Photo Courtesy of ABC

By now you all probably know that tonight is a must-see TV night because ABC is airing, “A Raisin in the Sun,” this evening at 8:00 p.m EST.

Written by the prolific Lorraine Hansberry, “A Raisin in the Sun,” was the first play written by an African-American woman to be produced on Broadway. It tells the story of a family living and struggling on Chicago ‘s South Side in the 1950s. A fiercely moving portrait of people whose hopes and dreams are constantly deferred.

I actually saw the play with the same cast back in 2004 when it was on Broadway. I remember being absolutely blown away by the entire cast’s powerful performance, but especially by the surprising acting skills of Mr. Sean “Diddy” Combs. He is the true definition of an entertainer — successful music producer, TV producer, rapper and now actor. Not to mention his clothing empire, Sean is definitely a mogul in every sense of the word. His talents are endless.

Be sure to watch him take on the small screen alongside Sanaa Lathan, Phylicia Rashad and Tony-award-winning actress Audra McDonald in this timeless and compelling story about family.

With the 80th Annual Academy Awards taking place on Sunday, I thought that I’d dedicate this post to all of the movies starring BGs and guys that I feel deserved to win or at least be nominated for an Oscar, but were never recognized by the powers that be in Hollywood.

Sure Halle Berry, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Hudson have all fairly recently won the gold and shiny statuette, but there are many other actors and actresses in movies with predominately ethnic casts that have been overlooked throughout the years.

Hollywood seems to be making small strides toward acknowledging and honoring the talents of all actresses and actors who do great work in film, but they still have a long way to go.

This year I’m rooting for Ruby Dee to take home the award for Best Supporting Actress for her outstanding performance in “American Gangster.”

Take a trip down memory lane and check out my list of should’ve-been-winners to see if you agree or can add to it:

Best Picture
“The Color Purple” in 1985

Best Supporting Actor
Laurence Fishburne in “Boyz in the Hood” in 1991

Best Actress
Angela Bassett in “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” in 1993

Best Actress
Jennifer Lopez in “Selena” in 1995

Best Musical Drama (I know that’s not a category! LOL)
“The Five Heartbeats” in 1991

Best Documentary
“Hoop Dreams” in 1994

Best Direction
Spike Lee for “Malcolm X” in 1992

From Rihanna to Aretha Franklin, the Grammys last night brought out the best of the best in music. The wonderful world of technology made it possible for R&B heavy-hitter Alicia Keys to start the show with a sweet duet with “Old Blue Eyes” himself — the late great Frank Sinatra. The night was packed with performances by some of our favorite artists.

Although I was a bit confused by the coupling of the 80s group, The Time with R&B pop sensation, Rihanna, their performance was entertaining nonetheless.

The absolute most entertaining act for me was Kanye West, who is the most talented hip-hop artist out right now. His powerful rendition of “Stronger” was a soul-stirring glow-in-the-dark punk party while his tear-jerking tribute to his late mother, Donda West, was compelling and sincere. He also took home the Best Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the the Year award.

The much-hyped duet of Beyonce with her obvious performance inspiration — Tina Turner was quite lackluster, I don’t know what I was expecting exactly, but whatever it was I didn’t get it. The gospel set with Aretha Franklin, Bebe Winans, The Clark Sisters and Trinitee 3-5-7 brought church to the Staples Center.

Alicia Keys made another appearance to sing “No One,” which I never get tired of no matter how many times I hear it. She topped her performance off with a surprise guest guitarist — the strangely sexy John Mayer. Not only did she perform twice, she also took home the trophy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

Our favorite nominee for rehab from across the pond, Amy Winehouse, brought down the house in London via satellite while sweeping the show with 5 awards.

The Grammys were good, but not great. I guess it reflects the state of music right now. Thanks to Kanye West and Alicia Keys they really made the show for me. For a complete list of winners go to www.grammys.org.

Alicia Keys

Beyonce

Jay-Z

Rihanna

Ludacris

Now that we’re almost a full week into February, I thought that I would share some events that are taking place in honor of Black History Month around the country.

Even though BGG honors African-Americans on a daily basis, it’s great that the nation takes notice of our contributions to the country even if it happens to be the shortest month of the year!

Be sure to check out some of these events if you’re in the area:

The 16th Annual Pan African Film & Arts Festival: A showcase of Black creative films that reinforce positive images and help to destroy negative stereotypes.
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Date: February 7 – 18th 2008
For more information visit: www.paff.org

Black History Showcase: People and Progress: Celebrate Black History Month with a showcase of traditional dance, poetry and singing performances.
Location: Clarendon Park Community Center in Chicago, IL
Date: February 23, 2008
For more information visit: www.chicagoparkdistrict.com

Resurrection: A unique blend of music, poetry, comedy and drama, RESURRECTION follows six interconnected men, ages 10 through 60—a child scientist, a young man from the projects preparing for college, an ex-convict, an executive, and a Bishop of a mega-church—through an evening that changes their lives forever.
Location: 14th Street Playhouse in Atlanta, GA
Date: February 2-17th 2008
For more information visit: www.woodruffcentertickets.org

