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Page 4, P ortla nd O bserver, Jun e 29, 1988
Marion Jackson, Vanity And
Avery Brooks On The ‘Showcase’
BROADWAY BOUND
REPORT
Actor Paul Winfield
Goes To Broadway
by Garland Lee Thompson
first worked with my friend and
_ actor, Paul Winfield (who, like
me, lived in Portland as a boy), in
the West Coast production of
Imamu Baraka's (LeRoi Jones)
play, ‘ Dutchman” and “ The
Toilet,” 1965, at the Warner
Playhouse in Hollywood, Ca.
Just away from UCLA, Paul,
played in “ The Toilet,
with
myself (like many black high
school kids). He understudied Al
Freeman Jr., (of “ One Life To
Live,” TV soap fame) in “ Dutch
man,” and later in San Francisco,
I covered Paul in the role. I still
played in “ The Toilet, until after
the Watts Riots of 1965. We team
ed up again at the Actors Studio
West in a play of mine, “ Sisyphus
And The Blue-Eyed Cyclops,"
starring with D’Urville Martin. We
did other shows and companies
and now he is going to Broadway
in Ron M iln e r’s new play
“ C heckm ates,” this fall 88
season, produced by Woodie
King Jr. (check Broadway listings
and dates).
I
Welcome, Paul, you're “ Broad
way Bound.” My first on Broad
way was, “ No Place To Be Some
body,” and my first Landlady was
black actress, Helen Martin, who
now stars in sit-con Television
(‘ 227” ). She and Frederick
O'Neill, are founding members of
the American Negro Theatre
(1940’-50’ s ) and our “ Famous
Faces” of the week.
, r
55
1.
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The Juice News Dept.
Woodie King’s New Federal
Theatre is apart of the first New
York Festival of The Arts, ’88 and
the Negro Ensemble Company of
Fuller’s (“ A Soldier’s Play” ) new
play, “ Sally,” opening June 30th,
1988, at the National Black Arts
Festival in Atlanta, Ga. (Fuller’s
play, “ Zooman and The Sign,” will
play Portland, October 29th - No
vember 20th, in the Winningstad
Theatre, a Storefront Theatre pro
duction, directed by Pick Jones).
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\ ♦!
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V.
The National Black Theatre in
Harlem, presenting Gordon Nel
son’s gospel m usical, "The
Legacy,” begins its second year.
The NBT, in its twentieth year,
has been cited as “ one of the
most important arts institutions
in America.”
The longest running black mu
sical in New York, "Mama I Want
To Sing,” is still at the Hecscher
Theater (Off Broadway) on 104th
Street an Fifth Avenue (fifth year).
But the show is facing eviction
notices by Mayor Ed Koch of New
York, who claims that the building
was designated for nonprofit use
only (but he took the rent money
was five years, $100,000 annually,
dig it!). The show, written and co
produced by Vy Higginsen, who is
also the only black woman co
producer currently on Broadway
with the Tony Award-winning
drama, “ Joe Turner’s Come And
Gone,” by another black Pulitzer
P la y w rig h t, A u g u s t W ils o n
(“ Fences” ).
It’s “ Easter” In July
Mary Moore Easter makes
dances, writes poems and per
forms both. This guest resident,
black choreographer, will be fea
tured in the Oregon Dance Con
sort’s special benefit perform
ance entitled, “ Metamorphosis,”
opening Thursday, July, 7th, 8th,
9th, at 8:00 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. on
Sunday, July 10th. Also appearing
are actors, Anthony Armstrong,
Nyla McCarthy, Sam Mowry,
m em bers of the J e ffe rs o n
Dancers and Northwest Afrikan
American Ballet.
It’s a “ must see” event for
Dance and Theatre-goers in Port
land and the Pacific Northwest.
The North/Northeast Boosters,
City Commissioner, Mike Lind-
burg’s office and the Oregon
Dance Consort are sponsoring a
group of Upward Bound Students
from Portland State University, to
see for the first time, a benefit
opening in the new Portland Per
forming Arts Center.
Obie Award-Winning
Playwright Silenced
Miguel Pinero, “ whose plays
dealt with life in prison, is dead at
41.” Mr. Pinero, who was born in
Puerto Rico, won an New York Vil
lage Voice News, Obie Award and
the New York Drama Critics Cir
cle Award as best American play
in 1974 for his play, “ Short Eyes.”
The memorial service was held at
the Public Theater at Noon, Fri
day, June 24th. Ciao, Miguel!
Theatre Buff Quiz: Who was the
first Black Pulitzer Playwright?
Win two tickets to see Langston
Hughes’ musical, “ Simply Hea
venly,” opening August 18th,
1988, at the Lincoln Hall Theatre
of Portland State University, in
downtown Portland. Send your
answers to us, c/o “ Broadway
Bound Report:” P.O. Box 3137,
Portland, Oregon 97211, (503)
288-0033.
