BAFTA Awards Winners Announced in London

The 70th BAFTA Awards were held in London last night.   

Below is the complete list of winners:

BEST FILM

LA LA LAND
Fred Berger, Jordan Horowitz, Marc Platt

LEADING ACTRESS

EMMA STONE
La La Land

DIRECTOR

LA LA LAND
Damien Chazelle

LEADING ACTOR

CASEY AFFLECK
Manchester by the Sea

CINEMATOGRAPHY

LA LA LAND
Linus Sandgren

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
Kenneth Lonergan

SUPPORTING ACTOR

DEV PATEL
Lion

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER

Under the Shadow
BABAK ANVARI (Writer/Director), EMILY LEO, OLIVER ROSKILL, LUCAN TOH (Producers)

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS

THE JUNGLE BOOK
Robert Legato, Dan Lemmon, Andrew R. Jones, Adam Valdez

ANIMATED FILM

KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS
Travis Knight

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

VIOLA DAVIS
Fences

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

LION
Luke Davies

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

SON OF SAUL
László Nemes, Gábor Sipos

DOCUMENTARY

13TH
Ava DuVernay

PRODUCTION DESIGN

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
Stuart Craig, Anna Pinnock

EDITING

HACKSAW RIDGE
John Gilbert

BRITISH SHORT FILM

HOME
Shpat Deda, Afolabi Kuti, Daniel Mulloy, Scott O’Donnell

BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION

A LOVE STORY
Khaled Gad, Anushka Kishani Naanayakkara, Elena Ruscombe-King

SOUND

ARRIVAL
Claude La Haye, Bernard Gariépy Strobl, Sylvain Bellemare

COSTUME DESIGN

JACKIE
Madeline Fontaine

ORIGINAL MUSIC

LA LA LAND
Justin Hurwitz

MAKE UP & HAIR

FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS
J. Roy Helland, Daniel Phillips

THE EE RISING STAR AWARD
(voted for by public)

TOM HOLLAND

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

I, DANIEL BLAKE
Ken Loach, Rebecca O’Brien, Paul Laverty

Ed Simpson's 'Periphery' Is Right On The Edge

The cast Grant Gunderson, Sammie Wayne, Tabitha Petrini, Jeff LeBleu (in back with glasses on), 

Daniel Tolbert, Cassandra Cardenes, Etienne Maurice in front, William Warren behind him, 

Darrel Phillip, Jason C. Daniels, Jennifer Jones, Melvin S. Ward (in the back), 

Sophie Lamzik (with cigarette) and Ben Michaels (kneeling).

By Darlene Donloe

February is Black History Month.  It’s the perfect time to unlock the innumerable stories that make up the Colored/Negro/African American/Black American experience.

One of those stories took place on Feb. 1, 1960. That’s when four college students (David Richmond, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair, and Joseph McNeil) staged a sit-in at the all-white Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina.  Their act sparked several sit-ins around the country and national interests in the civil rights movement.

Playwright Ed Simpson brings the story to life as part of an All The Way West Productions, Inc. presentation of its Black History production of Periphery.

Periphery is a play about citizens, white and black alike, who must choose between continuing the injustices of the past and moving forward toward a unified America. Some of the views are surprising.  The play is also about the people who sit just outside of the action, but were, nonetheless, emotionally, physically and mentally invested.

Before a stark stage with just the basics, the play takes off like a history lesson with the actors talking directly to the audience. One by one they peel back the layers on their individual stories, as well as the actual story about the sit-ins. The audience will find that not everyone is who they seem. Not everyone wants change. Some people would prefer not to rock the boat and it doesn’t fall neatly across color lines. Some black folks support the sit-ins, while others think it’s a waste of time. Some whites are outraged, while others are sympathetic.

A young black man in the show, played by Etienne Maurice, said the movement is about “deciding what kind of world” they were going to live in, while a young white woman wants to know “what are “they” trying to prove?”

Although she makes good use of the entire stage, some of Lorey Hayes’ direction distorts the flow.

Sammie Wayne and Daniel Tolbert

One of the characters, Nate, played superbly by theater veteran Sammie Wayne, is the black father of a teenage son (an excellent Daniel Tolbert) who gets involved in the movement.  Nate thinks the movement is “a bunch of kids who have big ideas in their heads.  They sat somewhere they weren’t wanted.  I don’t need to sit as a counter to know I’m a man.”  Nate is obviously from a different generation. He’s content not to ruffle feathers, but warms up to the idea of his son taking a stance.

