July 26, 2013

Actress Lia Chang stars in the award-winning play "Power Play"  by playwright/actress Lorey Hayes in Winston-Salem, North Carolina July 31-August 1. 

We are proud to take over Lia's "Backstage Pass" column this month to congratulate her on her upcoming performance in "Power Play."

Lia stars with Pauletta Pearson Washington, aka Mrs. Denzel Washington ("The Watsons Go to Birningham"), Lorey Hayes ("Dreamgirls)", Roscoe Orman ("Sesame Street"), Marcus Naylor ("Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)", and Phynjuar ("Meet the Browns").

Photo credit courtesy by Wiliam J. Chang (L to R) Pauletta Pearson Washington, Lia Chang, Roscoe Orman, Lorey Hayes.

The actors will perform the play in a staged reading at the National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

“Power Play” by Lorey Hayes
 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 3 p.m. July 31 and Aug. 1
 Shirley Recital Hall, Salem College, 500 E. Salem Ave., Winston-Salem
 Tickets: $25
 Information: 723-7907, www.nbtf.org.
Tickets also are available from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Saturday at the N.C. Black Repertory Company office,
610 Coliseum Drive, Winston-Salem.
Starting Tuesday, tickets may be purchased from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. daily at
Benton Convention Center, 301 W. Fifth St., Winston-Salem.

About "Power Play":

September 15, 2013

Atlantic City, N.J. 

Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri Photo credit: The Miss America Organization / ABC

CNN.com reported examples of racist tweets that were posted on Twitter by some users right after Nina Davuluri was crowned Miss America tonight. The 24 year old Miss New York made history as the first Indian American to win the Miss America title. Miss Davuluri's talent routine was a Bollywood fusion dance. 

In response to the racist tweets on Twitter, including some Twitter users accusing her of being Arab and a terrorist, Ms. Davuluri said at her first press conference after winning the crown in Atlantic City, "I have to rise above that."  "I always viewed myself as first and foremost American."

Ms. Davuluri said "I'm thankful there are children watching at home who can finally relate to a new Miss America." 

A native of Syracuse, New York, Davuluri is applying to medical school. As the 2014 Miss America, she will receive a $50,000 scholarship as part of her pageant title. 

Ms. Davuluri's first runner-up is Miss California Crystal Lee. Lee performed a ballet dance, is fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese, and obtained a B.A. and M.A. from Stanford in four years.

Davuluri is the second Asian American to win the title. The first Asian American to win the title of Miss America was Angela Perez-Baraquio who won in 2001 and is of Filipino descent.

For more on the story:

MissAmerica.org

ABCNews.go.com

New York City

stop. reset., a new play written and directed by Regina Taylor which has performances in The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center in New York through September 29, 2013, tackles powerful questions of legacy, identity and survival in a world where the real and the virtual are more closely tied than we think.

Photo by Joan Marcus of Teagle F Bougere as Chris, LaTanya Richardson Jackson as Jan, Donald Sage Mackay as Tim and Michi Barall as Deb in Signature Theatre’s world premiere of Regina Taylor’s stop. reset.

Photo by Lia Chang of Ismael Cruz Cordova in stop. reset, written and directed by Regina Taylor. 

In stop.reset., e-books are outselling printed books, and Alex Ames (Carl Lumbly), the owner of Chicago’s oldest African American book publishing company, is faced with the task of questioning each of his employees, Deb (Michi Barall), Chris (Teagle Bougere), Jan (LaTanya Richardson Jackson) and Tim (Donald Sage MacKay), to determine who is still relevant in a rapidly changing world. When he meets J (Ismael Cruz Cordova), a mysterious youth plugged into the future, Mr. Ames is forced to discover just how far he will go to survive.

Photo by Lia Chang of castmembers LaTanya Richardson Jackson and Michi Barall starring in Regina Taylor’s stop. reset. on September 21, 2013. 

Photo of Lia Chang of Michi Barall. 

September 24, 2013

Dubai

As I post this, Ben just arrived to Dubai from California, and had dinner with music producer Quincy Jones.

Ben is in Dubai with Quincy to moderate two seminars at Dubai Music Week, presented by Quincy. It is a mega music event - the region's inaugural music industry trade show, conference and concert series September 24 - 29, 2013. 

The seminar series called "Emirates World Exclusive Quincy Jones Seminars" begins September 24, with Ben moderating a discussion with Quincy Jones, and the multi Grammy award-winning production team behind Michael Jackson's Off The Wall, Bad, and Thriller. The team includes Quincy Jones, Rod Temperton and Bruce Swedien. They will share their experiences producing the greatest selling album of all time.

On September 25, Ben leads "The Producers Panel" seminar with Quincy Jones and Will.i.Am and Timbaland  to discuss music production with fans, and to launch the first cross-over talent from across the region. The events begin at 8pm on both days at Dubai World Trade Center, DMW Emirates Theater, Sheikh Saeed Hall 2.

Will.i.Am and Timbaland will perform in concert September 26, and Selena Gomez will perform September 27. 

The photo of Ben with Quincy Jones was taken at Quincy's home during an interview for our documentary in development 

Photo: Judith Hill, Suzanne Joe Kai, Ben Fong-Torres at the 21st AAJA convention in Los Angeles                                          

Update Oct. 8, 2013  Judith's touring schedule with Josh Groban and official news of her new deal with Sony Music!

From Judith's official enewsletter and website JudithHill.com.

Judith Hill has been tapped by multi-platinum-selling singer, songwriter and actor Josh Groban as support for his fall "In The Round" tour, which kicks off tonight at Taco Bell Arena in Boise, ID. In addition to opening the show, Hill will join Groban during his set for two songs: "The Prayer" and "Remember When It Rains." Judith, who contributed backing vocals to three tracks on Groban's latest album, All That Echoes, will also be playing a series of headline dates this fall. See below for itinerary.