BV Entertainment Newswire May 3

'Mother' Load

Soul singing legend Patti LaBelle will be honored with the "Mother of the Year" award by The Pajama Program at its fifth annual awards luncheon May 5, at New York City’s Pierre Hotel.

An international children's charity that provides new pajamas to needy and abused children, The Pajama Program is a New York City-based not-for-profit organization founded by entertainment promotions executive Genevieve Piturro.

The Program recently announced it has collected and donated its 60,000th pair of pajamas, a milestone in the charity’s five-year history. "Our annual benefits have contributed greatly to this achievement,” noted Piturro.

“This is a wonderful organization," LaBelle told Black Voices. "There are so many underprivileged and underserved children in our country and around the world and sometimes the simplest things can make big differences in their lives. Many times we take things like having pajamas and books for granted, but something small like having comfortable clothes to rest in can help improve the quality of children’s lives."

"Ms. LaBelle is such a selfless person and a role model to many working mothers," said Piturro. "No one is more deserving of our ‘Mother of the Year’ award." LaBelle is being specifically recognized for raising her sisters’ children after her siblings passed away.

Previous honorees include TV personality Meredith Vieira, CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien and socialite Ivana Trump. "I’m truly honored to be accepting this award and to be associated with The Pajama Program,” LaBelle added.

Super-rich socialite and former songwriter Denise Rich, a dear friend of LaBelle's, is confirmed to present the award. Piturro said having Rich at the $250 a head event, "underscores how our mission of providing comfort to children in need resonates with so many."

Honorary co-chairs of this year's event include Countess Nubia Braschi, Mercedes Ellington, Tina Radziwill, and the former Mrs. Trump, who is on the charity's advisory board. "It seems such a hands-on approach to helping children in a small but large way," she said. "I respect their work and their goals."

Mr. T Time

At last night's Viacom TV Upfront advertising presentation at New York City's Madison Square Garden, the TV Land network announced its pick-up of six episodes of 'I Pity The Fool,' a reality show starring former television icon Mr. T (nee Laurence Tureaud). Described as a Dr. Phil meets Tony-Robbins, the show follows 'The A-Team' star as he travels across the country, dispensing his bawdy brand of advice. Produced by Lions Gate in association with Left/Right Films and Remag Guerilla, the 30-minute series is slated to premiere in October.

'Black Man' Hits Big Apple

Brian Copeland's critically-acclaimed one-man play 'Not A Genuine Black Man,' will start New York City previews May 9, at the DR2 Theater. Presented by Daryl Roth and directed by Bob Balaban ('The Exonerated'), 'Black Man' tells the story of Copeland’s African-American family moving to one of the most exclusively white suburbs in America with humor and pathos. A well-known comic, writer, actor and radio talk show host in San Francisco, Copeland uses childhood memories to provide a first-hand account of segregation in suburban California. According to a production rep, 'Black Man' is currently being developed as a series for HBO, produced by Rob Reiner, and will be released nationwide as a book by Disney's Hyperion in July.

Home For 'Holiday'

Queen Latifah may have recently signed on to play a "welfare queen" for an upcoming film project, but her latest shot at box office glory, 'Last Holiday,' is available on home video this week. The Academy Award nominee stars as Georgia Byrd, a New Orleans salesclerk who gets a startling medical diagnosis that pushes up her expiration date and causes her to reevaluate her existence. Rather than put the remainder of her life on the backburner, the news adds fuel to her fire and she embarks on an exhilarating ride to live life to the fullest. Directed by Wayne Wang ('The Joy Luck Club'), 'Holiday' also stars LL Cool J, Timothy Hutton and Gerard Depardieu. The DVD package includes bonuses such as behind-the-scenes features and even recipes used in the film.

Multimedia Morgan

Tracy Morgan's debut comedy DVD 'Life, Love & Lust,' will be released nationwide via UrbanWorks Entertainment May 9. Filmed at San Francisco's Cobb's Comedy Club, the 'Saturday Night Live' alum offers up his unique perspective on sex as it relates to dating, marriage, public displays of affection and just about any other situation where sex could possibly come into play. The Deluxe Edition DVD includes a 100-minute bonus CD soundtrack. Morgan, who fronted the short-lived NBC sitcom 'The Tracy Morgan Show,' will next appear in the Keenan Ivory Wayans-directed movie, 'Little Man.'

Tribeca Fest On 'Lockdown'

Hip-hop flavor will descend on the much-hyped Robert DeNiro-founded Tribeca Film Festival with tonight's world premiere of the Rebecca Chaiklin and Michael Skolnik's documentary, 'Lockdown.' Russell Simmons, Nas, Alicia Keyes, Common, Reverend Al Sharpton, Charles Grodin, Wyclef Jean, Damon Dash, and Fabolous are a few of the bold-faced names who RSVP-ed to see the film, centering on the American prison system, and the draconian drug laws which mandate minimum sentences of 15 years to life for first-time offenders. Simmons and former NAACP head Benjamin Chavis, politician Andrew Cuomo and comedian and political activist Randy Credico are featured in 'Lockdown,' which is a selection in the Documentary Feature Competition.