I’ve always been a big fan of the original movie Sparkle; I grew up listening to the soundtrack. I thought one day I could produce a Broadway version and the only creative change I would make would be to update the film from the early 1960s to the 1980s. That way hip-hop would be the soundtrack of the street.
One thing I knew I couldn’t change was the original script, because it was so well done and well written, but think about it: En Vogue’s “Giving Him Something He Could Feel” was the ’80s.
So when I went to the Sparkle premiere last night, I went in expecting to see a remake with minimal changes, but at the reception, one of the actors in the film told me that when making the movie, they didn’t follow the original script.
However, although I had pre-conceived notions about changing the script, after watching this “new version” of Sparkle I was not at all disappointed. In fact, I was thrilled. I thought it was one of the most engaging, fun premieres I had been to in a long time. I think I may have even gotten emotional two or three times. At the end, I hoped the lights wouldn’t come on because I had a few tears in my eyes 🙂
Just seeing Whitney Houston on the screen made me extremely emotional and inspired. Her performance was so inspiring, the audience stopped and cheered as it ended.
I want to send a huge congratulations to the three actresses, Tika Sumpter, Carmen Ejogo and Jordin Sparks for their great performances. To sum it up, if you’re a fan of good cinema, I recommend you go see Sparkle and get inspired.