PORTLAND OBSERVER
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MARY EASTER’S ‘SOME PEOPLE’
arlon Jackson’s one-man music creativity, sexy Vanity’s acting and
sinqing talents and the diverse artistic talents of “ Spenser For
Pictured are: Petti Cage, Mary Easter. Mlchall Ourcti, Althea Williams, Rul>,
Hire” star Avery Brooks are profiled on EBONY/JET SHOWCASE the
Burns, and Angela Logan.
weekend of June 24-26th (consult your local listing for date and time).
Marlon Jackson's first solo album, featuring the top single, Don t
Go ” is proof that the artist is more than just Michael Jackson’s brother.
“ No one really knew what Marlon Jackson sounded like or what he was
planning to do,” notes Jackson, now discovering what he calls his
broad sound. Jackson, a father of three who is enjoying his 13-year mar
riage to Carol, discusses how learning to give and take has helped their
M
Womack And Womack
First Album In Over 2 Years
W
marriage.
Avery Brooks (left), Vanity (middle), and Deborah Crable (right).
“ It was a crazy, happenin’ thing,” reflects actress/singer Vanity of
her romance with rock star Prince. She comments on how the two are
“ like brother and sister" and points out their common traits. The sexy
star of “ Action Jackson” also gives woman pointers on getting a man.
"Spenser: For Hire" actor Avery Brooks plays steel-cold Hawk on
the TV drama, but says he is “ shy by nature” in real life. Off the set
Brooks keeps busy as a college professor “ in the classroom, yelling and
screaming,” playing such on and off-Broadway roles as Paul Robeson
and Othello, and refining his music talents. Brooks comments on what
Blacks must do to change their portrayal on television.
Also, cartoonist Morrie Turner sketches the story of his famous
strip, “ Wee Pals.”
omack and Womack are
about to put out their first
album in over two years —
Conscience (on Island Records).
Long before they ever made an
LP to g e th e r, W om ack and
Womack had already amassed an
awesome track record. Cecil
Womack had written The Rolling
Stones’ first hit, “ It’s All Over
Now,” when he was in his early
teens, and had played with Jimi
Hendrix, Box Scaggs, Mary Wells,
The O’Jays and Stephanie Mills.
His wife Linda had written gold
singles for Aretha Franklin,
Wilson Pickett and James Taylor
... also when she was just a teen
ager. Together, the duo had writ
ten and produced hits in the late
70s and early '80s for artists like
Teddy Pendergrass and Patti
LaBelle.
When Cecil and Linda Womack
released their debut album in
1984, Musician Magazine called it
“ incandescent” and the Seattle
Tribune dubbed it "a break
through of momentous propor
tions.” Womack and Womack's
records were named the best of
the year in England’s New Musical
Express, Melody Maker and City
Limits. Billboard called Womack
and Womack’s songs “ exception
al,” and the LA Herald Examiner
termed their music "rapturous.”
Then, in 1986, Womack and
Womack disappeared. In that dis
appearance is the story of the up
coming LP Conscience. You see,
Womack and Womack slipped
out of the public eye to return to
their musical roots. Cecil Wo-
C le o ’ s
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Airline/Travel Industry
Heavy Equipment Operating
Truck Driving Schools
Guaranteed Student Loans
mack is the third generation of a
family that began singing gospel
in the coal fields of Virginia. His
grandfather mined by day, singing
over his pick, and organized a
gospel group at night. Womack’s
father followed in the family tradi
tion, making a living in the coal
mines, but organizing gospel
groups that toured on the week
end. Cecil and Linda Womack
have spent the last two years go
ing back to that mining tradition.
In 1985, Cecil and Linda settled
on a farm in Virginia coal country,
sought out the sons of the men
who had sung in the coal pits with
Cecil Womack’s father, then ask
ed the former miners to sing the
stories of their lives. Those songs
formed the foundation for Cons
cience, the new Womack &
Womack LP.
Says Cecil Womack, “We come
from West Virginia. We’re not the
only ones down here. We’re just
the only ones you hear. Our story
is their story. Their father is my
father. My dad told me how they
used to sing and chop. Every time
they hit an axe, they hit a note.
That’s what happened to their
fathers, that’s what happened to
mine. These guys are conscious.
Their story is everyone’s.
The resulting Womack and
Womack album — Conscience is
strikingly contemporary, rich in
melody, and breathtaking in the
simplicity of its style. From the
fo u n d a tio n s of th e ir past,
Womack and Womack have fash
ioned a musical great leap for
ward.
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Marlon Jackson and host Darryl Dennard (left).
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