After airing last Sunday, GBN contributor Becky Schonbrun forwarded me links from “60 Minutes” that were labeled as inspiring “must-watch” material. So I finally did, and they most definitely are.
“Alive: 55+ and Kickin’” is a live show that was created by theater producer and former disc jockey Vy Higginsen, who has made it her mission to preserve a special part of American culture: African-American music, both gospel and popular music like soul and R&B. She found a pool of untapped talent, men and women in what she calls their “second half of life” just waiting for their chance to shine.
The music and the stories are uplifting, remarkable and definitely worth your time. To check them out for yourself, click below:
http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/alive-and-kickin-part-one
http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/alive-and-kickin-part-two
The show reopens this Spring and you can go to http://www.alive55themusical.com to see performance dates and purchase tickets.
Enjoy!
Lori Lakin Hutcherson, GBN Founder and Editor-in-Chief (follow @lakinhutcherson)
Posts published in “Entertainment”
Chaka Khan, Brandy and Lianne La Havas have been added to the lineup for our annual ESSENCE Black Women in Music ceremony.
The three performers join this year’s honoree, Jill Scott, in celebrating the best and brightest moments in Black music over ESSENCE’s 45-year history. The 6th annual event recognizes the achievements of the generations of Black women singers who have inspired and paved the way.
Past ESSENCE Black Women in Music honorees include Mary J. Blige, Kelly Rowland, Janelle Monáe, and Solange Knowles. This year’s event will feature an exclusive performance from Scott as well as several other performances from several classic eras of music. And for the first time, community fans will be able to join in the festivities of this invitation-only event.
Ten-time Grammy winner Chaka Khan has been on the scene for over three decades, racking up accolades and earning the praise of her peers, such as Aretha Franklin and Miles Davis. We’ve watched Grammy winner Brandy grow up right before our eyes since her 1995 debut. She helped shape a generation with songs like “I Wanna Be Down” and “The Boy Is Mine.” Newcomer Lianne La Havas burst on the scene in 2012 with her album, Is Your Love Big Enough? The London-based singer attracted the attention of Prince—the two collaborated for his song, “Clouds.”
The ESSENCE Black Women in Music event will kick-off our year-long commemoration of the 45th anniversary of ESSENCE Magazine, where Black women have always—and will continue to—come first.
Catch these women, along with other music trailblazers, during ESSENCE Black Women in Music on February 5 in Los Angeles.
article by Taylor Lewis via essence.com
Jennifer Hudson has an Oscar to her name but might need to make room for a Tony Award, as she is reportedly set to star in the Broadway revival of The Color Purple.
According to the New York Post, Hudson will make her Broadway debut in the revival of the show. The revival is being produced by Oprah Winfrey, who also produced the show in 2005. This time, the production of The Color Purple musical will have more of an emotional appeal.
“This Color Purple comes from London’s Menier Chocolate Factory, which specializes in stripping down big-budget Broadway shows, giving them an emotional punch they lacked the first time around,” the New York Post reports.
Hudson has talked about wanting to take on a Broadway gig for several years. New York Postsources say Oprah called her personally and asked her to join the production.
Hudson will play Celie, who survives abuse, poverty and racism to become a successful seamstress and pants designer. LaChanze won a Tony in the role in 2006.
article by Chris Witherspoon via thegrio.com
The NAACP and TV One announced Anthony Anderson will return for the second time as host for the 46th NAACP Image Awards. Winners will be announced during the two-hour star-studded event which will broadcast LIVE on TV ONE on Friday, February 6, 2015 at 9pm/8c as a two-hour special. A one-hour pre-show will air live from the red carpet at 8pm/7c.
Anderson, one of today’s most versatile and talented actors, currently executive produces and stars alongside Laurence Fishburne and Tracee Ellis Ross on the hit ABC series black-ish, for which he is also nominated for an Image Award this year.
“It is an honor and privilege to be asked back to host the NAACP Image Awards – the nominees this year are stellar and a testament to the talented individuals in our community,” said Anderson. “As a 9 time Image Award nominee I could not be more proud, and I look forward to holding the record for most nominations without a win!”
In addition, also returning are Reginald Hudlin and Phil Gurin as Executive Producers. The production team will also include Tony McCuin as Director, Byron Phillips as Producer and Robin Reinhart as the Talent Producer. Actor and musician Lance Reddick will be the in-show announcer.
“Building on the momentum and success from last year, we are planning an extraordinary show and securing today’s leading talent to be part of the celebration,” stated Reginald Hudlin and Phil Gurin, Executive Producers. “It is an honor for us to work with the NAACP and TV One to create a show that recognizes such a diverse group of talented people and we look forward to producing one of the premier awards show telecast in America.”
Last year, the 45th NAACP Image Awards included talent such as Kevin Hart, Lupita N’yongo, Oprah Winfrey, Vin Diesel and Tyler Perry and was the most-watched programming event in the history of the TV One network.
For all information and latest news, please visit the official NAACP Image Awards website at http://www.naacpimageawards.net.