After witnessing the sit-in, a young white male says “It’s not a Negro thing, it’s a human thing.”  Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, an older black man who works in the Woolworth’s can’t quite wrap his head around why the “disrespectful colored boys” are opening up a can of worms.

Over and over again the diverse group of actors reiterate how people can stand up by sitting down.

The uneven acting by some in the show - who also didn't seem confident in their blocking, is buoyed by the solid thespian skills of others. 

Writer Ed Simpson has penned a solid and memorable moment in black history.

                                                                                   

Periphery, written by Ed Simpson and directed by Lorey Hayes, stars Cassandra Cardenas, Jason C. Daniels, Grant Gunderson, Beverlix Jean-Baptiste, Jennifer Jones, Sophie Lamzik, Jeff LeBeau, Etienne Maurice, Ben Michaels, Tabitha Petrini, Darrell Philip, Naiyah D. Scaife, Rashad Scroggins, Daniel Tolbert, Melvin S. Ward, William Warren and Sammie Wayne.

Periphery, Hudson Backstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90038; 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays through Feb 26, 2017;  $10-$30; 323 856-4249 or 323 960-1055.

ERT Set To Present Musical 'Five Guys Named Moe'

Obba Babatundé 

LOS ANGELES, CA (February 6, 2017) Ebony Repertory Theatre (ERT - Producing Artistic Director Wren T. Brown) announced today that ERT will present FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE starring Emmy Award-winner Obba Babatundé (Dreamgirls/Tony nomination). Written by Clarke Peters, this exuberant, international hit musical pays tribute to the music of rhythm and blues pioneer Louis Jordan. ERT’s production, directed and choreographed by Keith Young (Sammy), with musical direction by Abdul Hamid Royal (FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE/original Broadway production) will commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the musical’s Broadway production. Performances will run May 18 – June 11, 2017 with an official press opening on Saturday, May 20 at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center, 4718 West Washington Boulevard, Los Angeles, 90016. 

“Ebony Repertory Theatre is very excited to present FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE in the 25th Anniversary year of its Broadway debut,” said Wren T. Brown, ERT Producing Artistic Director. “I will never forget the sheer excitement I felt while sitting in the Eugene O’Neill Theatre on Broadway in 1992 watching six wonderfully talented men and a most swinging band celebrate the music and persona of the seminal and pioneering saxophonist, singer and bandleader Louis Jordan. In addition, we are thrilled to have Keith Young make his Los Angeles directorial debut with this production. We are also honored to have the original Musical Director of the Broadway production, Abdul Hamid Royal, leading the band. And of course, we are overjoyed to have the gifted triple-threat Obba Babatundé as Nomax.

“When Wren Brown reached out to me about FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE, I knew my fortunes had taken a turn for the better. It’s twenty-five years for me, and nearly 10 years for Wren at the Ebony Repertory Theatre. I'd hoped the show would become a landmark in our community's contribution to the great American musical lexicon,” said Clarke Peters, who wrote the book for the musical. “Mr. Jordan inspired so many artists across the board, both black and white. Without him, there would be no rock in the roll and less rhythm in our blues. It's one thing to read about his life, but it's another to feel him. He always said when he played music he wanted people to have a good time. FIVE GUYS' mission is to stay true to that desire. Thank you, Wren. Let the good times roll!”

“25 years ago I had the pleasure of being the Musical Director for the Broadway production of FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE. 25 years later, I’m thrilled to reprise that role as Musical Director with a new and exciting version of the show with Ebony Repertory Theatre. With Louis Jordan’s timeless music and an outstanding cast, I’m sure audiences will be rockin’ with us all night long,” said Abdul Hamid Royal.

