Don't think the legacy of the hit Broadway musical, 'Dreamgirls,' stops at Jennifer Hudson winning the Academy Award for her break-out role in the crafty movie adaptation of it.
No.
A fully-funded national tour of the legendary tour-de-force is underway, and the world's famous Apollo Theater is serving as its starting point.
Theatrical press agent Wayne Wolfe confirmed that a production of the show, directed and choreographed by Bobby Longbottom with music direction by Zane Mark, is underway for 2009.
Produced by John Breglio for Vienna Waits Productions, open auditions for the show's lead characters of Deena Jones, Effie White and Lorrell Robinson will take place the Apollo Theater on the morning of Nov. 1. Casting directors are looking for women in their 20's.
"He's really loving being Mr. Jennifer Hudson. I think he's loving the lavish things she brings to his life, he's seeing the world due to Jennifer's success. [But] can you love this person if they lose all of this tomorrow? She needs to find out. I just hope people are marrying each other for the right reasons.It's a mixed match, it won't work. He'll be in her shadow like Al Reynolds was to Star Jones, like Stedman Graham is to Oprah."
-- Reality TV starlet Tiffany "Miss New York" Pollard weighing in on Jennifer Hudson's engagement to reality show contestant David "Punk" Otunga. ('In Touch')
The music industry is getting smaller and smaller.
No one knows that better than former chart-topping R&B superstar Usher.
The LaFace/Zomba recording artist, who has been through a whirlwind of very grown-up, real-life changes (on again/off again wedding plans, management shuffling, family drama) over the course of the past two years, is taking his show on the road.
This time, though, it won't be the super-sized arenas Usher once dominated when his monster album, 'Confessions,' catapulted the pop charts with a string of hits. For the "Sony Ericsson Presents: Usher's One Night Stand Ladies Only Tour," the 30-year-old singer will play a "special" 14-city tour aiming to give his fans the opportunity to get up close and personal.
"I feel like I've had such a connection with my audience," the five-time Grammy Award winner said, "So what better way to get up close and personal than to make it all women?"
The critically acclaimed film project, 'The Black List: Volume 1,' takes on new life when it will make its debut at The Brooklyn Museum this fall.
Museum spokesperson Adam Husted confirmed to BlackVoices.com that the exhibit – created by acclaimed photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and revered film expert Elvis Mitchell – will be on view from Nov. 21 through March 29, 2009. Serena Williams, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Toni Morrison, Chris Rock, Colin Powell, Russell Simmons, Al Sharpton, Kareem-Abdul Jabbar, and Sean "Diddy" Combs are among the many prominent African Americans whose faces are seen and voices heard in 'The Black List Project,' a collection of twenty-five portraits juxtaposed alongside excerpts from a series of filmed interviews.
In what may turn out to be one of the nastiest, hardest fought election seasons in our lifetime, the dirty tricks are starting early.
In Troy, New York, voting officials claim it was a "typo" that is responsible for Barack Obama's name appearing as 'Barack Osama' on a ballot already distributed to hundreds of voters.
TROY - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's last name is spelled "Osama" on hundreds of absentee ballots mailed out this week to voters in Rensselaer County.
The misspelling, which elections officials on both sides of the aisle insist was simply a typo, is causing embarrassment for the county.
''No question this is an honest mistake innocently done,'' said Edward McDonough, the Democratic commissioner. ''We catch almost everything.''
''This was a typo,'' said Republican Commissioner Larry Bugbee. ''We have three different staff members who proof these things and somehow the typo got by us.''
When it comes to horror films, Americans have seen plenty of them; from individual slasher films with killers like Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, and Freddy Kruger, to plenty of monster and zombie films. Originality no longer exists in the genre. Soon enough, there was an influx of remakes of horror films coming from different countries such Japan and Korea with films like 'The Ring' and 'The Grudge'. With the exception of 'Scream', everything else you have seen recently is probably similar to an earlier film.
When 'The Blair Witch Project' came out in 1999, it started a new trend in the genre, the hand held camera technique; and with the right plot, the formula has worked for some films. Such is the case with 'Quarantine', which is actually a good remake of the Spanish film, 'Rec'. It's frightening, gory, and suspenseful.
Do you know who Richard Trumka is? I didn't until a few days ago when my friend Tyler sent me this link. Richard Trumka is the Secretary Treasurer of AFL-CIO and he has courage.
I say to all of my friends, of all skin colors, you must not tolerate racism in your space. If you want things to change, you must change. You must dig deep for the courage to say how you feel. When you hear a racist comment, or a racist fear, ask for specifics, you must speak your truth. If you do not fear a person because of their color then say that. Why should a racist comment be given more room to breathe and to grow than one that confronts it down?
I know it can be scary, but there are others like you, like us, on the front lines here. And your voice is needed. Listen to Richard Trumka and know that you are not alone in the journey to creating a better America.
The question of whether the federal government can lower taxes while, at the same time, fix the economy at this critical juncture of our history.
The answer is, in theory, yes, but it will take some drastic and disciplined action.
For starters, Senator John McCain's proposal to freeze spending on non-critical functions of government is the tactic that is needed to begin the healing. A major criticism of the Bush Administration's domestic policy was that, as a conservative, he failed to reel in spending and, in fact, grew government in a manner that contravenes the Republican mantra. Senator McCain's stance on spending, when contrasted with Senator Barack Obama's proposal to introduce over $800 billion in new spending in addition to the money forked out due to the bailout package , shows a major difference between the two candidates.
Further, it highlights a simple yet clear approach to begin the journey of righting the American economic ship. ...
