Dear Mayor Bloomberg

Dear Mayor Bloomberg

It has been four days since the big blizzard. I walk through Manhattan and everything is beautiful and cleared up. Four days, and Brooklyn is still a mess. Why aren't you helping us in the boroughs? I know you are all about money, and keeping Broadway open, tourism etc. Great for the economy, but why are you messing with the people? Why can't you come help us in Brooklyn? Why must I walk over mountains to get anywhere. I understand one day late, maybe two, but four??? Garbage hasn't been picked up. Trash all over Brooklyn! Nothing, it is terrible, and J.R. Whittington The actor is pissed! I like you Mayor Bloomberg. I voted for you Mayor Bloomberg. Mr. Bloomberg, how about I leave thrash all over the front of your house, and big piles of snow all over your stoop, and I bet you won't be happy??? Think about it Mr. MAYOR!!! THIS IS RIDICULOUS!

The Scottsboro Boys To Close!

One of the best musicals I have seen in my lifetime, with the most beautiful music, and talented cast is closing this Sunday! If you haven't seen it yet, please run to the theater and see this amazing show. This show as expected got high praises from the critics, and theatergoers all around have loved this production. For the show to close after only 6 weeks on Broadway is the biggest sin ever committed in Broadway history. This is insulting and so sad. It is scary the state Broadway is in. People want to see shows with folks flying, famous folks in it, and just fluff! It is so sad, that a great show, written well, with the most talented cast, and a story that has meaning that needs to be heard, CLOSES! I am very disappointed in tourist, Americans, and the intelligence of theater goers. Broadway is changing, and it is scares me. Where is the good work? When we do have good work, why does it close so fast? Do we have to do revivals, or Spider Man, or have someone famous in it for it to sell? What happened to the days when the unknown Broadway person was made into a star? All these questions have pondered my mind when Scottsboro Boys and another great show "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson" got a short life on Broadway. This hurts my feelings, and scares me in a way that I can't even explain..... Please read my past blog on The Scottsboro Boys to here my full review of the show. It is a sad day in the Broadway community......

The Sing Off on NBC

I just wanted to do a blog entry on the t.v. show "The Sing Off". I find myself dancing in my room, singing loudly, and just in awe of the talent on that stage. This is the first talent competition I have seen, where it is hard to have a favorite, because everyone is so dang on good. "The Sing Off", is a talent competition at it's best, if you are not watching this show, please run to see it. The judges are great, credible, and give amazing critics! Not like American Idol, when you get a sense they don't know what the heck they are talking about. The judges have a unique ear for pitch, vocal ability and musicality. I also enjoy the fact that the judges vote people off, so that we end up with truly the most talented group in the end. Not a popularity contest, although we the audience, do have a chance to vote at the final performance. This show is just made very smart, and it is so infectious. The judges, the talent, the way it is run, it is top notch for a reality singing competition. I have never seen people with more talent, and I give NBC a standing ovation. This is THE reality to show to watch! I find myself smiling so big, when I watch this show. I love talent, and love to see true artist on stage. I'm in awe of every group up there, what they do with no instruments and just there voices, is SUPERB! Music makes my soul happy, and this t.v. show makes me feel so much inside. RUN TO SEE THE SING OFF!!!!!

Whoopi Goldberg

As I felt guilty dogging my girl out in my last blog about the film "For Colored Girls", I decided to blog about how much I love Whoopi Goldberg. Her presence on the view makes me so happy, and she was the best choice ever to moderate that show. I usually find myself agreeing with most of her views. She knows when to agree, when to disagree, when to keep quiet, and to be diplomatic. Not to mention, sometimes, she reads people on the down low. Which I love about Whoopi Goldberg! She is a comedian and actress that states that "No one was hiring me for films", so I joined "The View"! You ever see a television personality, and you think to yourself "Me and so said celebrity would be great friends"?!? For some reason, I feel that way about Whoopi Goldberg...

Now to back pedal a little, as you know if you read my last blog entry. I didn't care to much for Whoopi's performance in "For Colored Girls", however, I didn't think she was horrific. I just didn't think she was well cast, and she wasn't as honest as she could have been. Her performance came off as a caricature, of a person, not a human. The highlighted moment for her in the film where she redeemed herself was her beautiful monologue that she spoke with Thandie Newton! That was well done, and the Whoopi I respect as an actress.

Whoopi Goldberg has proven herself time and time again, how great an actress she can be. Her performance in "The Color Purple" was so extraordinary. This was her best performance ever, it was so natural, and in my eyes, till this day, I feel she was robbed of an Oscar for her portrayal of Celie! There are numerous other movies where she nails the character, ex specially "Jumping Jack Flash", this movie is one of the funniest ever. No one has timing like Mrs. Whoopi . How about her Oscar winning role in "Ghost", one of my favorite lines in a movie "Molly, you in danger girl"! Lastly I have to mention her in Sister Act!!! AWESOME WORK WHOOPI!!!!! With numerous other amazing films under her belt, this is just the tip of the ice berg.