Obba Babatundé is an accomplished, award-winning stage and film and actor and is a respected director and producer in each medium. This Emmy Award-winner for his role on Bold and the Beautiful, is also the recipient of a Tony Award nomination for his role as “C.C. White” in Dreamgirls, and both an Ovation Award nomination and NAACP Image Award as Best Actor for his role as “Sarge” in A Soldier’s Play. His many stage credits include “Billy Flynn” in Chicago on Broadway, and Jelly’s Last Jam in which he originated the role of “Jelly Roll Morton.” Babatundé received an Emmy Award nomination for his performance in the HBO Movie Miss Evers’ Boys and an NAACP Image Award nomination for his performance in Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, also on HBO. His many film appearances include The Manchurian Candidate, The Notebook, Philadelphia, The Celestine Prophecy and John Q. He has appeared in numerous television shows such as Madame Secretary, Kingdom, Hand of God, Dear White People, Dawson’s Creek and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, to name just a few. He co-produced and directed Oscar’s Black Odyssey as well as the multi-award winning short film Clarissa’s Gift and co-produced Dorothy Dandridge.

Casting for the five Moes – Big Moe, Little Moe, Four-Eyed Moe, No Moe and Eat Moe –will be announced at a later date. The full creative team will also be announced at that time.

FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE began its unlikely journey with a six-week run at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East. With a growing following, and enthusiastic reviews, producers came to see it. Cameron Mackintosh was captivated and brought the musical to London’s West End Lyric Theatre in 1990 where it played until 1995 when it moved to the Albery Theatre. In 1992 FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE made its Broadway debut at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre, where it played 445 performances and 19 previews. The show’s legacy was set. The show’s popularity grew as regional and touring productions wowed audiences across the U.S. and the world.  

Ebony Repertory Theatre (ERT) is the resident company and operator of the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center. ERT is Los Angeles’ only African American professional theatre company. Under Wren T. Brown’s producorial leadership, ERT has produced Ovation Award and NAACP Theatre Award-winning productions of August Wilson’s Two Trains Running and Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin In the Sun. Last season’s Gospel At Colonus, which starred Tony Award winner Roger Robinson, garnered fourteen Ovation Award nominations. Other ERT productions include: Jeff Stetson’s Fraternity and Phillip Hayes Dean’s Robeson, among others.

FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE runs May 19 – June 11, 2017, with the official press opening on Saturday, May 20 at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center, 4718 West Washington Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90016. Two preview performances are set for Thursday, May 18 at 8 p.m. and Friday, May 19 at 8 p.m. The regular performance schedule is Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.

In celebration of Black History Month, Ebony Repertory Theatre is offering an Early Bird Special ticket of $35 for a limited number of performances. The Early Bird Special performances are: Sunday, May 21 at 3 p.m.; Friday, May 26 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, May 27 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, May 28 at 3 p.m. This Early Bird Special is available now through February 28, 2017. 

Single tickets are available online at ebonyrep.org or by phone at 323-964-9766.  

# # #

BIOGRAPHIES

CLARKE PETERS (Book) has a long-established and wide-ranging career in theatre, television, radio and film. And his directing debut of a children’s book: Bud, Not Buddy last week at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. was a huge success. His many stage credits include: Shakespeare in the Park - King Lear; David Mamet’s Race, Chicago, and The Iceman Cometh in New York as well as, in London, as a Royal National player: Guys and Dolls, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Mourning Becomes Electra. The original Porgy in The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, Driving Miss Daisy, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Little Shop of Horrors, Blues In The Night and of course, the hit jazz musical FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE, also written by Clarke. Other theatre includes Othello at the Sheffield Crucible, the home of his directing debut of Blues for Mr. Charlie, followed by King, The Musical in the West End. You’ll appreciate that the decades of stage, radio, television and film work are too numerous to list here. Yet…

Clarke’s film credits include Spike Lee’s Red Hook Summer, Notting Hill, Mona Lisa, Bad Education, Marley and Me, Freedomland, The Benefactor, Endgame: Mandelas – The Prison Years and Nativity. Clarke is also well-known for his very varied and popular television career which includes, amongst numerous successful performances, regular appearances on The Wire, Tremé, Jericho, The Divide, Chance and the Corner. He has also guest-starred in Jonathan Creek, Holby City, Underground, Show Me A Hero, Midsomer Murders, Death In Paradise, True Detective, Memphis Beat, London Spy, Damages, Life On Mars, Law and Order- Trial By Jury, and Person of Interest. And the yet-to-be aired Life On Earth and The Deuce.

At present developing a documentary on the history of tap for the BBC and tracing Doo-Wop.

