As strike tensions simmer, Jennifer Hudson wows crowd at auto show's Charity Preview
Against the backdrop of an auto industry on edge, Michigan movers and shakers gathered downtown Friday evening for the formal launch of the public portion of the North American International Detroit Auto Show.
The annual black-tie Charity Preview at the Huntington Place convention center drew guests including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, along with an array of other politicos, industry leaders and philanthropists.
Two hours before Jennifer Hudson served up a powerhouse music performance to top the evening, attendees gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 6 p.m. Down the block along Jefferson Avenue, hundreds of UAW members and allies assembled for a rally on the first day of a targeted strike against Detroit's Big Three automakers.
The UAW had already signaled it would not picket Friday's auto show event, given that it is a key fundraiser for six area children's charities.
In prepared remarks inside the convention center, Whitmer alluded to the labor action without specifically identifying it.
While "we must also acknowledge the unique circumstances of the moment, let's remember we are all on Team Michigan," the governor said. "I know that there will be a good-faith resolution to uplift working families and treat them with dignity while growing the economy so we can continue to lead the world."
It wasn't lost on some observers that many of the Democratic politicians at the Charity Preview accented their outfits with red — including Whitmer via her shoes — in a likely show of solidarity with striking UAW workers.
Hudson's performance on the main show floor had the tux-and-gown crowd in thrall. Though it has been more than a decade since the R&B star staged a full-fledged concert tour, she's a seasoned pro at specialty events such as the charity gala, and her easygoing onstage charisma shined Friday night.
Saw Jennifer Hudson perform at work tonight! 😃♥️ Where You At? #NAIAS pic.twitter.com/hntjdYWEpx
— ôH мiɳℓℯ△uxó.™ (@leauxo) September 16, 2023
In a gold dress at a purple mic stand, the singer-actress-turned-talk-show-host impressed with an 80-minute set that included a lengthy tribute to Aretha Franklin. Hudson is intimately acquainted with the Queen of Soul’s repertoire — she played the late Detroit icon in the 2021 film “Respect” — and she dazzled Friday with renditions of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “Respect” and “Ain’t No Way,” the last one a standout vocal showcase.
“If you really want to know the heart of Ms. Franklin, come to Detroit because it’s in the people,” Hudson told the crowd. The Chicago native, who also starred in the 2006 film adaption of the Detroit-set musical “Dreamgirls,” called the Motor City a “second home.”
(Editor's note: Shortly before showtime, Hudson’s team barred media photography of her performance.)
She was joined by an ace eight-member ensemble that included Fred Nelson III, Franklin’s longtime musical director, on piano and her 2004 “American Idol” castmate George Huff on backing vocals.
Hudson lent her potent voice and dramatic high notes to a set that included solo hits (“Spotlight,” “Where You At”) and “Dreamgirls” material, including a hot medley that paired “I Am Changing” with “And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going.”
She also paid tribute to Whitney Houston with a series of cover songs, at one point passing the microphone to singers with the Detroit Youth Choir, eagerly gathered down front, for a turn on “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” (The DYC had earlier charmed at the gala's ribbon cutting with an Imagine Dragons tune and a medley of Motown standards.)
Hudson was seemingly finished but had party attendees scrambling back as she returned to the stage for her set’s standout moment: a rich, moving rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” which put a poignant cap on a uniquely complicated Charity Preview night.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jennifer Hudson wows auto show preview as strike tensions simmer
