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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (July 20, 1988)
July 20, 1988, Portland Observer, Page 5 X - ENTERTAINMEHI BROADWAY BOUND REPORT has played for several years. Is she moving or what! JOSHUA LOGAN, DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER FOR STAGE AND FILM By: Garland Lee Thompson he 1988 Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress belongs to L. Scott Caldwell, for her bril liant moments of portrayal of “ B ertha H o lly ,” in A u g u s t W ilson’s 1988 Broadway play, "Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, which I saw this past spring at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.” Beginning with auditions for Douglas Turner Ward, founder and Artistic Director of the world renown, Negro Ensemble Com pany, Caldwell became the last contract actor ever hired by the NEC. During her first season at NEC, she performed in five or six plays, one of which was Samm- Art W illiam ’s Broadway play, “ Home," which I saw when it was moved from the St. Marks Play house to Broadway in May of 1980. In 1984, Caldwell was cast in Nobel Prize winner, Wole Soyinka’s, "Play of Giants, at Yale Repertory Theatre. With the help of Lloyd Richards, Dean of the Yale Repertory Theatre, the Frank Silvera Writers’ Workshop and San Diego’s Old Globe Thea tre, she has prepare for the chal lenge of her current role on Broadway. “ A star is Born,” just as Claudia McNeill became "a star” for her role as “ Mamie,” in Langston Hughes’ 1958 musical, “ Simply Heavenly.” The Tony, an added blessing, in that she was nominated in the category as her two co-actors, Kimberleigh Aarn and Kimberly Scott as well as Kate Nelligan, with whom she had worked in the film, “ Without A Trace." ABC-TV has submitted her for Emmy con sideration for her performance in “ God Bless the Child,” earlier this season and Caldwell hopes to ap pear again on “ All My Children, as “ the head nurse,” the role she T I first worked under Joshua Logan in his film version of “ South Pacific,” in October, 1957, at Twentieth Century-Fox Stu dios. It was my first film in Holly wood. So I suppose you could say he gave me my first job in the film In d ustry, ju s t as Langston Hughes provided the first for me, on stage as a professional. Joshua Logan co-authored, co produced and directed the 1949 Broadway hit, “ South Pacific,” which won the Pulitzer Prize for best musical play in 1950 and perhaps the greatest hit of Logan’s career. After many years I saw “ Josh” Logan backstage at Off Broadway performance of “ The Wisteria Trees,” his own version of Chek hov’s “ Cherry Orchard.” His long string of successes began with the musical, “ I Married an Angel” (1938), "Knickerbocker Holiday,” with Walter Huston the same year, “ Annie Get Your Gun” (1946), “ Picnic” (1953), “ Fanny” (1954), “ The World of Suzie Wong” (1958) and the movies of “ Camelot” (1967), "Paint Your Wagon" and “ Sayonara.” He was also that uncommon phenome non, the theatre director who was also successful at making films. Some of Broadway's most endur ing and prestigious hits, such as ‘‘Mr. Roberts,” were the product of the man, who frequently served as co-author and co-producer as well as director of his hit Broad way plays. His works will live on. Now Joshua Logan, at 79, is dead and he joined performers, such as Frank Silvera and Adolf Caesar, “ who lived and made an impact in his own time.” A BLACK THEATRE CELEBRATION IN NEW YORK The Black United Fund of New York, in conjunction with Woza Afrika Foundation, presented an “ invitational only” reception in honor of the excellence of Black Theatre on Broadway this season. Vy Higginsen (author of "Moma I Want To Sing” and a co-producer of “ Joe Turner” ) and Geoffrey Holder co-hosted the affair which brought together the artists and producers of the shows which made a stellar appearance on Broadway this year: “ Don’t Get God Started,” “ D ream girls,” “ Fences,” "Gospel at Colonus.” “ Joe Turner Come and Gone,” <V Berry Jam and "Sarafina.” These casts were joined by the celebrities of the Broadway shows of ten years ago, such as "The Wiz" and "A in ’t Misbehavin,” for one grand cele bration of “ Blacks on Broadway.” The staffs on the Negro Ensem ble Company, the Frank Silvera W riters’ Workshop and other Black Theatre development pro grams, were also present at the affair, which took place June 27th, 1988, in the Vivian Beau mont Theatre lobby at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York. CASTING IS COMPLETE FOR “ SIMPLY HEAVENLY” Casting is complete, with re hearsals starting with Portland actor/singer, Neal Thomas, in the role of “ Simple,” in "Simply Heavenly,” opening at the Lincoln Hall Theatre, Thursday, August 18th, 1988, at Portland State Uni versity. For ticket information regarding this Portland premiere, of Langston Hughes’ most suc cess musical, call Nina Lowry, Producer of the Summer Festival production at PSU, 464-4452. Friday, July 22, 7:30 p.m. it’s “ Berry Jam.” The second annual fundraising event for Pioneer Courthouse Square will once again be the party of the summer. Henry Weinhard’s Private Reserve presents the legendary Chuck Berry and Hank Ballard and the Mid- nighters. Chuck will be backed by some of Portland’s finest musi cians including John Mazzocco and Carlton Jackson of the Stilet tos, and Roucke Vanderveen of Johnny Limbo and the Lugnuts. Hank Ballard and the Midnighters will be opening the show with a two hour set. The rave reviews from their current tour are best summed up in the Twin Cities Reader (May 25, 1988) - “ If you’ve got ears and feet you won't regret it.” L A dual role for Guilliame: Robert Guilliame will return to ABC in a sit com based on the life of a psychiatrist who’s a single parent in volved with a white woman. But perhaps the more challenging role for Guilliame will be that of executive producer. Guilliame just finished filming “ Lean On Me.” It is based on the story of Eastside High’s renowned principal Joe Clark, and stars academy nominee, Morgan Freeman, as Joe Clark. Filming was done on the New Jersey high school site, and Clark, acted as consultant. Said one crew member “ he’s not the tough guy he’s made out to be. He’s tough in that he demands the best from the kids they can give, but Mr. Hank Ballard The Square will be turned into the “ hottest" spot in town with color and light by Interlight. The Nordstrom Patrons’ Pavilion will be the place to be ... with a cat ered dinner by MAX'S Classic Food and Jazz, complimentary Oregon wine and table seating in a prime location. Tickets are $75.00 each and are available at the Square office. General admis sion tickets are available for $15.50 apiece from all G.l. Joe’s Ticketmaster locations, Galleria Jean Machine and Powell’s Trav- elstore on the Square. Skin D eep Beauty A n d Barber Supplies • IVe Sell To The Public • H e Ccrrrv M ost OJ The Products For Beautv Care A n d Pleasure • H e H ill Stock > our Order To Your Satisfaction! — Remember, Beauty Is Only Skin D eep !!! — • ionel Richie Blows The Whistle On His Wife: Tongues are still wagging about the arrest of Brenda Richie, wife of superstar Lionel Richie on Wednesday, June 29, in Beverly Hills, on a number of charges stemming from her assault on 22-year-old Diane Alex ander. Brenda Richie, 36, was reported to have cut a screen and gained entry to Alexander’s apartment through a window, sometime after 2 a.m. Once inside, she began to beat Alexander. Neighbors reported hearing Alexander scream for Richie to come to her aid, as his wife was pulling her hair out. Skeet skeedadied: Richie, affec tionately known as “ Skeet” to close friends, said “ he left after his wife kicked him in the stomach.” Police arrived around 2:00 find Ms. Richie on top of Alexander. She was released on $5,000 bail, after being charged with trespassing, resisting arrest, corporeal injury to a spouse, battery, vandalism, and disturbing the peace. The incident has sparked rumors that Richie wants out of their 15-year- old marriage. Fact is the couple filed for a divorce a year or so