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.
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•
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
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