LOUIS JORDAN (Music and Lyrics) was a pioneering musician, songwriter and bandleader who was popular in the late 1930’s through early 1950’s. He began his career in big-band swing jazz and became one of the leading practitioners and innovators of jump blues, a swinging, up-tempo hybrid of jazz, blues and boogie-woogie. He had his own band for more than twenty years and worked with such stars as Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. Jordan was an instrumentalist who played all forms of saxophone, and specialized in the alto sax. He also played the piano and clarinet. A prolific songwriter, he wrote or co-wrote many songs that influence popular music.

KEITH YOUNG (Director and Choreographer). Mr. Young’s award winning work as a choreographer has spanned theatre, film and television. His extensive choreography credits include Sammy at The Old Globe Theatre (Critics Choice Award for Best Choreography), The George C. Wolfe Broadway production of On The Town, and Ebony Repertory Theatre productions of The Gospel At Colonus, Robeson, and Crowns. His many film credits include Rent, It’s Complicated, The Holiday, What Women Want, The Smurfs, Gone With The Bullets (World Choreography Award for Best Choreography) and The Parent Trap. His television credits include The Academy Awards, The Grammy Awards, The Emmy Awards, The NAACP Image Awards, So You think You Can Dance, and Dancing With The Stars. Mr. Young has worked with numerous other artists including Madonna, Babyface, Bette Midler, Josh Groban, Gladys Knight, Earth Wind And Fire, and The Isley Brothers, to name a few.

ABDUL HAMID ROYAL (Musical Director) Mr. Hamid was recently awarded a theatre trifecta in the Ovation Award; The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award and The NAACP Image Award as Best Music Direction for his work on The Gospel At Colonus. Abdul Hamid began piano at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music at 4, and by age 8 had written and publicly performed his first compositions. He received a Masters of Music in Choral Conducting from the prestigious Northwestern University and has worked as Musical Director/Conductor, with the Broadway and National/International tours of FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE, Twist, Sophisticated Ladies, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Jelly’s Last Jam, The Wiz, Truly Blessed, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof, Betsy Brown, Concerts for the Earth, Colors of Christmas, Smokey Joe’s Café, and The Life to name a few.  

As a Composer/Arranger his credits include: FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE, Truly Blessed, Body and Soul, Twist, Cole Porter Festival, Colors of Christmas and several recordings and educational publications. Abdul Hamid has worked with many musical artists including: Natalie Cole, Peabo Bryson, Melissa Manchester, Cy Coleman, Al Jarreau, The Pointer Sisters, Liza Minelli, Ashford & Simpson, Martha Wash, Jennifer Holliday, Jeffrey Osborne, Maurice Hines, Melba Moore, Patti Austin, Grover Washington Jr., Masashi Sada, Patti LaBelle, Christina Aguilera, Jason Mraz, Stevie Wonder, David Foster, Doc Powell, The LA Philharmonic, Ty Herndon, Freddie Waites, Brenda Russell, and Phil Collins. Abdul Hamid is extremely honored to be back at Ebony Repertory Theatre, Musical Directing FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE which he originated on Broadway. 

'Zoot Suit' Opens Sunday At Mark Taper Forum

Demian Bichir in the revival of Zoot Suit. Written and directed by Luis Valdez and presented in association with El Teatro Campesino, Zoot Suit opens February 12, 2017, (previews began January 31) as part of Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum’s 50th anniversary season.  Photo by Craig Schwartz.

Currently in previews, Center Theatre Group’s Zoot Suit opens February 12 at the Mark Taper Forum. This legendary play with music will continue through March 19, 2017, (extending one week from the originally announced closing date). Written and directed by Luis Valdez, Zoot Suit is presented in association with El Teatro Campesino.  

            The cast includes (in alphabetical order), Brian Abraham, Mariela Arteaga, Demian Bichir, Melinna Bobadilla, Oscar Camacho, Stephani Candelaria, Raul Cardona, Fiona Cheung, Tiffany Dupont, Caleb Foote, Holly Hyman, Kimberlee Kidd, Rocío López, Jeanine Mason, Tom G. McMahon, Andres Ortiz, Michael Naydoe Pinedo, Matias Ponce, Rose Portillo, Gilbert Saldivar, Richard Steinmetz, Evan Strand, Bradford Tatum, Raphael Thomas and Daniel Valdez. 