Whoopi's one women show, was the best thing on Broadway in a very long time. Her performance was riveting, honest, and no one can tell a story, while being funny, and slapping you in the face with a message, like Whoopi! Also I saw her kind of be miscast in "Ma Raineys Black Bottom", lacking the singing voice, but the acting chops was there. She was great in "A Funny Thing Happened on The Way To The Forum"! She stole the show in my eyes..... Whoopi's support of Broadway is commendable,and I am just a fan..... SO don't get your mind in a bundle, just because I didn't like her performance in one movie, doesn't mean I don't love WHOOPI GOLDBERG!!!!!

For Colored Girls

I saw the film a while back, but wanted to wait and ponder on this movie for awhile before I did my promised blog entry. I actually didn't mind this film, even though it got panned from critics. It was way better than I thought it would be. Tyler Perry did an amazing job reconstructing this book of monologues into a sequence, that actually made sense. It was a hard movie to sit through at times, as sometimes the truth about your culture hurts the heart more than expected. The cast was all A list and I was amazed by every one's work. All except one person, and I will mention that later. The highlighted performance for me, was Thandie Newton, Anika Noni Rose, and Phylicia Rashad! This movie was highly anticipated for me, and I didn't leave feeling numb like most African American women I know did. I left enjoying peoples work, it didn't make me feel the way I wanted it to. The one moment that got on my nerves was the cough, that Janet Jackson, kept doing ( I am sure directed to do so) it was so unbelievable and took me out of the moment. As they "indicated" that she was getting sick from her homo-Down Low- boyfriend. I know many people with HIV who don't walk around with a random cough. It would have been a stronger choice to just surprise us the audience, with the sickness, with the papers at the end, instead of giving away the final surprise! BAD ACTING CHOICE OR BAD DIRECTION!!!!! Other then that, everything seemed quite on the up and up! I enjoyed the actors work, and I would love to give kudos to the beautiful new comer:Tessa Thompson!!! Now to the performance I hated in the film, and it was so disappointing for me, it was Whoopi Goldberg. Her performance was contrived and not honest enough for me. I will state this by saying I am a huge Whoopi fan, and will devote my next blog entry to her. I can't dog my girl without giving her praise. I think Whoopi is an actress who needs a good director to help her along to find her character. This did not happen for me in "Colored Girls"! This film is all about the folks acting, and a must see for great performances!!!

Miami Pictures/Gabrielle Union Party/I made the cut!

I partied in Miami, on my Birthday and was invited to Gabrielle Unions Birthday party. As me, Gabrielle and Tracy Ross all share the same day of Birth. Here are some of the professional pictures from the party that I found online. As previously announced I respected the actresses decision to not allow cameras! You know I always know how to find the camera and my light! LOL! The surprise was that I found a photo of me online. I made the cut!!!! YAY! Such an amazing night, and wanted to share some of the photos!

My Favorite Movie..."The Color Purple"

My favorite movie of all times is "The Color Purple", and I decided to revisit this film the other night. It is amazing how I find new moments that make tears run down my face. It is interesting how relevant this movie is today as it was twenty five years ago. I also can quote a ton of scenes in the film, and I almost got the script memorized. Steven Spielberg is a genius, and his attention to detail is brilliant in this film. He captures the period, essence, and this culture as if he was African American and was born in this time period, like he lived this depressed experience. Spielberg brings the best out of the actors, and even finds humor and joy through out this film. This to me is still today his best work ever, and I can't wait for the blue ray version of this film to come out on Jan. 25 2011! This movie has some of the best acting in the world in it, this ensemble piece is so extraordinary as every actor was amazing! It is also some of the best work some of these actors have ever done. Whoopi Goldberg, and Oprah for instance would do there best work in there film lives in this flick. Although Whoopi won an Oscar for the movie Ghost, which is superb performance, Ghost can't ever measure up to her work in "The Color Purple". That year was intense as "The Color Purple" had many nominations, but was robbed in my opinion of all them. It should have been best actor, actress, supporting actress, best direction, and even best picture..I can go on and on....This movie should have cleaned house at the Oscars!!!!! I haven't seen any movie that can come close in my eyes to touching the work done in this film. We have come close, but no cigar for me. That is how highly I praise this film!

"The Color Purple", is celebrating its 25Th year anniversary this year, and they were on the Oprah show last night. I learned some inside on the film that shocked me. It was thrilling to watch this beautiful cast together on Oprah. News flash for me was that Whoopi and Oprah who haven't spoken in 20 years, because of petty "he said she said", break there silence and confusion. The Oprah show had me laughing, crying, and just in awe of the talent on stage. Learning inside information on the casting process, was one of my favorite moments on the Oprah show. Finding out that in the dinner table scene, they were all tore up from partying the night before. My biggest surprise is that Oprahs "Sat in that jail cell" speech was all improvisation. As it is one of my favorite acting moments in the movie. It goes to show when you are connected to a character, that the right thing will just flow out of you, whether scripted or not! I have to to give a shout out to Danny Glover and Margaret Avery whose performances are riveting in the film.

This movie is in a class of it's own and hasn't been replaced yet as my all time favorite film ever! I honestly don't know if it ever will......