Michigan Avenue Magazine’s December Covergirl: Jennifer Hudson

Michigan Avenue Magazine’s December Covergirl: Jennifer Hudson
“A Hudson Holiday”
House of Blues Chicago
December 4, 2012

Oscar & Grammy-Winner Jennifer Hudson returned home to Chicago Tuesday night, to celebrate her December/January cover for Michigan Avenue Magazine at House of Blues Chicago. This is the second time Jennifer has graced the cover, the first time being the September 2010 issue. This time, Jennifer had her older sister Julia close in hand, as she arrived on the red carpet. Julia helps Jennifer run their Julian D. King Foundation, which supports underprivileged children.

Drinks were flowing with the evening’s Hennessy sponsor and the crowd was bright (literally) in the various colored glow sticks that were handed out. Media & public were told that Jennifer would take the stage at 9:04pm. She actually did not come out until closer to 9:30pm, but the Chicago native is fully allowed a few extra “diva” minutes, though her kindness & “Midwestern charm” keep her far from being a diva. For her highly-anticipating fans in the crowd, Jennifer appropriately began her set with “Night Of Your Life”, which she originally is featured in with DJ David Guetta. Jennifer then moved on to a highly-energized Whitney Houston tribute, singing “I’m Every Woman”, followed by “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”. At one point during “Dance With Somebody”, Jennifer invited about a dozen fans up on stage with her to dance. The entire venue roared with excitement, reminding us why we love when our Chicago girl comes home.

Between songs, Jennifer would speak to the crowd saying things like, “I wanna thank Chicago for being Chicago” and “there’s no place like home”. In true Jennifer Hudson style, she finished her performance with a bang, singing “And I Am Telling You” from her Oscar-Winning role in the 2006 film Dreamgirls.

The night concluded with Michigan Avenue Magazine President/Publisher Dan Uslan and Editor-in-Chief J. P. Anderson presenting a check for $10,000 to Jennifer & Julia’s King Foundation. As soon as Jennifer finished her performance, Dan immediately asked the crowd, “Doesn’t Jennifer Hudson rock the house?!” Being such a successful night, in more ways than one there at the House of Blues, that was clearly a rhetorical question…

Jeff Conway 24/7 Contributor

• photo credit: Candace Jordan & Jeff Conway
• photo credit: (From left to right) Lindsay Avner, Kathleen Ralston, Whitley Bouma Herbert & Jorie Gillis 
• photo credit: J.P. Anderson, Editor-in-Chief (on left) & Dan Uslan, President/Publisher, Michigan Avenue Magazine