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VIDEO: Jennifer Hudson, Hailey Kilgore & Saycon Sengbloh Write 'Respect' in a Clip From the New Aretha Franklin Biopic!

You can see the film in theaters this Friday, August 13th.

By: Aug. 11, 2021
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Broadway talent including Jennifer Hudson, Hailey Kilgore, and Saycon Sengbloh are showcased in this new clip from Aretha Franklin biopic Respect.

Watch the Franklin sisters collaborate on writing the title song in the clip below!

Hudson won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Effie White in Dreamgirls.

Hailey Kilgore is best known for her breakthrough role as Ti Moune in the Broadway revival of Once on This Island, a performance for which 19-year-old Hailey was nominated for the 2018 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, becoming one of the youngest nominees in the category.

Saycon Sengbloh has been featured in the newest generation of contemporary shows on Broadway and off-Broadway, including the national tour of Rent, Aida, Wicked, and Fela!

Following the rise of Aretha Franklin's career from a child singing in her father's church's choir to her international superstardom, RESPECT is the remarkable true story of the music icon's journey to find her voice.

The cast also includes Audra McDonald as Barbara Franklin, Tituss Burgess as Reverend Doctor James Cleveland, Forest Whitaker as C.L. Franklin, Marlon Wayans as Ted White, Marc Maron as Jerry Wexler, Kimberly Scott as Mama Franklin, Saycon Sengbloh as Erma Franklin, Hailey Kilgore as Carolyn Franklin, Heather Headley as Clara Ward, Skye Dakota Turner as Young Aretha Franklin, Tate Donovan as John Hammond, and Mary J. Blige as Dinah Washington.

Tommy is the first Black woman ever nominated for a Tony award for Best Direction of a Play in 2016 for Eclipsed, and is an Associate Artist at the Berkeley Rep and an Artist Trustee with The Sundance Institute's Board of Trustees.




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