 A remake of "Sparkle" was in development in the early 2000s with R&B singer Aaliyah as the lead, but the project was shelved when Aaliyah died in 2001.The "Sparkle" remake was eventually released in August 2012 and starred Jordin Sparks and Whitney Houston, in her final film role.On December 21, 1981, the Tony Award-winning musical "Dreamgirls" opened at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway and ran for 1,522 performances.