ago, but then dropped the matter. A New Role for Vonetta McGee: as the veteran actress gave birth to a bouncing baby boy — 7 lbs, 1 oz. Husband, former Cagney & Lacey co-star Carl Lumbly, is ecstatic. Skin Deep Beauty and Barber Supply 1761 N.E. Dekum by Lisa Collins Eddie Murphy Sued: Shelby Gregory filed suit in U.S. District Court against both Eddie Murphy and Paramount Pictures for copyright infringement, stating that “ Coming To America” is based on a screenplay he submitted. And while both properties center around the theme of a black African prince coming to America, the parallels end there. Besides, Gregory’s Prince Toto was broke, and not sur prisingly, most say Gregory is not likely to profit from this. Black Film Heritage The g ro w in g B la ck film heritage has been preserved and made readily available through a new catalog published by Facets Video, a non-profit Chicago media arts center. The Facets Black American Video catalog has grouped together over a hundred of Black-related titles ranging from rare all-Black cast films like Oscar Micheaux’s “ Lying Lips,” to more recent work like Melvin Van Peebles' “ Watermelon Man,” and "Story of a Three-Day Pass." All of the titles in the Black American Video catalog are avail able for purchase at prices rang- • ing from $11.95-$79.95, or for rental-by-mail from Facets Video, 1517 West Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60614. For further information about the Facets Video collection, which is the nation's largest library of foreign, independent, films on tape, call Facets toll-free at 1-800-331-6197, or write Facets Multimedia, 1517 West Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614. BEHIND- THE-SCENES Portland, Oregon 97211 • he does-it in love.” Meanwhile, it's a banner year for Beverly Todd, who co-stars as the assistant principal. You’ll see her later this year in “ Clara s Heart, which stars Whoopi Goldberg as a Jamaican domestic. Todd and Goldberg struck up quite a friendship. So much so that when Todd admired an expensive ring Whoopi Goldberg wore, Goldberg later gifted her with it. Todd, has been working steadily since she co- starred as Richard Pryor’s wife in “ Movin.” 1 ‘Movin', was a box-office bomb for Pryor, and many feel that he is dead cold. But if Pryor's professional life is cold, his personal life is warming up. Pryor and ex-wife Deborah MacGuire are reportedly dating again. Whatever happened to Gary Coleman? 20 year-old Gary Coleman recently teamed up with a former Michael Jackson impersonator to do a rap record, titled "The Outlaw & The Indian. And Where's Janet? It’s been two years since “ Control,” catapulted Janet Jackson to the top, and launched the phenomenal success of producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, but the public has heard little of Janet since. She was to do a film, but that was put on hold. As far as her next LP, word is there has been some sort of contrac tual snag, and the participation of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis is doubtful. Meanwhile, the celebrated producers met with Janet’s brother, Michael, and as to a collaboration, we ll just have to wait and see. In other recording news. Sade is refusing any and all promotion and press efforts relative to Stronger Than Pride — an LP that was three years in the making. On The Road Again? Meanwhile, former Miss America Vanessa Williams, is set to go on tour to pomote her new LP "The Right Stuff," which is presently at No. 9 with a bullet on Billboard's record charts. Find out why Robin Givens-Tyson is right 283-5573 WHOLESALE AND RETAIL next week. HUNGRY? r Besaw ’s . l L . « ‘The Place To G o ’ A LL NIGHT LONG Wed Ï AIL NIGHT LONG I . ». * re * A»», f kin g , »... F or Early Mornings1, Late Night Breakfasts, — A fte r Hours — Thurs 2301 N W r S A V IE R k 1 7 -_ J Famous Faces f I Opened 24 Hours 228-3764 t À FRANKLIN’S READY RIBS THE LONG GOODBYE O PEN TO SER VE Y O U AT I 7 u 30 0 N .W . 10th P o rtlan d , O rego n 22 7-1991 445 N.E. 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