A group of New Orleans high-school students are staging a multimedia production of Dreamgirls on the BET reality series One Night Only, so who better to drop by for the series finale than Oscar-nominated Dreamgirls actress and American Idol 3 finalist Jennifer Hudson.
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"I heard about it and wanted to support the kids, New Orleans, the Katrina victims," Hudson said in the February 26 issue of TV Guide. "I just wanted to be a part of it."
Airing its finale on BET on Tuesday, February 27 at 7:30PM ET/PT, One Night Only follows a group of aspiring singers, actors and dancers from McDonogh 35 High School -- which is, according to BET, the oldest African-American high school in New Orleans -- as they attempt to compete for roles in the Momentum Experience’s live stage production of One Night Only: Live On The Stage, a multi-media tribute to Dreamgirls.
"I was there for there opening show. It was amazing," Hudson told TV Guide. "Those kids are so talented. Afterward, I went to the party and sang with them... it was so nice."
Chrishira, a New Orleans native and 16-year-old junior at McDonogh 35 Senior High School, is playing the role of Effe White in One Night Only -- the same role that has landed Hudson a Golden Globe award and Oscar nomination for best supporting actress.
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"Oh, my God, that's a special gift," Hudson told TV Guide about Chrishira's voice. "I was blown away. We all were."
After the Academy Awards ceremony this Sunday night, Hudson said she hopes to rest, record her next album and plot her next film role. "I'm reading scripts, meeting producers, directors... being smart about it," she told TV Guide. Hudson added she watches the sixth season of Idol -- that is when she "has the time" -- and said recording a song with fellow Idol 3 divas Fantasia Barrino and LaToya London isn't out of the question.
"I would love to," Hudson told TV Guide. "That's a dream of mine. Hopefully we can make it happen."
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio