UK tour celebrating the work of Whitney Houston to stop in Warrington

Adenike Adewale was once a shy child who would practice singing in her bedroom, and now she’s touring the UK in Whitney – Queen of the Night.

The show, which explores three decades of Whitney Houston’s iconic music, including hits like I Wanna Dance with Somebody, I Will Always Love You and Million Dollar Bill.

The tour will be making its way to Warrington next month, on September 13, and Adenike will be singing songs that were the soundtrack to her childhood.

“My mum was a huge fan, so Whitney Houston was always ringing and singing in our house from an early age,” said Adenike.

“That vocal passion she had, the gospel background, it spoke to me.

“Her voice wasn’t just pleasing to the ear, but the passion was something I related to.”

Adenike performs classic hits such as Million Dollar Bill (Image: Hannah McAteer)

Whitney – Queen of the Night is celebrating its 10th anniversary next year and has more than 100 shows scheduled across the UK.

Adenike, who was a contestant on The Voice in 2021, has to dedicate a lot of time to looking after her voice after performing the incredibly challenging songs each night.

“Whitney had that ability from a young age, and yes, it was affected towards the end of her life, but I never had that ability as a child or teenager,” she said.

“It takes a lot of practice, rehearsals and spending time listening to Whitney’s music.

“I work hard to keep my voice fit so that I can enjoy every performance and make sure everybody has a good time.

“The show goes through the timelines of Whitney’s life and achievements, and I see it as taking the audience on a journey with me and that’s how I make it work.”

The show explores Whitney’s life story, as well as her beloved hits, and audiences can expect an interactive element to the performance too.

The show explores the songs and life of Whitney Houston (Image: Hannah McAteer)

“In between the songs, we are taking people through her life with the chat,” said Adenike.

“That’s what makes it different as a ‘tribute’ show as such, in that I’m not being Whitney, not acting as her, not until the music kicks in and my voice starts.

“As soon as the music starts it’s a faithful Whitney performance, but between times we are sharing that story.

“There’s so much to love in this show, but probably for me the interaction in My Love Is Your Love is a highlight, where we get someone to join us on stage. I think people assume they are pre-chosen or planted people but they’re not – it’s a genuine live selection.

“Sometimes they are great and can really sing, other times they’re people who just want to dance along. Whoever it is, we love that lovely moment of celebrating together… And you never know quite how it will turn out each night!”

Whitney – Queen of the Night will start at 7.30pm at Parr Hall, and tickets start at £20 each.

“It’s powerful to bring a performance that reflects the time when she was at her best and very special to be able to help people recreate their memories of Whitney and how very, very special she was at her prime,” said Adenike.

“Even though most of her hits came before those difficult times, they are reflected in a lot of the songs and lyrics – the emotions are all there and we hope to bring the moments to treasure to the front.”