Hats off and kudos to the programming folks over at TV One.
Always willing to up the ante on quality television for grown black folks, the channel will air a special block of programming hosted by Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson and Alicia Keys, in conjunction to the upcoming movie, 'The Secret Lives of Bees' on Oct. 12.
Dubbed 'Sisters of Cinema,' members of Black Hollywood's new power generation will pay homage to trailblazing entertainment legends Diahann Carroll and Lena Horne.
From 6-10 PM ET, the singing and acting dynamos will introduce the two classic films ('Stormy Weather,' and 'Claudine'), tell facts about the movies, and applaud the pioneering women stars of the films -- as well as offer a sneak peak of their upcoming Bees film, slated to hit theaters Oct. 17.
R&B singer Kenny Lattimore may not have attained megastar status here in the United States, but the Washington, DC native is an 'American Idol,' if you will, in South Africa.
"In South Africa, I'm a superstar," Lattimore said proudly, as we spoke from his home in
Southern California. "When I go there it's stadiums of people that want to hear me sing and they can sing any of the albums word for word. That is the greatest highlight of my career."
Lattimore wasn't being braggadocios either.He was simply talking about more than ever, it seems as though foreign countries, particularly those in Africa and Europe, have a greater appreciation for R&B singers than here in the U.S.
The Food Network is launching a ground-breaking new reality series this October with the premiere of 'The Chef Jeff Project'. 'The Chef Jeff Project' follows Chef Jeff Henderson, a former prison inmate turned successful executive chef, as he attempts to transform the lives of six struggling young adults through the power of food.
Chef Jeff has become one of the most inspirational chefs in the country after finding his passion for cooking while incarcerated for drugs, and subsequently turning his life around. In 2001, he made history in Las Vegas, when he became the first African-American named "Chef de Cuisine" at Caesars Palace. He eventually became an executive chef at several top restaurants including Café Bellagio, which he joined in 2004.
Jeff's extraordinary story, 'Cooked,' became a New York Times bestseller and is now being turned into a major motion picture by the team that made 'The Pursuit of Happyness.' Chef Jeff also launched his first cookbook, 'CHEF JEFF COOKS: In the Kitchen with America's Inspirational New Culinary Star' (Scribner). Jeff currently lives in Las Vegas with his wife and three children
'The Chef Jeff Project' premieres on Sunday, October 12th at 10PM ET.
Well, actually the title of the Chapter taken from George S. Clason's 'The Richest Man in Babylon' is "Seven Cures for a Lean Purse." But no matter what we call it, this is a remarkable book especially for these lean times. In fact, I highly recommend this book because it may just change the way you look at your personal finances and may bring you out of this recession a little wiser for the ware.
Take a look at the list that follows in the chapter I'm talking about. I hope it inspires you to get the book.
Mo'Nique has always been one to put it all out there -- from discussing her "open" marriage in a magazine article, to the recent revelation that she was molested by her own brother growing up. Considering that, readers should expect nothing less than truth and real-life stories in her latest venture, a series of novels that kicked off last month with Beacon Hills High.
Beacon Hills is the story of a thirteen-year-old F.A.T. (fabulous and thick) high school girl named Eboni who struggles not only with her weight, but also with fitting in when her family moves from the suburbs of Baltimore to Los Angeles, where everyone appears to be perfect. It is a book targeting the teen demographic because as Mo'Nique points out "they need some real stories that speak to them."
Naturi Naughton, who's set to play Lil' Kim in the Biggie Smalls film 'Notorious', has just landed another plum role. The Hollywood Reporter states that she's part of an ensemble that will be in the remake of the 1980 musical 'Fame'.
Also joining her in the film are Kristy Flores, Paul Iacono, Paul McGill, Kay Panabaker, Kherington Payne, Collins Pennie, Walter Perez and Anna Maria Perez de Tagle.
Much like in the Oscar-winning original, directed by Alan Parker, the story will track the failures and fortunes of super-ambitious young performers and their teachers as they navigate a school year at the prestigious High School for the Performing Arts in New York.
As many know, when a woman gets pregnant, some decidedly unpleasant things happen to her body. Nausea, gas, big feet, swelling, heartburn...we could go on and on. Even after giving birth, a few things may be a bit off kilter as the body goes back to "normal."
One of the most difficult by products of pregnancy (besides having to get ALL new shoes because your feet have grown or ALL new clothes because you can't fit your old ones) is hair loss. As seen in this September 16, 2008 photo, even the gorgeous Halle Berry was seen with obviously thinning hair months after her daughter was born.
Berry's baby, Nahla Ariela was six months old at the time of this photo, about the time Sabina Topp's son was when she started noticing that her once thick hair was thinning in the front -- to her absolute horror!
"It didn't happen right away," said the mother of two, who noted that this did not happen in her first pregnancy. "But the girl who does my hair at the salon told me it was the baby before the dermatologist did," said Topp, who ran staright to the doctor to see if she could get some hair Rx.
Find out what members are saying about everyone from Barack to Beyonce. There are nearly 100 forums from which to choose. Click on a category below and discover the right board for you.
Don't think the legacy of the hit Broadway musical, 'Dreamgirls,' stops at Jennifer Hudson winning the Academy Award for her break-out role in the crafty movie adaptation of it.
The music industry is getting smaller and smaller.
In what may turn out to be one of the nastiest, hardest fought election seasons in our lifetime, the dirty tricks are starting early. 
The question of whether the federal government can lower taxes while, at the same time, fix the economy at this critical juncture of our history. 
Well, actually the title of the Chapter taken from George S. Clason's 