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (follow @lakinhutcherson)
Well known for his penchant for delivering mainstream-friendly science teachings across platforms, Neil deGrasse Tyson is now set to bring his unique brand of popular science to a new late night TV show for National Geographic.
Tyson, who has been a frequent guest on both Comedy Central’s The Daily Show and the now-defunct Colbert Show, has been tapped as the host for the first-ever late night program for the NatGeo network and will begin filming shortly for a planned April premiere.
Based on Tyson’s popular podcast Star Talk, a small-budget side project he’s been producing since 2009, the new show will also be called Star Talk and feature the astrophysicist speaking with scientists, celebrities, and comedians about new developments in science and space specifically. The news comes just months after Tyson’s popular Cosmos reboot finished its run on both Fox and National Geographic.
“Cosmos allowed us to share the awesome power of the universe with a global audience in ways that we never thought possible,” Tyson said according to Variety. “To be able to continue to spread wonder and excitement through Star Talk, which is a true passion project for me, is beyond exciting.”
Nat Geo’s Channel CEO Courteney Monroe described the new project as an “edgy, late night alternative.”
“We continue to bolster our programming with series and event specials that are brand definitional, and Star Talk is the perfect opportunity to offer our audience an edgy, latenight alternative with the credibility and authenticity that are the hallmarks of our network,” she said.
article by Jay Balfour via theurbandaily.com
One of Hollywood’s most powerful black agents is making a new start. Charles King is leaving William Morris Endeavor to form MACRO, a startup that will focus on developing content for multicultural audiences.
With an unspecified “eight figures” in funding, Los Angeles-based MACRO initially will focus on developing and distributing feature films, TV series and digital content targeting African-American, Latino and multicultural markets.
King, 45, whose clients have included Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey, tells The Hollywood Reporter that MACRO’s goal is to focus on audiences that have long been underserved by the traditional entertainment industry. “I’ve been sitting in these rooms for the last 15 years. The studios aren’t focused on it; the packagers aren’t focused on it,” he says. “There’s a huge void and a huge opportunity.”
He points to the lack of capital available to minority-focused filmmakers and says he’s looking to change that with MACRO, which will leverage crowdfunding platforms and co-financing to target films that range from “artistically inclined independents” in the $1 million to $3 million budget range up to $20 million projects. He points to films such as Barbershop, The Butler and Ride Alongas examples of the types of projects he hopes to produce. “The one underlying theme is ‘premium,’ ” he says. “I’m looking for artistic integrity.”
King already has lined up projects from filmmakers Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station) and Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow). Both were represented by King at WME and say they jumped at the opportunity to continue to work with him in a new capacity.
With an unspecified “eight figures” in funding, Los Angeles-based MACRO initially will focus on developing and distributing feature films, TV series and digital content targeting African-American, Latino and multicultural markets.
King, 45, whose clients have included Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey, tells The Hollywood Reporter that MACRO’s goal is to focus on audiences that have long been underserved by the traditional entertainment industry. “I’ve been sitting in these rooms for the last 15 years. The studios aren’t focused on it; the packagers aren’t focused on it,” he says. “There’s a huge void and a huge opportunity.”
He points to the lack of capital available to minority-focused filmmakers and says he’s looking to change that with MACRO, which will leverage crowdfunding platforms and co-financing to target films that range from “artistically inclined independents” in the $1 million to $3 million budget range up to $20 million projects. He points to films such as Barbershop, The Butler and Ride Alongas examples of the types of projects he hopes to produce. “The one underlying theme is ‘premium,’ ” he says. “I’m looking for artistic integrity.”
King already has lined up projects from filmmakers Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station) and Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow). Both were represented by King at WME and say they jumped at the opportunity to continue to work with him in a new capacity.
LOS ANGELES — “The Wizard of Watts,” a coming animated television musical, was conceived two years ago as a big, fat gob of raucous entertainment wrapped around a nugget of racial commentary.
Then, with the musical’s animation already far underway, Ferguson, Mo., became a flash point, starting a national debate about race, overzealous policing and the need for officers to wear body cameras. Then came the phrase “I Can’t Breathe” and the broader protest against police brutality.
Suddenly, “The Wizard of Watts,” with its devastated black neighborhoods and army of pigs, took on greater weight. How the musical will be received by viewers at a racially charged cultural moment is anyone’s guess. But when it arrives on Cartoon Network’s after-hours Adult Swim block on Saturday, “The Wizard of Watts” will at the very least become one of those eerie instances of art accidentally mirroring life.
The primary villain in the Magical Land of Oz-Watts, where the story takes place, is a vicious pig clad in riot gear. Water does not neutralize this Oz villain; instead this baddie gets melted with a camcorder. “Oh, no! Not an irrefutable visual record of my illegal actions!” the anthropomorphized pig wails as he turns to mush at the musical’s climax.
Even Carl Jones, the director of “The Wizard of Watts” and one of its writers, was surprised at hitting such a cultural bull’s-eye.
