Meet the Men of Sparkle and Tune in for Sparkle: The Tribute
Posted 08.15.12 by BrentJS
The world lost a truly legendary entertainer when recording artist, actress and producer Whitney Houston passed away at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 11, 2012, only two days after taking the stage in Hollywood to sing "Jesus Loves Me" with soul singer Kelly Price. Houston appeared poised for a comeback when she met her untimely demise, having recently been wrapped on director Salim Akil's musical drama, Sparkle, in which she played the role of a single mother living in Detroit, Michigan, during the '60s, whose daughter, Sparkle (Jordin Sparks), is a musical prodigy and rising star. The movie opens this Friday and it will be dedicated to Houston.
In anticipation of the movie's release, Reelz is airing a special titled Sparkle: The Tribute that profiles the life and death of "The Voice" and offers an exclusive behind the scenes look at the movie through interviews with Jordin Sparks and several of the other cast members, including the men of Sparkle (watch the sneak peek above). We also walk the red carpet with the stars as they premiere Sparkle in New York and even manage to get some dance moves from choreographer Fatima Robinson.
More on Whitney's last movie role
Friday 11:00p ET / 8:00p PT
Sparkle is a remake of the 1976 movie of the same name, which was inspired by the story of The Supremes. The screenplay was written by Mara Brock Akil, from a story by Joel Schumacher and Howard Rosenman. Here's the synopis:
Musical prodigy Sparkle (Sparks) struggles to become a star while overcoming issues that are tearing her family apart. From an affluent Detroit area and daughter to a single mother (Houston), she tries to balance a new romance with music manager, Stix (Derek Luke), while dealing with the unexpected challenges her new life will bring as she and her two sisters Sister (Carmen Ejogo) and Dolores (Tika Sumpter) strive to become a dynamic singing group during the Motown-era.
The cast of Sparkle also includes Mike Epps, Omari Hardwick, Cee Lo Green and Tamela Mann. The movie opens this Friday.