Amanda Seales News

Comedian Amanda Seales (HBO's “Insecure”) headlines her first hour-long comedy special when AMANDA SEALES: I BE KNOWIN' debuts SATURDAY, JAN. 26 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. Taped at the Edison Ballroom in New York City, the exclusive presentation was directed by Stan Lathan and produced for HBO by Jesse Collins Entertainment.

Last night, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's 60th Anniversary holiday season at New York City Center kicked off with a star-studded Opening Night Gala Benefit performance and party led by Artistic Director Robert Battle, with iconic film stars Angela Bassett and Cicely Tyson as honorary chairs. Prudential Financial received the Ailey Legacy Honor for their generous support and commitment to Ailey, especially its education and community programs. The award was presented by Battle and Christopher Taylor, an alumnus of the inaugural AileyCamp Newark (2011) and a current scholarship student at The Ailey School, and accepted by Lata Reddy, Senior Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion and Impact at Prudential Financial.

As a centerpiece to its yearlong Ailey Ascending 60th Anniversary celebration and a kickoff to its five-week holiday season, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will host a star-studded gala benefit on Today, November 28th at 7pm, complete with a performance for the ages at New York City Center and dinner-party at the New York Hilton Midtown Grand Ballroom. The gala honors Prudential Financial for its generous support and commitment to Ailey for over three decades, especially its educational and community programs.  The Honorary Chairs for the evening are screen icons Angela Bassett and Cicely Tyson. Bassett, a Golden Globe Award winner, stars in the hit television series 9-1-1, and was most recently featured in the 2018 blockbusters Black Panther and Mission: Impossible - Fallout. Tyson - known for a myriad of roles across television and film, including Roots, Fried Green Tomatoes, and most recently How to Get Away With Murder - has received three Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and on November 18th made history as the first black woman to receive an Honorary Academy Award.

As a centerpiece to its yearlong Ailey Ascending 60th Anniversary celebration and a kickoff to its five-week holiday season, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will host a star-studded gala benefit on Wednesday, November 28th at 7pm, complete with a performance for the ages at New York City Center and dinner-party at the New York Hilton Midtown Grand Ballroom. The gala honors Prudential Financial for its generous support and commitment to Ailey for over three decades, especially its educational and community programs.  The Honorary Chairs for the evening are screen icons Angela Bassett and Cicely Tyson. Bassett, a Golden Globe Award winner, stars in the hit television series 9-1-1, and was most recently featured in the 2018 blockbusters Black Panther and Mission: Impossible - Fallout. Tyson - known for a myriad of roles across television and film, including Roots, Fried Green Tomatoes, and most recently How to Get Away With Murder - has received three Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and on November 18th made history as the first black woman to receive an Honorary Academy Award.

Comedian Amanda Seales (HBO's “Insecure”) will debut her first hour-long comedy special on HBO early next year, it was announced today by Nina Rosenstein, executive vice president, HBO Programming. Taping Sunday, Nov. 25 at the Edison Ballroom in New York, AMANDA SEALES: I BE KNOWIN' will be directed by Stan Lathan and produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment.

#iVoted, the massive voter turnout initiative founded by manager / entrepreneur Emily White, Pat Sansone of Wilco, and Madison House's Mike Luba, has activated 78 venues nationwide to reward fans who vote November 6th for fans who show a selfie from outside of their polling place with tickets and non-alcoholic drinks. More artists and venues have been adding their names to the list daily in the lead up to the elections.

HBO has renewed the comedy series BALLERS for a fifth season and INSECURE for a fourth season, it was announced today by Amy Gravitt, executive vice president, HBO Programming.

After her break-up with Lawrence, Issa tries to get her life back together, working hard to save and earn extra cash while crashing on Daniel's couch – an arrangement that proves challenging, given their history. Meanwhile, Molly starts a new job at a black-owned law firm, but finds her confidence put to the test when she's not automatically recognized as “the star.”