“I take pride in tackling things with my gloves off, but animation takes such a long time to produce that you usually don’t end up being all that current,” he said.
Mr. Jones had noticed on social media how African-Americans were increasingly using cellphone cameras as “protection from police, like as a weapon,” he said.
“Nobody was talking about it and so I decided we had to take it on,” he said.
In late September of this year, CBS Sports Network taped the inaugural episode of We Need To Talk, which marked the channel’s first-ever nationally televised all-female sports show.
Having already aired on December 27, 2014, the year-end special edition marked the broadcast debut of the show that features panelists Swin Cash, Laila Ali, Amy Trask, Tracy Wolfson and Dana Jacobson. The program, which bookended the network’s coverage of the Sun Bowl (Arizona State v. Duke), found New York Liberty’s Swin Cash going behind-the-scenes with the Golden State Warriors. She also interviewed the team’s new head coach, former Chicago Bulls shooting guard, Steve Kerr.
We Need To Talk made an impact when the program’s inaugural episode focused on the Ray Rice domestic violence scandal, and three of the show’s hosts shared similar war stories with their audience. From WNBA great Lisa Leslie’s brave admission that she’d been abused by a former fiance to Olympic swimmer Dara Torres shared her own painful story, We Need To Talk immediately became a relatable place for female sports fans of all ages.
“Because the big topic we were prepping for was domestic violence, and the statistic for women who are abused was proven on our first show,” says Allie LaForce, a CBS Sports sideline reporter and one of the contributors to CBS’s first all-sports show hosted completely by women. With these famous and notable women taking center stage, We Need To Talk tackles intriguing and diverse topics including domestic violence, concussions and advising awkward dudes on how to talk sports with the ladies.
In addition to Cash, Leslie, LaForce, Ali and the other aforementioned female hosts, Leslie Visser, Summer Sanders, Andrea Kremer and former Oakland Raider’s CEO Amy Trask will round out the group.
Behind the camera, We Need To Talk is led by Emmy Award-winning coordinating producers Emilie Deutsch and Suzanne Smith, the latter who is the only woman currently producing or directing NFL games. With the show wrapping its first season, there’s no doubt that audiences will be clamoring for a second helping of this diverse and influential sports show. It is expected to return to its CBS Sports cable home in the spring with brand new episodes.
article by Kevin L. Clark via blackenterprise.com
Stuart Scott, one of ESPN’s best-known “SportsCenter” anchors, died Sunday at a hospital in the Hartford, Conn., area after a seven-year battle with cancer. He was 49. Scott, who joined the sports giant in 1993 for the launch of ESPN2, was diagnosed with cancer in November 2007 and dealt with recurring bouts of the disease.
In addition to hosting “SportsCenter,” Scott covered numerous events and specials over his 21-year career with ESPN and ABC Sports. His most famous catchphrases — “Booyah!” and “As cool as the other side of the pillow” — have become part of pop culture; Scott was even parodied on “Saturday Night Live.”
“ESPN and everyone in the sports world have lost a true friend and a uniquely inspirational figure in Stuart Scott,” ESPN president John Skipper said in a statement. “Who engages in mixed martial arts training in the midst of chemotherapy treatments? Who leaves a hospital procedure to return to the set? His energetic and unwavering devotion to his family and to his work while fighting the battle of his life left us in awe, and he leaves a void that can never be replaced.”
At this year’s ESPY Awards in July, Scott was presented with the Jimmy V Perseverance Award, named after college basketball coach and ESPN sportscaster Jim Valvano (who died of cancer in 1993). In Scott’s acceptance speech, he said about his two daughters: “Taelor and Sydni, I love you guys more than I will ever be able to express. You two are my heartbeat. I am standing on this stage here tonight because of you.”
During his ESPYs speech, Scott explained how he approached his fight against cancer. “I said, I’m not losing. I’m still here. I’m fighting. I’m not losing,” he said. “But I’ve got to amend that. When you die, that does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and the manner in which you live. So live. Live. Fight like hell.”
WASHINGTON (AP) — For decades, comic books have been in color, but now they truly reflect all the hues of American society.
The new Captain America is black. A Superman who is suspiciously similar to President Barack Obama recently headlined a comic book. Thor is a woman, Spider-Man is part-Puerto Rican and Ms. Marvel is Muslim.
Mainstream comic book superheroes — America’s modern mythology — have been redrawn from the stereotypical brown-haired, blue-eyed white male into a world of multicolored, multireligious and multigendered crusaders to reflect a greater diversity in their audience.
Society has changed, so superheroes have to as well, said Axel Alonso, editor in chief at Marvel Comics, who in November debuted Captain America No. 1 with Samuel Wilson, the first African American superhero taking over Captain America’s red, white and blue uniform and shield.
“Roles in society aren’t what they used to be. There’s far more diversity,” said Alonso, who has also shepherded a gay wedding in the X-Men, a gender change from male to female in Thor and the first mainstream female Muslim hero in Ms. Marvel.
The change to a black Captain America is already having an impact outside of comics.