            Choreography for Zoot Suit is by Maria Torres, the production includes songs composed by Lalo Guerrero, the music director is Daniel Valdez, casting is by Rosalinda Morales, Pauline O’con, CSA, andCandido Cornejo, Jr., CSA. Scenic design is by Christopher Acebo, costume design is by Ann Closs-Farley, lighting design is by Pablo Santiago, sound design is by Philip G. Allen and projection design is by David Murakami. The associate director is Kinan Valdez and the production stage manager is David S. Franklin.

Author Lonnie G. Bunch To Receive Image Award

Prestigious Honor Recognizes 30 Years of Dedication as one of the Nation’s Leading Figures in the Historical and Museum Community

LOS ANGELES, CA – February 6, 2017 – The NAACP announced today that historian, author, curator and educator, Lonnie G. Bunch, III will be presented with the NAACP “President’s Award” at the 48^th NAACP Image Awards telecast LIVE from 9-11 p.m. ET, February 11 on TV One.

The NAACP “President’s Award,” chosen by NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks, is bestowed in recognition of special achievement and distinguished public service.  Past honorees include John Legend, Van Jones, President Bill Clinton, Soledad O’Brien, Ruby Dee, Muhammad Ali, the Founding Members of the Black Stuntmen’s Association, Kerry Washington, and Spike Lee.

“Historian, scholar and author Lonnie G. Bunch III, has secured among the sacred places of the American story, a place of honor for the contributions of African Americans to our nation’s history. As the founding director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), he has helped to amplify stories of our struggles and striving to wrest the shackles of oppression from both body and mind in our undeniable quest to be free,” said Cornell William Brooks, President and CEO, NAACP.  

“Dr. Bunch’s relentless work to shine a magnificent light into the incredible American prism of the Black experience from enslaved plantations to the White House mansion, has earned him this year’s NAACP President’s Award. The award bears the name of the NAACP but is invisibly inscribed with the names of Americans of every hue and heritage representing the gratitude of the nation for Dr. Bunch’s efforts.”

Lonnie G. Bunch, III is the founding director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.  In this position he is working to set the museum’s mission, coordinate its fundraising and membership campaigns, develop its collections, and establish cultural partnerships.  He is designing a high-profile program of traveling exhibitions and public events ranging from panel discussions and seminars to oral history and collecting workshops.

Prior to his July 2005 appointment as director of NMAAHC, Bunch served as the president of the Chicago Historical Society, one of the nation’s oldest museums of history (January 2001-June 2005).  There, he initiated an unprecedented outreach initiative to diverse communities and launched a much-applauded exhibition and program on teenage life titled “Teen Chicago.”  He also led a successful capital campaign to transform the institution in celebration of its 150th anniversary and managed an institutional reorganization. 

Bunch has held several positions at the Smithsonian.  As the National Museum of American History’s (NMAH) Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs (1994-2000), he oversaw the curatorial and collections management staff of nearly 200.  In addition to leading the curatorial team that developed the major permanent exhibition “American Presidency: A Glorious Burden,” he served as co-author of the exhibition’s companion book by the same name.

While assistant director for curatorial affairs at NMAH (1992-1994), Bunch developed “Smithsonian’s America,” an exhibition that explored the history, culture and diversity of the United States; it was shown in Tokyo, Japan as part of the “American Festival Japan ’94.  He also supervised the planning and implementation of the museum’s research and collection agendas.  As a supervising curator at NMAH (1989-1992), he oversaw several of the museum’s divisions, including Community Life and Political History.                

From 1978 to 1979, Bunch was an education specialist and historian at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, where he developed multi-cultural instructional programs and researched and wrote the history of African Americans in aviation.

Bunch served as the curator of history for the California Afro-American Museum in Los Angeles from 1983 to 1989.  There he organized several award-winning exhibitions including “The Black Olympians, 1904-1950” and “Black Angelenos: The Afro-American in Los Angeles, 1850-1950.”  Committed to making history accessible, he also produced several historical documentaries for public television.

