Sing Along With Whitney Houston At The American Dream On Feb. 7

A one-day exhibit by the New Jersey Hall of Fame features a retrospective on Houston’s career and a hologram of the late artist.

The New Jersey Hall of Fame is honoring the  “The Voice” herself, Whitney Houston, and her legacy with a sprawling exhibit on Saturday, Feb. 7, at the American Dream in East Rutherford. 

The event, called “the Official Whitney Houston Capstone,” will include a retrospective on her life and career, a karaoke stage, and a screening of “Whitney Houston in Focus” at the New Jersey Pride Theater. Pat Houston, the executor of the Estate of Whitney E. Houston, will give opening remarks during the event. 

The Great Hall of the New Jersey Hall of Fame’s museum, will showcase four of Houston’s outfits from her performances, which are on loan from her estate. In addition to the exhibit, there will be a large LED wall of Houston for visitors to take their photo with and celebrity anecdotes commemorating Houston’s 40-year legacy. 

Visitors will also be able to take part in themed giveaways throughout the day and Whitney Houston merchandise will be on sale at the Boardwalk Shop. Houston was inducted into the NJHOF in 2013 for Arts and Entertainment. Her mother, Cissy, as well as her cousins Dionne and Dee Dee are also New Jersey Hall of Fame inductees. 

“We use the legacies and the work of our inductees to help promote that next generation of artists,” says Deanna van Woerkom, manager of Marketing Events and Activations at New Jersey Hall of Fame. “Naturally, one of the biggest names to come out of New Jersey is Whitney Houston. Her legacy, her voice, and impact have been astounding.” 

The main highlight of the event is the karaoke station, which will include a full-body hologram and footage of Houston for guests to perform alongside. The stage will feature footage of Houston’s performance of “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” from her Concert For a New South Africa, Durban. 

“Normally, our inductees would take the time to come out and film footage with us for an exhibit like this,” says Woerkom. “For inductees that have unfortunately passed on, like Whitney, we were exploring different ways to involve them. So for this event, we were able to pull footage from this concert.” 

The event aligns with the 40th anniversary of Houston’s self-titled debut album as well as her nomination for the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 1. 

“It seems as though the stars have aligned, making it the perfect capstone at 40 years,” says Woerkom. “Whitney’s music is a soundtrack to so many people’s lives and so many different moments. It’s an honor for us to have her as an inductee in the NJHOF and to work with her estate to put this event together.”

Houston was born in Newark and spent time growing up there as well as East Orange before living in Mendham as an adult. Her former school in East Orange, Franklin Elementary School, was renamed the Whitney E. Houston Academy of Creative and Performing Arts in 1997. The Official Whitney Houston Capstone will take place on Court G, Level 3, of the American Dream Mall at 1 American Dream Way, East Rutherford. Due to an anonymous donation for the event, tickets for the Capstone are free and visitors can register for them online at cocoatickets.com.