By Karu F. Daniels, BlackVoices.com

Tia Mowry is all grown up now.

The former child star hasn't followed the trajectory of heartbreak, despair and obscurity like many before her.

Instead, the beautiful West Germany native is currently starring in the hit series, 'The Game,' which was picked up by The CW network for a third season earlier this week.

It's a far cry from her days as a precocious adolescent on the sitcom 'Sister, Sister,' which she starred on for seasons with her twin, Tamara Mowry.

By Karu F. Daniels, BlackVoices.com



"I'm a mix of a lot of things ... I'm like a black Christina Aguilera ... I definitely can see myself putting together a Christina Aguilera album, the one that she just recently did and an Alicia Keys album like The Diary of Alicia Keys. I like Pop and I like R&B and I like the old school, new school thing so I'm growing as an artist, I'm evolving ... You'll know who I am once I put out that album."

-- 'American Idol' cast-off Syesha Mercado commenting on musical identity. (People)

By Karu F. Daniels, BlackVoices.com



Broadway phenomenon 'Cat on A Hot Tin Roof' didn't make the cut with this year's Tony Awards.

The Debbie Allen-directed all-black Tennessee Williams revival didn't get any nominations for the 2008 Tony Awards, which were announced this morning by previous Tony Award winners Sara Ramirez and David Hyde Pierce from The New York Public Library for Performing Arts at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Nominations in 26 competitive categories for the 62nd annual ceremony were selected by an independent committee of 23 theater professionals appointed by the Tony Awards Administration Committee.

By Karu F. Daniels, BlackVoices.com



With the release of her long-overdue, and much bally-hooed new memoir, 'Audition,' Barbara Walters has been thrust into the entertainment spotlight like never before.

Mostly because of some of the details in the gargantuan-sized read, which was published by Knopf on May 6.

One juicy morsel that has gotten America into a tizzy: the veteran news journalist's revelation that she had a lurid affair with a married man – a married Black man (former U.S. Senator Edward Brooke).

Star Jones, who infamously exited her long-running stint on 'The View' (which Walters created, produces and co-hosts), threw her two-cents in the mix last week, criticizing the former '20/20' host for using scandal to sell books.

"It is a sad day when an icon like Barbara Walters, in the sunset of her life, is reduced to publicly branding herself as an adulterer, humiliating an innocent family with accounts of her illicit affair and speaking negatively against me all for the sake of selling a book," Jones told a tabloid.. "It speaks to her true character."

Walters, however, has taken somewhat of the high road wit her response to Jones, who it was recently revealed is divorcing Al Scales Reynolds after four years of marriage.

By Karu F. Daniels, BlackVoices.com



Toni Braxton's Sin City show wont see the light of day for another month..

Harrah's Entertainment announced May 9 that it now expects to resume "Toni Braxton: Revealed" at the Flamingo Las Vegas hotel on June 6.

By Karu F. Daniels, BlackVoices.com



Neo-soul diva Angie Stone and pop music legend Dionne Warwick took in the sights and sounds of the May 10 installment of "The 2008 St. Lucia Jazz Festival," presented by BET J, at Pigeon Island National Landmark. R&B powerhouse Anita Baker headlined the seven-hour line-up, which featured Najee, Alex Bugnon, Barbara Cadet & Friends, Nick Colionn, David Sanchez, and Ledisi.

By Karu F. Daniels, BlackVoices.com



In the hit Broadway play, 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,' Lisa Arrindell Anderson plays a wicked wench named Mae, often referred to as Sister Woman.

And she plays the dastardly role of a cunning and very pregnant married mother of three to a hilt – winning rave reviews for her Great White Way debut.

"When you get the call that Broadway wants you and that you'll be working with James Earl Jones for 6 months you feel like: Woohoo!!!!" she told BlackVoices.com yesterday.

By Karu F. Daniels, BlackVoices.com



"It was challenging ... It was very difficult and we went through a change and I just had to let everything go. It wasn't just letting him go and the work go, it was both. The hardest part about it was letting go of my best friend."