A prolific and widely published author, Bunch has written on topics ranging from slavery, the black military experience, the American presidency and all black towns in the American west to diversity in museum management and the impact of funding and politics on American museums. In 2010, he published the award-winning book “Call the Lost Dream Back: Essays on Race, History and Museums.” “Slave Culture: A Documentary Collection of the Slave Narratives” was published in 2014 and in 2015 he published “Memories of the Enslaved: Voices from the Slave Narratives.”  In 2016, Bunch co-authored “From No Return: the 221-Year Journey of the Slave Ship Sao Jose.”  Lectures and presentations to museum professionals and scholars have taken him to major cities in the United States and to many nations abroad including Australia, China, England, Italy, Japan, Scotland, South Africa, Sweden, Ghana, Senegal and Cuba.  Since 2008, Bunch has served as the series co-editor of the “New Public Scholarship Edition” of the University of Michigan Press.  During the inaugurations of President Barack Obama, Bunch served as an on-camera commentator for ABC News.

In service to the historical and cultural community, Bunch has served on the advisory boards of the American Association of Museums, the African American Association of Museums, the American Association of State and Local History, and the ICOM-US. Among his many awards, he was appointed by President George W. Bush to the Commission for the Preservation of the White House in 2002 and reappointed by President Barack Obama in 2009. In 2005, Bunch was named one of the 100 most influential museum professionals in the 20^th century by the American Association of Museums and in 2009, Ebony Magazine named him one of its 150 most influential African Americans.  Again, in 2016 he was chosen as one of the 100 most significant African Americans by Ebony Magazine.  In 2011, BET (Black Entertainment Television) selected Bunch to receive its BET Honors for outstanding service to American education.  In 2014, BET selected Bunch as one of its ICON Men for his work mentoring young African American men.  In recent years, Bunch has been honored with: Visionary History Award, DC Historical Society (2016), Rainbow Push Torchbearer Award (2016), Delta Sigma Theta Remembering Our Heritage Award (2016), and National Newspaper Publishers Association Torch Award (2016).  In 2016, Bunch was listed as #1 in the Washington Business Journal’s Power 100 ratings and in Vanity Fair’s Hall of Fame.

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About NAACP:

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities. Read more about the NAACP’s work and our six “Game Changer” issue areas at NAACP.org.

About TV One:

Launched in January 2004, TV One<http://www.tvone.tv/> serves more than 60 million households, offering a broad range of real-life and entertainment-focused original programming, classic series, movies and music designed to entertain and inform a diverse audience of adult black viewers. The network represents the best in black culture and entertainment with fan favorite shows Unsung, Rickey Smiley For Real, Fatal Attraction, Hollywood Divas and The NAACP Image Awards. In addition, TV One is the cable home of blockbuster drama Empire, and NewsOne Now, the only live daily news program dedicated to black viewers. In December 2008, the company launched TV One High Def, which now serves 14 million households. TV One is solely owned by Radio One [NASDAQ: ROIA and ROIAK, www.radio-one.com<http://www.radio-one.com/>>], the largest radio company that primarily targets Black and urban listeners.

'God Looked Away' At Pasadena Playhouse

PASADENA, CA (February 3, 2017) - The Pasadena Playhouse (Danny Feldman, Producing Artistic Director) is pleased to announce a new partnership with TodayTix, the theater ticket app, to launch a mobile Rush program for Dotson Rader’s GOD LOOKED AWAY, directed by Robert Allan Ackerman, and starring Al Pacino and Judith Light.  

Now, ticket-buyers will be able to purchase Rush tickets on their mobile devices for The Pasadena Playhouse’s inaugural PlayWorks development production on the day of the performance using the TodayTix app. Each day beginning at 9:00 AM, a limited amount of tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Rush tickets will be sold exclusively by TodayTix for $25. To gain access to the Rush tickets, ticket-buyers must download the TodayTix app and unlock the functionality by sharing on their Facebook or Twitter pages. Tickets will be available for pick up at Will Call at The Pasadena Playhouse Box Office one hour prior to the performance. Mobile Rush concludes when inventory has sold out or two hours before the performance.

“This partnership is an exciting, future-focused, and convenient way to provide Rush tickets to GOD LOOKED AWAY,” said Danny Feldman, Producing Artistic Director of The Pasadena Playhouse. “As the State Theater of California, accessibility, inclusion, and innovation are very important to us, and the TodayTix Rush program allows us to bring these things together for the benefit of the community.”