Underexposed: The month-long exhibition is an opportunity to experience the artistry of photographers whose work is under-represented in the field—African-American women. Eight compelling photographers, who are based in New York, but hail from as far away as California and Barbados, are represented in underEXPOSED, showing work ranging from travel and nature photography to portraiture and photojournalism.
Location: Lincoln Center in New York, NY
Date: February 1-28th 2008
For more information visit: www.lincolncenter.org

Photo Courtesy of The New York Times

Recently, I saw another Broadway play, this time it was “Come Back Little Sheba,” starring S. Epatha Merkerson. Known for her role on NBC’s Law and Order, Merkerson plays a faded beauty queen named Lola in this dramatic revival first made popular back in 1950.

Set in a fictional Midwestern town over half a century ago, the show revolves around the character, Lola, who is a frumpy, middle-aged, yet childlike wife of a recovering alcoholic. The play explores the depths of her insecurity, regret and loneliness. Lola is a needy and sometimes annoying woman who desperately yearns to feel loved and wanted by her husband.

Merkerson’s strength as a theater actor is truly exemplified in this role. Her expressions and spellbinding intensity successfully conveys to the audience her sorrow and dismay as if it were their own. Her co-star and veteran Broadway actor, Kevin Anderson’s portrayal of Lola’s alcoholic husband is also quite riveting. He sets the tone for this emotional rollercoaster with his subtle, yet perfectly executed gestures and speech that are akin to real alcoholics and substance abusers. The supporting cast also gives commendable performances and provides humorous spurts throughout the otherwise very serious show.

Even though this domestic drama boasts outstanding performances by seasoned actors, the overall plot couldn’t hold my attention throughout the 2-hour show. If “Little Sheba” comes back to Broadway years from now, I’m not so sure I’d come back to see it.

“Come Back Little Sheba” is currently showing at the Biltmore Theater, 261 W. 47th Street in New York City. For ticket information call Telecharge at (212) 239-6200.

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to see a performance of the “Little Mermaid” on Broadway. I wasn’t exactly thrilled about seeing the show, which officially opens tonight, but since it was free and one of my friends who is a bonafide Broadway lover convinced me to go; I obliged. To my surprise, I actually enjoyed it!

Today I found out that the powerhouse R&B singer, Chaka Khan will be picking up where Fantasia left off in the Broadway version of the “Color Purple,” along with gospel singer Bebe Winans starting tonight.

There seems to be a crop of talented BGs and guys performing in upcoming live stage shows. It was also recently announced that Oscar-nominated Terrence Howard and Dreamgirls diva Anika Noni Rose would be acting in the popular play, “A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” in March.

Hypocrisy, greed and secret passions threaten to tear apart a wealthy but dysfunctional Mississippi family in Tennessee Williams’ stunning American masterpiece. CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF searingly portrays the larger-than-life characters of Maggie “the Cat,” her alcoholic husband, Brick, and the dominating family patriarch, Big Daddy.

“Passing Strange,” is another Broadway show where the cast is predominately African-American.

From Los Angeles to Amsterdam to Berlin and Back, Passing Strange is the story of a young black bohemian, who abandons his bourgeois roots to journey to Europe searching for ‘the real’. Discovering a world of sex, drugs, rock and roll and art revolutionaries, our rebel-hero explores love, identity and the meaning of home.

I haven’t always been a Broadway fan (I’ve only seen “A Raisin in the Sun” and the “Color Purple”), but I just might check out some of these upcoming shows. If they’re as entertaining as the “Little Mermaid,” I’ll definitely be back for more!

All the blogs and magazines that represent and cater to the African-American demographic owe all of their success to one publication – Ebony magazine. This trailblazing magazine paved the way for all of our voices to be heard. Founded by the late, self-made entrepreneur John H. Johnson back in 1945, the magazine has successfully documented all aspects of African-American life from the civil rights movement to the latest fashions. Ebony has informed and enlightened us whether we read at the beauty shop, at our grandparent’s house or at the doctor’s office. Throughout the years it has consistently been there reporting our news and entertainment.

Creative Director, Harriette Cole.

Over 60 years since it’s debut, Ebony is still thriving and even better than ever. Under the creative direction of media-savvy, Harriette Cole (who was appointed Creative Director in early 2007), the magazine has made major improvements artistically. The new look and feel of Ebony is sleek, current and cutting-edge, but still packed with all the photos and stories that BGs (and guys) like me have always enjoyed about the magazine. Ebony has always had a strong presence on newsstands, but now it’s even more eye-catching and I’ve definitely taken notice.

Be sure to check out the latest issue (also a Collector’s Edition) featuring the living musical legend himself – Michael Jackson. Say what you will about Mike, but there’s no denying that he helped pioneer the music that we hear today.

Ebony magazine and Michael Jackson, two powerhouses; you just can’t get any bigger than that!

Visit www.ebonyjet.com for behind-the-scenes at the MJ photo shoot.