Funky BroadwayRobin Givens is in the news again, with her starring role in Broadway’s long running musical revival ‘Chicago.’ The ‘Head of the Class’ actress, notoriously known for a highly publicized year-long marriage to former boxing champ
Mike Tyson, is making history as the very first African American woman to play Roxie Hart. “It’s interesting …because you realize that we’re still paving the way,” Givens told Black Voices during rehearsals last week. “You know sometimes we think, ‘Oh, we’re there,’ but then you realize that we’re [not].” The classically trained Sarah Lawrence College alum was approached to do the musical while shooting a Lifetime movie in Vancouver, last year. “It’s funny because I would’ve never thought of pursuing it, but I’ve seen the show four times even before getting involved, I think it’s a magnificent show.”
Givens, who starred on TV in ‘The Cosby Show,’ ‘The Women of Brewster Place’ and in films such as ‘Boomerang,’ ‘Head of State’ and ‘A Rage In Harlem,’ isn’t the only African American newcomer shaking things up with debuts on The Great White Way. Former R&B teen star
Tevin Campbell is wowing sold out audiences in the multiple Tony Award winning ‘Hairspray,’ and celebrated poet/playwright and actress
Sarah Jones is winning rave reviews for her one-woman show ‘Bridge & Tunnel.’ “I think that the success of [these performers] will not only be measured by the quality of their performances but also by ticket sales,” theatrical marketing guru
Marcia Pendelton told Black Voices yesterday. Pendelton has helped promote Broadway shows like Tony Award winners ‘Def Poetry on Broadway,’ ‘AIDA’ and August Wilson’s ‘King Headley.’ “People of color will be the majority in the United States in the not too distant future,” Pendelton continued, “therefore commercial theater producers as well as non profit theaters need to invest in creative marketing and audience development strategies that will build bridges to these communities.”
‘N-Word’ Please !Nelson George serves as executive producer of the hard-hitting documentary ‘The N-Word,’ which arrives in stores on Jan. 24 from Urbanworks Entertainment. Written and directed by
Todd Larkins, the 90-minute film takes an in-depth look at the use of the controversial word, featuring commentary from
Whoopi Goldberg,
Russell Simmons,
Chuck D,
Quincy Jones,
Bryant Gumbel,
George Carlin,
Regina King and others. “This isn't your typical feel good Black History Month project by any means,” George told Black Voices this week. The renowned pop culture critic, who also produced the Emmy Award winning ‘Chris Rock Show,’ revealed that he used the racial epithet “socially’ for years, amongst his friends. “But I never refer to groups of black people as niggers or niggas,” he adds. “The bottom line is where, when and to whom you say it is crucial to what it does and does not mean.” ‘The N-Word’ combines dramatic, historical footage with performances by the late great Richard Pryor and Chris Rock.
Harlem ‘Funnyhouse’ The Classical Theater of Harlem presents its revival of
Adrienne Kennedy’s acclaimed ‘Funnyhouse of A Negro,’ opening Jan. 20 and running through Feb. 12. Directed by
Billie Allen, the play chronicles the last hours in the life of a young Black woman troubled by race and identity struggling with self-hatred and alienation from the mainstream culture. The cast features
Elena McGee,
Trish McCall,
Monica Stith,
Danny Camiel,
Kellie McCants and newcomer
Willie E. Teacher. Allen, an acclaimed actress in her own right, previously directed Saint Lucy's Eyes with
Ruby Dee and starred in the original 1964 production of ‘Funnyhouse.’
Williams Family TragedyVanessa Williams is mourning the death of her father,
Milton Augustine Williams, Jr., a revered and respected educator in the Westchester, NY area. Williams, Jr., 70, died on Jan. 17 at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, NY. According to a spokesperson for the family, the cause of death was an acute pancreatic infection, which was discovered just two days prior, while on vacation in the Bahamas. A memorial service has been scheduled for Jan. 22 in Elmsford, NY, where he resided.
Hearty Soul Super BowlMultiple Grammy-Award winning music veterans
Aretha Franklin,
Aaron Neville and
Dr. John are confirmed to perform the National Anthem at ‘Super Bowl XL’ in Detroit on Feb. 5. The Queen of Soul will also make several national television appearances surrounding the festivities, including ‘Good Morning America’ and the ‘Best Damn Sports Show Period.’