The animated adult series ANIMALS. returns for its ten-episode third season FRIDAY, AUG. 3 (11:30 p.m.-midnight ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. From Duplass Brothers Productions, the show was created by Phil Matarese & Mike Luciano.

Just For Laughs ComedyPRO sets the bar high for all things funny when the who's who of the comedy industry meets in Montreal, Canada for four days of industry panels, keynotes, concept showcases and networking events.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announces additional programming and talent for The District of Comedy Festival, a three-day festival which brings together acclaimed stars and rising acts for an all-laughs takeover of the nation's cultural center. The festival, with Presenting Sponsor Capital One, is a part of the Center's Comedy at the Kennedy Center initiative, a signature program focused on elevating comedy as an art form and uniting the local community together through laughter.

Excited to share that today, POPSUGAR Play/Ground, will announce the schedule and lineup for their two-day interactive summer festival that will be happening in New York City on June 9th & June 10th. Play/Ground will be an irl experience that brings POPAUGAR's award winning content to life across fashion, fitness, beauty, living, culture and music. See schedule below with panel topics, talent and timing.

Dream team band R+R=NOW—featuring Robert Glasper on keyboards, Terrace Martin on synthesizer and vocoder, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah on trumpet, Derrick Hodge on bass, Taylor McFerrin on synth and beatbox, and Justin Tysonon drums—will release their debut album Collagically Speaking (Blue Note) on June 15. The album is available for pre-order today on vinyl, CD or download, along with the new single “Colors In The Dark” which can be streamed or downloaded now. The band's DNA is evident in the song's woozy soul with Martin's robo-coo floating like a hallucination over a lush scene rooted by Hodge's warm bass and featuring a breezy Glasper piano solo that crests in a sudden burst from Tyson.

BALLERS and INSECURE Both Return to HBO This August

The hit comedy series BALLERS and INSECURE will kick off their new seasons back-to-back SUNDAY, AUG. 12 on HBO.

Today, BET Her in partnership with Bumble and the Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network announced the 2018 WEEN Awards scheduled to take place in Los Angeles on Thursday, June 21, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. PT at The Conga Room at L.A. LIVE. Hosted by 'Insecure' actress Amanda Seales, the empowering night honors the innovation and marked successes of women of color across various industries who have unapologetically broken barriers in the entertainment, arts and technology industries.

The animated adult television series ANIMALS. returns for its ten-episode third season FRIDAY, AUG. 3 (11:30 p.m.-midnight ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. From Duplass Brothers Productions, the show was created by Phil Matarese & Mike Luciano.

Dream team band R+R=NOW has released 'Change Of Tone,' the enticing lead track from their forthcoming debut album Collagically Speaking, which will be released June 15 on Blue Note Records. 'Change Of Tone,' which is available today to stream or download, moves with ease between its various sections and styles, highlighting each of this remarkable collective's members along with vocal contributions by Goapele.

Three years after releasing Trevor Moore: High in Church, Moore returns to Comedy Central with his second one-hour special, Trevor Moore: The Story of Our Times, debuting on Friday, April 20 at Midnight ET/PT. For the first time ever, Comedy Central will be streaming live on Facebook for a full 24 hours. Starting on Thursday, April 19 at Midnight ET, Moore will host a 24 hour talk show on Comedy Central Stand-Up's Facebookwhere he will try to solve every problem the world faces; from the Middle East to whether or not aliens are real. He will interview guests, take phone calls and moderate debates covering hot-button issues… all while fighting to stay awake through the whole 24 hours.

Recording artist and Oscar-winner Common hosted the fourth annual “Toast To The Arts: A Celebration of Fearless Art” event, March 2, honoring the Academy Award nominations of Get Out nominee Daniel Kaluuya (Best Actor); Mudbound nominees Mary J. Blige (Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Song), director Dee Rees (Best Writing Adapted Screenplay) and producer Charles D. King; as well as legendary filmmaker Charles Burnett.