-- 80's pop star Sheila E breaking her silence about her romance with Prince. (Latina)

By Karu F. Daniels, BlackVoices.com

To take on the role of late civil rights activist Thurgood Marshall, Laurence Fishburne goes back to his roots and digs up some of America's ugliest ones.

Surprisingly enough, for his return on The Great White Way -- in the Leonard Foglia directed play, 'Thurgood,' -- the seasoned Tony Award winning thespian has received rave reviews.

'USA Today' heralded it with a three and a half star (out of four) review, calling the 90-minute bioplay "excellent." 'New York Post' gossip guru Cindy Adams showered the Academy Award nominated actor with praise, saying he was "magical." The 'Associated Press' noted that "Fishburne has the theatrical, larger-than-life demeanor of an old-fashioned preacher, including the necessary pizzazz to keep an audience's attention for an intermissionless [show]." 'New York Daily News' critic Joe Dziemianowicz said that Fishburne was "magnetic" and the show as "a worthwhile story rich in history, humanity and humor."

By Karu F. Daniels, BlackVoices.com



Civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton took a break from his political pulpit to congratulate Laurence Fishburne on his critically acclaimed return to Broadway in 'Thurgood,' during the opening night after party at New York City's Bryant Park Grill. The Oscar Award nominated,Tony Award winning thespian portrays the legendary Supreme Court Justice in the Leonard Foglia-directed play, which is playing at the Booth Theater.

By Karu F. Daniels, BlackVoices.com



Despite much fanfare, a thriving box-office and a stellar cast of characters, the new version of Tennessee Williams' 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof' isn't up to snuff.

Well, at least – according to the Drama Desk Awards committee.

Of the near 30 categories, the Debbie Allen-directed all-African American version of the play – starring Tony Award winners James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad and Anika Noni Rose, along with Academy Award nominee Terrence Howard – didn't pull in one nomination.

By Karu F. Daniels, BlackVoices.com



Angela Bassett is revving things up with a slew of new projects, most notably an upcoming gig on the final season of 'E.R.'

The Academy Award nominated star of films such as 'What's Love Got to Do with It?,' 'Akeelah and the Bee' and 'Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns' will join the cast of NBC's long-running medical drama starting this fall.

By Karu F. Daniels, BlackVoices.com



"I'm not done with reality TV, but what I'm trying to do now is get to the movie screen. The sitcom stuff is a good way to get you there, because people see you reading lines, remembering lines and acting. Right now, I have a feeling your boy Flavor Flav is doing one hell of a job ... I'm getting ready to be the next Morgan Freeman. Denzel Washington, I'm coming!"

Hip-hop veteran and runaway reality TV star Flavor Flav about his acting goals. (New York Daily News)

By Karu F. Daniels, BlackVoices.com

Marvin Sapp sings his face off on the song 'Never Would Have Made It.'

And because of that, the gospel singing sensation is riding the wave of having one of the biggest selling inspirational albums of the year.

The former Commissioned singer's seventh solo opus, 'Thirsty,' has reigned supreme on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart for 29 weeks, hitting the top stop for 19 weeks.

Released July 3, the Zomba Records project has been in the Number One position longer than any other gospel CD released in the last year.

"The success of this album and this single is very exciting," Sapp told Blackvoices.com. "The fact that the single is crossing over to urban radio really underscores the fact that all of us from every walk of life – whether in the church or not – has had a never would have made it moment. That is why I think the song is really connecting with people."

"'Never Would Have Made It' reaches the hearts of people in a very powerful, emotional way that I haven't seen for many years," added Zomba Gospel's Senior Vice President/General Manager Jazzy Jordan. "That song was birthed out of a very challenging time in Marvin's life, and I think the strength of his conviction on this song is what people are connecting to."

By Karu F. Daniels, BlackVoices.com



So apparently all the rumors and "unconfirmed reports" turned out to be true.

At least in the case of Star Jones Reynolds and her husband Al Scales Reynolds.

The ex-co-host of 'The View' confirmed to 'Entertainment Tonight' that her marriage of three and a half years has gone belly up -- no pun intended.