?RAIN PRYOR's one-woman autobiographical play, FRIED CHICKEN & LATKES, will have its World Premiere at Dr. Barbara Ann Teer's National Black Theatre (NBT) in Harlem, running Tuesday, June 2, through Sunday, June 28. Directed by Kamilah Forbes, this Limited Off-Broadway run is the actress-writer-comedian's funny take on growing up Black & Jewish as the daughter of one of the world's most beloved & iconic funny men, comic genius Richard Pryor.
Comedian RAIN PRYOR, known for her autobiographical solo show Fried Chicken and Latkes, as well as her work as an author, actress & spokesperson for MS research, released her debut comedy album, Black & White
Rain Pryor's one-woman autobiographical play will have its World Premiere at Dr. Barbara Ann Teer's National Black Theatre (NBT) in Harlem, running Tuesday, June 2, through Sunday, June 28.
"The Gospel Tradition: In Performance at the White House" showcases an evening of celebration with President and Mrs. Obama at the White House in honor of gospel music and its profound influence on American music.
LAFF - today announced three individual film licensing agreements that will bring the network some of the biggest comedic stars and performances of recent times.
The album was recorded live at the Joke Joint Comedy Club in St. Paul, Minnesota, where Malone revealed his demons and vices with heavy-hitting punch lines. Malone has earned praise from critics who value his ability to win over and engage an audience.
According to Deadline, Mike Epps has landed the lead role in ABC's upcoming UNCLE BUCK pilot. The project is a modern take on John Hughes' original film starring John Candy.
Los Feliz is raining shows and show tunes this March at ROCKWELL Table and Stage, L.A.'s premier spot for extraordinary entertainment and sensational dining experiences (for before, during or after the shows!) - where you can have a great lunch or dinner on our outside patio, enjoy specialty cocktails and see some of the best entertainment Los Angeles has to offer!
One of the most common questions I get asked is how I started doing stand up in the first place. That first leap is daunting for anyone so people always want to know how I started because, not only did I do it - I did it at 13 years old.
For 60 continuous hours, from 7pm on Thursday January 1 to 7am on Sunday January 4, New York's Metropolitan Room is staging what it is billing as "The Longest Variety Show Ever." Featuring approximately 160 performers and 15 emcees, the entertainment will span music, burlesque, comedy, drag, theatre/opera, magic and puppetry.
The inimitable Sandra Bernhard returns to Joe's Pub at The Public with her new show Sandra Bernhard is #blessed for her annual year-end residency, which starts December 26 and leads up to her New Year's Eve spectacle. Performances run nightly from Today-Tuesday, December 26-30 at 7:30PM and 9:30PM and Wednesday, December 31 at 9:00PM and 11:00PM. Garland Jeffreys kicks off New Year's Eve at Joe's Pub with his own show at 7:00PM on December 31.
The inimitable Sandra Bernhard returns to Joe's Pub at The Public with her new show Sandra Bernhard is #blessed for her annual year-end residency, which starts December 26 and leads up to her New Year's Eve spectacle. Performances run nightly from Friday-Tuesday, December 26-30 at 7:30PM and 9:30PM and Wednesday, December 31 at 9:00PM and 11:00PM. Garland Jeffreys kicks off New Year's Eve at Joe's Pub with his own show at 7:00PM on December 31.
Stories about some of the biggest names in Cleveland television history are retold in the new book 'Cleveland TV Tales' by Mike and Janice Olszewski. The book profiles dozens of colorful men and women who helped invent local television programming from the 1950s through the 1970s.
Two of the best known personalities featured in 'Cleveland TV Tales' are Ernie Anderson, who as 'Ghoulardi,' the late-night movie host, got top ratings by trying to shock his audience, and Ron Penfound, who thought his job as genial cartoon-show host 'Captain Penny' would last only a few weeksand then stayed on the air for 16 years. Less-well-known innovators are included, too, such as confrontational talk show host Alan Douglas, who frequently baited his guestssometimes to the brink of violence.
'These were some pretty colorful people,' Mike Olszewski said. 'Maybe eccentric would be a better word. Okay, downright odd in some cases. But they were very creative.'
They had to be.
"When television broadcasting began in Cleveland, there was no formula,' Mike Olszewski said. 'There wasn't a model for regional hosts to follow. They had to use their creativity. And back then almost all TV was live, so they had to be on their toes; whatever could go wrong usually did."
Anecdotes in the book include:
• Linn Sheldon, as children's host 'Barnaby,' an elf, handling a young fan who casually used a racial epithetseveral timeson live TV
• Early game show host Paul Hodges, whose 'Dress and Guess,' had contestants trying to figure out what famous person he was portraying before he got all his clothes on
• Late night host 'Big' Wilson purchasing a wild wallaby to live on his yacht and serve as KYW TV's mascot (because he couldn't get a kangaroo)
• Tough-as-nails news commentator Dorothy Fuldheim irritating various celebrities, including NFL star Joe Namath (she didn't recognize him), political activist Jerry Rubin (she threw him off her set, on-air), and comedian Richard Pryor (they argued about poverty on 'The Tonight Show').
Dan O'Shannon, the writer/producer of 'Cheers' and 'Modern Family' and a Cleveland native, wrote the book's foreword. In it, he refers to Cleveland's early TV professionals as, 'pioneers, a community of inspired, dedicated, artistic, lucky and just plain insane human beings.'
'Cleveland TV Tales: Stories from the Golden Age of Local Television' (Gray & Co.; $15.95; softcover; 187 pages; 60 photos) is available at Northeast Ohio bookstores and online from Amazon.com. More information at www.grayco.com.
About the Authors:
Mike and Janice Olszewski are a husband-and-wife team. Mike is a veteran Cleveland radio and television personality and the curator and archivist for the Ohio Broadcast Archive and Museum. He teaches media and communications at Kent State University, the University of Akron and Notre Dame College and is the author of two books about radio: 'Radio Days' and 'WIXY 1260.' Janice has more than three decades' experience in the travel and tourism industry. Her photography has been published in "Filmfax," "Outre," and other national magazines.
With the recent passing of comedienne Joan Rivers, the Saturday Night Live cast performed a skit envisioning what Heaven might be like with Joan Rivers and other deceased celebrities, like Richard Pryor, Steve Jobs, Ava Gardner, Freddie Mercury, Benjamin Franklin, and Lucille Ball.
Creatures of the night take over October, as Sony Movie Channel unleashes a "Killer Thursdays" block loaded with tricks and treats every week at 10 p.m. ET.
