New York, NY – In celebration of Whitney Houston’s life and unparalleled career, Madame Tussauds has chosen to immortalize the beloved artist in wax – not once, but four times at four separate and distinct points of her life, which will be showcased at each Madame Tussauds attraction in the U.S. This will represent the first time in the more than 200-year history of Madame Tussauds that this has been done.
The four new wax figures, which honor the performer at memorable points of her career, will be unveiled at a special ceremony in early February at Madame Tussauds New York in Times Square. The figures will then be individually installed in each of the four U.S.-based Madame Tussauds attractions in New York City, Washington, D.C., Hollywood and Las Vegas accompanied within immersive and commemorative settings.
“Mention Whitney Houston’s name and you can almost hear her performance of the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ at Super Bowl XXV, her incredibly powerful take on ‘I Will Always Love You,’ the soulful ‘I Look to You’ or the catchy hit ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody,’ immediately playing in your head,” said Rosemary Preta, director of marketing, Midway USA, Merlin Entertainments Group. “She was a true and rare talent and we are exceedingly proud to be adding her wax likeness to our attractions in the United States.”
Each of the wax figures will be featured in a unique pose and costume, recreating a significant moment of Houston’s incredible career.
• Madame Tussauds New York
In 2009 Whitney Houston released “I Look to You,” which was her first studio album in six years, and quickly reminded listeners why she was one of the greatest artists of all time. The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 — becoming her fourth number one album — and has gone on to sell more than 2.5 million copies worldwide. At Madame Tussauds New York, Houston will be dressed in an elegant gold sequined floor-length gown evocative of the one she wore in the “I Look to You” album photo shoot.
• Madam Tussauds Washington, D.C.
On Jan. 27, 1991, Houston delivered one of the most stirring renditions of the “Star Spangled Banner” ever recorded at the start of Super Bowl XXV. It was a moment that held national significance due to the fact the U.S. was at war in the Persian Gulf and one that became a defining moment of her career. At Madame Tussauds Washington, D.C., Houston will be portrayed as she appeared on that day and dressed in a recreation of the white track suit with red, white and blue detailing that she wore with a white headband.
• Madame Tussauds Hollywood
Houston took on her first major acting role when she starred as singer Rachel Marron in 1992’s “The Bodyguard.” The film was a box office success, becoming the second highest grossing release of the year, and the soundtrack, which features Houston’s cover of “I Will Always Love You,” sold 45 million copies worldwide and has gone on to become the best-selling soundtrack of all time. At Madame Tussauds Hollywood, Houston will be depicted as Rachel Marron wearing a replica of the chromed-silver “Queen of the Night” costume she famously wore in the film. Warner Bros kindly lent the original outfit to Madame Tussauds studio artists to ensure an exact recreation.
• Madame Tussauds Las Vegas
The first single from Houston’s second studio album was titled “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” and earned the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 30th Grammy Awards in 1988. The song’s accompanying video became one of Houston’s best recognized music videos and ran in heavy rotation on MTV, VH1, and BET. At Madame Tussauds Las Vegas, Houston’s wax figure will be styled in the same way she appeared in the video, wearing a tight purple-pink tank dress and blonde curly hair.
Speaking on behalf of the family and the Whitney Houston estate, Pat Houston said: “We were extremely honored when Madame Tussauds approached us about doing not one, but four figures of Whitney from different points in her 30-year career. This is something we are excited to do for the fans.”
Each of the wax figures was created by a team of specially trained artists at Madame Tussauds’ studio in London, England. The figures were first perfectly sculpted in clay then molded in wax before artists accurately recreated skin tone, including every freckle, mole and dimple. Hair is then inserted one strand at a time and hairdressers, make-up artists and stylists then finish off the look. The painstaking process takes four months to complete at an approximate cost of $1.2 million for the four figures.