My Evening with Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson at Overtures
[Photo by Steve Bosch]

Sometimes being completely and utterly shameless pays off. Tonight happens to be one of those times. Earlier this evening I managed to share a dance and a hug with the one and only diva herself, Jennifer Hudson! I had caught word months ago that JHud would be coming to Vancouver to perform and I just knew that I had to get into that show somehow! Well I did and I am thrilled that the night turned out to be way more exciting than I had anticipated.


Jennifer Hudson was at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre performing for Vancouver Opera's annual fundraiser, Overtures. Keeping in theme with the upcoming opera epic Aida, the lobby to the QET had been delicately transformed into a lavish ancient Egyptian hall.


The event started with wine and hors d'oeuvers from local celebrity chef Ned Bell and the Four Seasons. Throughout the lobby were various silent auctions items, ranging from a very cool re-arrangable painting by Attila Richard Lukacs to an "Ultimate Fan Experience" package with the Vancouver Canucks. Kevin Spacey also donated an opportunity to experience some time with him on the set of House of Cards in Baltimore. He wasn't present himself, but he surprised everyone with a personal video message to the house.

The hall was a sea of designer suits and fabulous gowns. As intimidating as it was to be rubbing shoulders with some of Vancouver's most rich and powerful, I did manage to make some new acquaintances. It always helps when you're part of the host company's upcoming production. I also got to chatting with some of the lovely volunteers and the (hot) models from TM Events who were dressed in Egyptian costumery. Pretty much the same outfit that I have to wear for Aida, which is very, very little.

Photo by Steve Bosch

Jennifer started the night by singing the jazz standard Feeling Good from behind a beautiful giant scale curtain and then made a dramatic entrance halfway through the song. She then proceeded to share a selection of her personal favourite songs with the audience. She started with classic Aretha, singing a fun Oh Me, Oh My. This was followed by an incredibly powerful rendition of The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face. Deeply moving, incredibly and naturally controlled, and probably my personal favourite number from the whole night.

Jennifer then treated us to her first public performance of The Rose, rocking it out with her backup singers. She then sang a very deep and soulful rendition of Hallelujah. She admitted that it was her "ultimate favourite" song, and by that point in the show, I was just in awe by the amount of sheer vocal power that she was sustaining throughout every number. Simply phenomenal.

Her last big public appearance being her Whitney Houston tribute, it was only fitting that she performed a medley of two songs from (yes, Whitney was also her favourite) singer. She began with a ballad of Every Woman, and then she switched to the more uptempo Dance With Somebody.

And yes, that's when I got a chance to dance with her! She made her way through the audience, getting unwitting audience members sitting near the aisles to dance with her and sing a little. After three very shy gentlemen, she started asking for dancers to dance with her. And anyone familiar with the song probably knows exactly which lines she kept singing, and let me tell ya, JHud was totally rocking it out and extending that song for all its worth.

Shot from our aisle via my dance partner in crime for the night
[Photo by @Nicholas Me]

By chance, I happened to be sitting next to probably the other most shameless person in the crowd. Every time we heard the words "Don't you wanna dance?" we were standing up and trying to get the divine diva's attention. And she totally came to dance with us! We totally rocked it out, did some steps together, and before she left she gave me a quick hug.

She ended the evening with another ballad, Saving All My Love. Halfway through, it suddenly changed into And I Am Telling You (I'm Not Going). Let's just say I had been waiting for that moment all night and I couldn't help but give out an excited cheer that was followed by more applause from the previously very shy audience. Seeing her perform it live was insane. She made it look so effortless, I'm still glowing from watching her incredibly insane talent.

The evening wasn't without its technical glitches. Kinda like a recent broadcast of the Tony Awards, one of the speakers went out a few times in the evening (specifically the one on my side, grr...). Which was frustrating but was also a testament to JHud's talent and pure professionalism. She just kept belting it out, and it made it all the more richer every time we got back the full levels of her vocal prowess.

Overtures for Vancouver Opera supports both their mainstage productions and their youth and community engagement programs. Jennifer Hudson thanked the audience for supporting the youth program, and after she made her exit the curtain dropped revealing the Aida set transformed into a beautiful dining hall.

The stage transformed and the delighted audience

Definitely a night to remember, but my fun with Vancouver Opera doesn't end there. Aida opens tomorrow night (right during Fan Expo no less... more from SnapDragon on that one). I am incredibly thankful to be working with such a fantastic company and all the rich experiences I've had with them in no less than a month! Bravo to Vancouver Opera!

Posted by Filipina Colada