"TodayTix is thrilled to partner with The Pasadena Playhouse to offer $25 mobile Rush tickets to see Al Pacino and Judith Light in GOD LOOKED AWAY," said Brian Fenty, Chairman and Co-founder of TodayTix. "Making theater more accessible is core to TodayTix's mission, and it's an honor to team up with The Playhouse to provide access to affordable tickets with just a few taps of a mobile phone." 

The inaugural PlayWorks development production GOD LOOKED AWAY, stars Tony Award- and Academy Award-winner Al Pacino and two-time Tony Award-winner Judith Light in this seismic story about Tennessee Williams (Pacino), one of America’s most beloved, prolific and flawed playwrights. Resisting the end of his career, Williams works to open his final play in Chicago while his hotel room becomes the setting of a battle between creation and addiction; love and sex; immediate satisfaction and eternal legacy. The new play also stars Takuma Anzai, Kevin Bailey, Garrett Clayton, Andrew Dits, Alexa Hamilton, Eddy Rioseco and Miles Gaston Villanueva. The new play is written by Dotson Rader and is directed by Robert Allan Ackerman (Broadway’s Salome starring Al Pacino).

ABOUT THE PASADENA PLAYHOUSE

Under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director, Danny Feldman, The Pasadena Playhouse’s mission is to enhance the lives of our community through theatrical productions, community programs and education. This year, The Pasadena Playhouse State Theater of California celebrates its Centennial Anniversary.

ABOUT TODAYTIX

TodayTix is the first and only free mobile app for iOS and Android that provides access to the best prices on last minute theater tickets, booked same-day or within a week’s time. Operating in the world’s most iconic theater markets, TodayTix secures the best discounted and full price tickets available for the hottest shows in New York City, London’s West End, the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Chicago, Boston and Connecticut. Life-long friends and Broadway producers Merritt Baer and Brian Fenty launched TodayTix in New York City in December 2013. The company now has partnerships with more than 400 theater institutions globally including (but are not limited to:) Center Theatre Group, The Pasadena Playhouse, The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, LA Opera, Geffen Playhouse, The Public Theater, MSG Entertainment, Roundabout Theatre Company, Cirque du Soleil, Blue Man Group, Manhattan Theatre Club, The Metropolitan Opera, BAM, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Nimax, Really Useful Theatres, Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company, Royal Court, Goodman Theatre, Lyric Opera, SHN, American Conservatory Theater, Arena Stage, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, A.R.T., Hartford Stage and Goodspeed Musicals. TodayTix has also launched daily mobile lotteries for Broadway's Fun Home and Cirque du Soleil Paramour, The Public Theater’s Hamilton, Free First Previews initiative and Shakespeare in the Park, and The West End’s Kinky Boots. To learn more, please visit www.todaytix.com or download TodayTix for iOS and Android devices.

For a "more information" link, please use: go.todaytix.com/GodLookedAwayRush.

"GOD LOOKED AWAY" TICKETING INFORMATION

Tickets may be purchased at The Pasadena Playhouse Box Office, 39 S El Molino Avenue, online at PasadenaPlayhouse.org or by phone at 626-356-7529.

Ticket prices range from $25 - $135. Premium tickets are available for $179 weekday/$199 weekend.

"Motown The Musical," A Sweet, Nostalgic Journey

By Darlene Donloe

Motown the Musical isn’t just a show, it’s an experience!

The experience, directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, is about that incredible music that took hold in the 60s and left a lasting legacy. It’s about that sound. It’s also the story of Berry Gordy and how he took an $800 loan from his family and turned it into the legendary empire called Motown.  It’s the story of the artists who came to be associated with a sound that was heard and revered worldwide.

Motown the Musical is the true American dream story of Gordy’s journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who launched the careers of superstars like Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye.

But it’s so much more than that. It’s about emotion, commitment, tenacity and pride. It’s about the pride of the people of Detroit, who claimed Motown as their own. For anyone who grew up in Detroit during Motown’s height of popularity – it’s a stroll down a musical memory lane.

The music. There is nothing like that music.

