A Whitney Houston tribute artist hopes to get people together for a “real girls’ night out” at her show in Hornchurch.
Following a sold-out West End premiere at The Savoy Theatre, the Whitney: Queen of the Night tribute show is coming to Queen's Theatre.
Elesha Paul Moses will be recreating the challenging vocals of Whitney Houston.
The 38-year-old singer from Hampshire said she started discovering that she could sing by listening to big pop artists such as Whitney and Mariah Carey.
She said: "I was singing in a club and a friend said 'We should do something different'.
"I went home, put down a couple of lines of Whitney and thought 'Oh, I can sound like her'.
"It went from there and I've progressed the sound over the years."
Speaking about her favourite song to perform, Elesha chose Love Will Save The Day.
"I've never done a typical tribute show; I didn't go out there and speak with an American accent," she said.
"I never performed Whitney as Whitney. I performed Whitney's music as Elesha, it was always me singing how she sang."
This year Elesha's been touring the UK, Europe and Brazil as Whitney Houston as well as touring the UK as Tina Turner in the new show What's Love Got To Do With It?
Speaking about the differences between the shows, Elesha said: "Tina's not got a growl as such, it's just something which is there in her tone.
"It's really difficult. People think it's shouting but it's not, it's a very particular tone that she has, and she's so free with her performance.
"Then when I'm on stage as Whitney it's almost the opposite."
Elesha appeared on The X Factor in 2010 alongside One Direction and winner Matt Cardle.
She also reached the battle rounds twice on The Voice, working with will.i.am in a duo in 2013 and Tom Jones as a solo act a year later.
Even though Elesha wasn't successful in the shows, she believes they gave her career a boost.
She said: "I was asked to audition for The Voice, and I first went when I was pregnant with my daughter Kookie, who's now six - but I realised the live shows would be on when I was due with her so had to back out.
"Doing both of these did give me a boost at the time, even though I got so close but ultimately wasn't successful.
"I'm 100per cent sure I wouldn't be tempted to do it again."
Elesha had previously been mentored by Beyonce's dad, Mathew Knowles, on the Channel 4 talent show, Chancers.
She described the experience as "pretty mad".
"I won the chance from UK auditions to spend a month in Houston, America, where the group of us chosen had various challenges," said Elesha.
"Mine was to sing at the same studio where Whitney Houston had recorded, little did I know what was to come all these years on.
"But, that experience gave me a really tough skin, to know that whatever you do don't worry about what's happened in the past, it's all brought me to where I am now."
Whitney is cited as the most awarded female artist of all time by the Guinness World Records.
She died in 2012 at the age of 48.
Elesha said: "I'd say Whitney audiences are 80 or 90per cent female - it's people getting together for a real girls' night out.
"Her songs have never gone away. Even youngsters now, they know I Wanna Dance With Somebody or I Will Always Love You.
"It's such a shame that Whitney's life ended too soon.
"I sometimes wonder what it'd be like if Whitney had come through her problems too, if she was still alive and I was able to go and see her perform."
Whitney: Queen of the Night will be at the Queen's Theatre in Billet Lane on Monday, December 2 at 7.30pm.
Visit queens-theatre.co.uk or call 01708 443333.
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