JORDIN SPARKS, DEREK LUKE, & OTHERS CRY AT SPARKLE SCREENING

With the untimely passing of 48 year old music icon Whitney Houston on February11, 2012, the cast of Sparkle are still struggling with hearing her voice as they watch the premiere of Sparkle in NYC.  

AUGUST COVER

New York Post is reporting:

Whitney Houston’s voice drew tears from the audience at the Tribeca Grand during a screening of “Sparkle,” Houston’s last on-screen performance. When the late singer appeared in a church scene singing a solo of gospel hymn “His Eye Is on the Sparrow,” sniffles could be heard in the audience, which included the movie’s stars, Jordin Sparks, Derek Luke, Tika Sumpter, Omari Hardwick, Mike Epps and Carmen Ejogo. After wiping away tears, the crowd burst into applause at the end of Houston’s scene.

Olympic athletes were also the stars of the Alice + Olivia-sponsored Cinema Society party at the Soho Grand. Guests squealed when they heard four members of the “Fierce Five” USA gymnastics team — McKayla Maroney, Jordyn Wieber, Kyla Ross and Aly Raisman — were in the house. And USA swimmer Cullen Jones also got plenty of attention, telling us young swimmers Missy Franklin and Brooklyn’s Lia Neal are talents to be reckoned with. “I’ve trained with [Lia] a couple of times, he said. “The girl’s got skills.”

"Sparkle,” which opens Friday, tells the story of a Detroit singing sibling group attempting to break into the music industry in 1968.