The show starts off with a big bang pitting The Four Tops and The Temptations against each other in an epic battle that has them one upping each other with hit after hit. Because of the numerous hits recorded by both groups, that’s a battle that could go on forever. The show starts there and doesn’t let up. Lights, camera, action, music!!! 

From the beginning the show grabs the audience by the ears and doesn’t let go. More than 40 classic Motown hits are featured in what can only be described as a musical extravaganza. The play is similar to an event that happened back in the day when Motown had a road tour called the Motortown Revue, later to be called Motown Revue. It featured the roster of talent that made Motown shine.

Some of songs in the show include: ABC, Ball of Confusion, Cruisin, War, Two Lovers, What’s Going On, Reach Out and Touch, It’s The Same Old Song, Shop Around, I Hear A Symphony, Where Did Our Love Go, I Can’t Help Myself, My Guy, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Stop The Love You Save, My Girl and more.

Gordy boasted the baddest group of performers on the planet - backed by the baddest studio musicians called The Funk Brothers. The Motown roster was delicious.  The envious list included The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Jackson Five, Gladys Knight and The Pips, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Tammi Terrell, Edwin Starr, Jr. Walker and the All Stars, The Supremes, The Marvelettes, Mary Wells, The Commodores, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, Brenda Holloway, The Isley Brothers, Rick James, The Spinners and more. It just doesn’t get any better than that!!

The two-hour musical is vibrant, magical and full of high-energy.

The opening night performance was not only packed it was memorable. Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson and several Motown veterans were in the audience. At one point in the show the character of Diana Ross introduces Berry Gordy’s character, who comes from the back of the theater - through the audience and then to the stage. However, the audience misunderstood. They stood up, turned and clapped for the real Berry Gordy, ignoring Chester Gregory who was making his way onto the stage. It was an awkward, yet funny and unforgettable moment. Everyone, including the actors had a bit of a chuckle.

Chester Gregory and Allison Semmes star as Berry Gordy and Diana Ross respectively.  They not only deliver phenomenal performances, they lead an impressive cast that fuels a high-octane show. The voices soar and the choreography is enthusiastic. CJ Wright. nearly steals the show with his portrayal of a young Michael Jackson. David Kaverman (Smokey Robinson) and Jarran Muse (Marvin Gaye) also standout.

Motown the Musical isn’t just about the good times. It pulls back the curtain on Berry Gordy’s warts including his affair with Diana Ross and being sued by Holland Dozier Holland over money.

All of the drama is, of course, set to music.

Audience members could be seen bopping throughout the show as the Motown sound wafted through the behemoth theater.

The show, currently enjoying a limited two-week run at the Hollywood Pantages Theater through February 12, had a successful Broadway run, becoming a critical and audience favorite and a commercial hit.  

Berry Gordy (left), David Kaverman and CJ Wright 

on opening night

The show is a treat! Run, don’t walk to experience Motown The Musical.

Motown The Musical is produced by Kevin McCollum, Doug Morris and Berry Gordy in association with Work Light Productions.

Music and lyrics from the Motown catalog, Book by Berry Gordy Jr., based on the book To Be Loved: The Music, the Magic, the Memories of Motown.

Motown The Musical stars Chester Gregory (Berry Gordy), Allison Semmes (Diana Ross), David Kaverman (Smokey Robinson), Jarran Muse (Marvin Gaye), Raymond Davis Jr. and CJ Wright (Young Berry Gordy/Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson).

The stellar cast also includes Michelle Alves, Malcolm Armwood, Judith Franklin, Jeremy Gaston, Garfield Hammonds, Latrisa Harper, Jared Howelton, Louis James Jackson, Elijah Ahmad Lewis, Ramone Owens, Devin L. Price, Tavia Rivee, Kimberly Ann Steele, Dough Storm, Daniel Robert Sullivan, Gabriella Whiting and Ricardo A Zayas.

Motown the Musical, Pantages Theater, 6233 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles; 8 p.m. Tues.-Fri.; 2 and 8 p.m. Sat and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sun. through Feb. 12; tickets start at $25. For information: www.MotownTheMusical.com or www.HollywoodPantages.com/Motown.

Running time: 2 hours, 40 minutes (including intermission).

On the DONLOE SCALE: D (don’t bother), O (oh, no!), N (needs work), L (likeable), O (Oh, yeah) and E (excellent), Motown The Musical gets an E (excellent).