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Ariana Grande & Jennifer Hudson Talk 'Hairspray Live!' Duet

Ariana Grande & Jennifer Hudson Talk 'Hairspray Live!' Duet

Hairspray is getting a new song, one of diva-licious proportions!

On December 7th, Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson will be teaming up to sing a live duet for the latest musical addition to Hairspray Live! called “Come So Far (Got So Far to Go)”. It was originally sung by Queen Latifah in the 2007 film and will also be the grand finale of the live televised event next month!

“We asked Marc [Shaiman] and Scott [Wittman] to write a song for the end credits for the movie version about a decade ago,” says producer Craig Zadan. “It had no part in this show whatsoever. But we listened to the song recently and we thought, ‘Boy when you listen to those lyrics, it’s just so much about where the country is right now, where we are right now. It looks back and looks forward at the same time.” After falling in love with the tune, Craig challenged script adapter Harvey Fierstein to find the perfect spot for the song.

Harvey said, ‘I can’t find a place in the show to use it but what if we made that the big finale of the show because it then sums up everything that you’ve seen before for the last three hours,’” reveals Craig. “When you hear it, you will fall on the floor.”

“I haven’t heard it yet! But I went in and I sang my parts and I’m so excited to see how it turns out,” Ariana tells Just Jared during the Hairspray Live! press day. The pop star is still trying to come to terms with the fact that she will be dueting, as Penny, alongside Jennifer. “Singing with Jennifer is incredible! It’s crazy to me. I’m going to cry again. I cried the other day,” she said with a squeal. But she promises the show will end on a happy note, adding that “‘Come So Far” is a “really fun song.”

Jennifer is equally as excited as Ariana. “I’m a big fan of hers and I love her voice. I just love sing with singers,” she says.

Hairspray Live! will air from Los Angeles on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

– Reporting by Nicole Pajer

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