Jennifer Hudson Plans To Give A Hairspray Live! Performance That Will Move You Toward Change!

By Delaina Dixon | December 6, 2016 | Entertainment

Hey DivaGals.┬áHairspray Live! is just a mere 24 and so hours away! We know youΓÇÖll be watching to see the highly-anticipated duet of Jennifer Hudson, who plays Motormouth Maybelle, and Ariana Grande (Penny Pingleton) as they belt out ΓÇ£Come So Far (Got So Far to Go).ΓÇ¥ And Jennifer herself canΓÇÖt contain her glee over the pairing.

ΓÇ£I love singing with her,ΓÇ¥ the Oscar winner shared at the Hairspray Live! L.A. press junket. She stressed that itΓÇÖs not just her and Ariana singing. ΓÇ£WeΓÇÖre still in our characters.ΓÇ¥ ThatΓÇÖs important, since Jennifer feels so much of this production is in the music.

ΓÇ£Each verse is like a paragraph and another paragraph. But itΓÇÖs journey in the song. The message is in the song,ΓÇ¥ she explained. ΓÇ£We barely speak. We say two or three lines and all of a sudden youΓÇÖre in the song, and then the story has progressed. ItΓÇÖs a whole another moment — I feel like theater and being on Broadway taught me that.’

Jennifer also sings the pivotal song ΓÇ£Where IΓÇÖve Been,ΓÇ¥ discussing the struggle of African Americans during the sixties who fought for integration and their equal rights ΓÇô a struggle that is ringing loudly in todayΓÇÖs political climate.

ΓÇ£The emotion will be raw,ΓÇ¥ Jennifer declared. ΓÇ£And I don’t think that it’s any mistake that it’s now. ItΓÇÖs something┬áwe need. And I hope it’s not missed because it is a message. And I want it to be┬áin┬áthe moment. I keep saying this is not a song — it’s so far beyond. ItΓÇÖs a movement, a message, a journey.ΓÇ¥

We already know this is the kind of performance that people will want to see multiple times. Including Jennifer. ΓÇ£I feel like itΓÇÖs going to be something weΓÇÖre going to wanna watch over and over again,ΓÇ¥ she revealed. ΓÇ£ThatΓÇÖs the driving force to keep working ΓÇô the reward is to look back and see what weΓÇÖve done.ΓÇ¥

We think Motormouth Maybelle would wholeheartedly agree! See Hairspray Live! Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. (5 p.m. PST) on NBC.

photo credit: NBC