hiː wˈʌn ɐ tˈoʊni ɐwˈɔːɹd fɚðɪ ɚɹˈɪdʒɪnəl nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti fˈaɪv bɹˈɔːdweɪ pɹədˈʌkʃən ænd ɹˌiːkɹiːˈeɪɾᵻd ðə ɹˈoʊl ɪnðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti ˈeɪt fˈɪlm vˈɜːʒən wˌɪtʃ ˈɔːlsoʊ stˈɑːɹd daɪˈænɚ ɹˈɔs nˈoʊ ɹᵻlˈeɪʃən, mˈaɪkəl dʒˈæksən, ɹˈɪtʃɚd pɹˈaɪɚ, nˈɪpsi ɹˈʌsəl, ænd lˈiːnə hˈoːɹn.
He won a Tony Award for the original 1975 Broadway production and recreated the role in the 1978 film version which also starred Diana Ross (no relation), Michael Jackson, Richard Pryor, Nipsey Russell, and Lena Horne.