the best chapters of my life are still being written.  So here’s to Act Two of The Jennifer Holliday Story [and] to what I hope will be the best performances of my lifetime!

MRNY
We’ll drink to that!  Throughout your career, you’ve been such a proud and strong supporter of the LGBT community—uncompromisingly generous with your time and your talent—and we sincerely hope you know how grateful we are to you for that.  Thank you.  And thank you for taking the time to speak with us—and to sing for us at Vizcaya at the 24th Annual White Party.  We can hardly wait!