Whitney: Queen Of The Night – Review – Huddersfield Town Hall

By @Steve Crabtree, May 2018

One of the greatest voices there has ever been, Whitney Houston is up there with some of the best singers from the world of music.

And to pay tribute to a star who left the scene too soon, the Town Hall in Huddersfield was almost full for Whitney: Queen Of The Night. Mainly a female audience were there to party the night away, with the odd couple dotted around here and there too.

“Huddersfield up on it’s feet”

Ready for a soul-filled evening, the audience were in upbeat mood, and none more so than when the ultra-elegant Shanice Smith arrived on stage. There were some superfans of the late Whitney Houston and her music in the room, and Ms Smith certainly didn’t let anyone down.

‘So Emotional’, ‘My Love Is Your Love’ and ‘How Will I Know’ had Huddersfield up on its feet. It set us up for the journey of Whitney hits. Billed as a tribute, the show is on the very high end of that scale. It was captivating, and we were treated to an impressive couple of hours entertainment.

“Glamour and a lot of fun”

The lighting was great, the costumes glitzy, and the choreography and the backing band were tight. We had glamour, and we had a lot of fun.

After a twenty minute interval, my friend and I decided that we were going to dance for the rest of the show. And that we did. We weren’t alone, and the aisles were packed.

The sensational voice of Shanice Smith certainly hit the spot. She carried the persona too, and certainly delivered. And with fans whooping, cheering, shouting out their appreciation and dancing in their seats, it made for a thrilling, lively evening.

I’ve always been a fan of songs such as ‘One Moment in Time’, ‘I Will Always Love You’ and ‘I’m Every Woman’ – and hearing them live, and with a room full of Whitney Houston fans, was a nice way to revisit them.

For me, this tribute would be the good basis of a Broadway musical, detailing Houston’s life.  Combine this evening’s amazing songs with the trials and tribulations that led to her downfall, and there’ll be an interesting and important production on someone’s hands.

But tonight has been all about life, soul and Whitney Houston. Superfan or not, this is a show well worth going along to see.  There was never a more apt name for Whitney Houston and tonight, Shanice Smith was definitely the Queen of the Night.