Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 27, 1997)
AUG. 27, 1997 Page B2 lije ^Joellani» ODherruer---------------------------- (T 1|C ^Sortlanh (©bseruer ENTERTAINMENT Whitney Houston, Brandy A n d A n All-Star Cast Including W hoopi Qoldberg, Jason Alexander A n d Bernadette Peters W rap Production O n "Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella" For "The Wonderful W orld O f Disney" On A B C T A - n l / V f “ R O IX'G. E R S A t il M E i T s ( t T! I N / S C K d EREI.I.A,'?. AIRING ON S t N - N o vem ber 2, 7:00- iX v . i:l»0P\i( ETtfjT I on AtiC as 4 j*ART O E / “ T 4 iE W o i^ O E ^ F fL W orld of D mney ,” § " . . roduction has wrapped on the television production o f “Rodgers & Hammerstein’sCinderella. "Starring recording sensations Whitney Houston (“The Preacher’s Wife ) and Brandy (“Moesha” ), this retelling of the classic fairy tale will air on Sunday, November 2,7:00-9:00 PM (ET/ PT) on ABC as part of "The Wonderful World of Disney.” Rodgers & Hammerstein’s original musical - their only work written for television - shimmers to life once again in this spectacular new production. Its lyrical score relating a fanciful tale of sibling revelry, love at first sight and heauty within is embellished with an empowering ‘90s theme that updates, but never outdates, theclassic tale. Aided by the magical presence of her Fairy Godmother (Houston), Cinderella (Brandy) learns that, through positive thinking and believing in yourself, “impossible things arc happening every day!” P enowned comedian, radio personality and television star, Steve Harvey, is set to quer yet another entertainm ent medium, the recording industry. Steve Harvey Live...Down South Somewhere, a full-length comedy album on the Island Black M usic/ T-Neck Records labels, is sched uled to be released September 16th. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Harvey began hiscareer in the early 80’s performing stand-up comedy in clubs across the nations. It was through his routine that Harvey es tablished himself as a preeminent comic on the comedy club circuit. He soon began headlining shows to sold-out audiences and developed a fan-base stretching across the country. As a result of all the positive buzz surrounding him, Harvey’s comedic talents sparked the inter est of Hollywood bigwigs. Shortly thereafter, the offers came pouring in for Harvey to lend his talents to several television projects. Harvey decided upon the ABC sitcom, “Me and the Boys,” in which he starred. Harvey portrayed Steve Tower, a single dad coping with the responsibility of raising his sons on his own. Though not a ratings suc cess, "Me and the Boys” was praised by critics for its positive portrayal of African-Americans. Harvey re ceived a People’s Choice nomina tion for Favorite Male in a New Television Series for his work on “Me and the Boys.” On “The Steve Harvey Show ,” his current sitcom on The WB net w ork, H arvey p o rtra y s S teve Hightower, a ’ 70’s music star who’s fame has fleeted and is currently teaching music to high school teen agers at an inner-city school. The show is heading into its second season and is one ol The W B’s R highest rated shows. Children’s issues are very im portant to Harvey, which is appar con ent in any project he attaches him self to. His show tackles pertinent topics such as teen drug use, teen sex and violenee, yet at the same time, retains Harvey's unique comic sensibility and never comes across as being “preachy.” In an era when many sitcoms with African-American leads are being criticized for their portrayal o f African-Americans, H arvey’s show has managed to avoid the criti cism, largely due to the watchful eye of H arvey. He closely m oni tors all aspects of his show to ensure that the quality o f the show is superb. At the sam e tim e, Harvey rem ains supportive o f his peers. “The reason I w o n ’t speak out against other fellow black actors and creators o f shows I may not hold up as the ideal on television is sim ple,” Harvey ex plains. “They need the work, and it’s been a struggle getting to the point of having your own show on the air." Harvey remains optimistic about the future of African-Ameri can television shows, "W e’ve got a place now where we can provide positive images for all of America, and also show younger brothers a character like mine - a guy who’s a respected schoolteacher - they can look up to.” Harvey is committed to helping the youth in our country. He regu larly visits schools and youth deten tion centers nationwide to lecture about the pitfalls of “street-life" and the importance of establishing goals. Harvey was the driving force behind a meeting between Snoop Doggy Dogg and Sean “Puffy” Combs, two key figures in the sup posed war between east and west coast rap factions. B e e t h o v e n ’s 9 th. S y m p h o n y Season-opening Gala! Thursday, September 4 at 7 pm J a m e s D e P r e is t , c o n d u c to r - 7 ’V \a , R o c h e lle E llis , s o p r a n o C h r is tin e M e a d o w s, m e z z o '' D o n B e m a r d in i, te n o r R ic h a r d Z eller, b a r ito n e P o r tla n d S y m p h o n ic C h o ir B ru ce B row ne, d ire c to r oven: Sym phony in D minor, C h oral S p o tu o r r d hy L 2 2 8 -1 3 5 3 -2 ^ 8 -7 3 4 3 ) w e e k d a y s 9 a m - 5 p m e tm a a t e r . 7 9 0 -A R T S ttp ://w w w o r sy m p h o n y .o r g Opening October 22nd Group Events * Lodging Theater # Restaurant Make your reservations now for lodging or group meeting space at McMenamins Kennedy School. This historic 1915 elementry school is being renovated into a community center like no other. # If that’s not enough Beethoven for you, we have an offer you'll love! B e e t h o v e n H its I n c lu d in g S e p te m b e r 26 S ym p hon y N o. 3 8 00 pm M urry S id lin , con d u ctor T h e FI ores ta n T rio C o rio la n O v e r tu r e T r ip le C o n c e r to S y m p h o n y N o . 3, E ro ic a i b-A i > < ¡I URGI ( i | \ I ( | \ * T ick et« $ 1 3 4 4 2 Conveniently located near downtown and the airport, the retreat center offers rooms for ten to 250 people, catering services and great attractions including a brewery, restaurant, movie theater, gymnasium and soaking pool. Bed and breakfast rooms offer phones, modem hook-ups and private baths. For a limited time you can book a night’s stay for two, including a full breakfast, for only $75 midweek, $85 weekend. Make your reservation by September 22,1997 and stay before May 31, 1998 W h e n y o u p u r c h a s e a t ic k e t fo r t h e 9 t h , w e ’ll le t y o u h a v e o n e fo r t h e 3 r d a t a 2O°/o d i s c o u n t * I t's a d e a l s u r e t o p le a s e e v e n t h e m o s t a r d e n t B e e th o -fa n ! • D ia c o u n t n o t v a lid f o r p r o v io u a p u r c h a a o a ON Mak hr 5736 NE 33rd • Portland, Oregon • (503) 492-0503 www.m cm enam ins.com S Axi.KNR SW M xin ä D e P hi WT, M u a ir D ir r e i n r A C o r d a c i o r C«>N’’KHT' H m . i . B hoxhxx XV • ro irn .x N n C k n t k h poh t iik P e k fo k m in o A rts
