Greetings! Don’t forget that next week, on Wed., Aug. 17 is “Garvey Day,” as we celebrate the birthday of the Great Liberator, Marcus Mosiah Garvey.
THEATER
“Mama, I Want to Sing: The Next Generation,” by Vy Higginsen, with original music by Wesley Naylor, directed by Ken Wydro. Now playing at the Dempsey Theater, 127 W. 127th St. between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and Malcolm X boulevards. For more information and tickets, visit www.mamafoundation.org.
“Baby It’s You” follows the creation and rise of the independent record company that gave us the popular girl group the Shirelles, the Isley Brothers, Dionne Warwick, Chuck Jackson and more. At the Broadhurst Theatre, 235 W. 44th St. For more information, visit www.babyitsyouonbroadway.com.
“The Devil’s Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith.” Now running on Broadway at St. Luke’s Theater, 308 W. 46th St. For tickets, call (212) 239-6200 or visit www.stlukestheatre.com.
Whoopi Goldberg’s “Sister Act,” the stage musical based on the 1992 movie of the same name, features funky, soulful songs by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater and presents the dynamic debut of Patina Miller. At the Broadway Theatre, 1681 Broadway. For more information, visit www.sisteractbroadway.com.
FILM & ART
“Malcolm X: A Search for Truth” and “Romare Bearden: The Soul of Blackness-A Centennial Tribute” are on view now through Sat., Jan. 7 at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X. Blvd.
The sixth annual African Diaspora International Summer Film Series kicks off at the Riverside Theatre, 91 Claremont Ave. between 120th and 122nd streets in Morningside Heights. From August 12 to 21 it will feature an eclectic mix of foreign, independent, classic and urban films representing the global Black experience. For the full schedule and any questions, call (212) 843-9231 or email glopez@rubenstein.com.
MUSIC
The world beat Brooklyn funk of Mandrill, Thurs., Aug. 11 at 8 p.m. and dub-Jamaican dancehall legend King Yellowman, Mon., Aug. 15 at B.B. King’s Blues Club & Grill, 237 W. 42nd St. between Seventh and Eighth avenues. For more information, call (212) 997-4144 or visit www.bbkingblues.com.
WBLS welcomes Beyonce for an intimate experience at New York’s Roseland Ballroom, Aug. 14, 16, 18 and 19. Visit citiprivatepass.com for details or ticketmaster.com to purchase tickets, and keep listening to WBLS for information and, of course, free tickets!
The 29th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Concert Series presents “An Evening with Queen Latifah, Mon., Aug. 15 at 7:30 p.m. at Wingate Field on Brooklyn Avenue between Rutland Road and Winthrop Street, opposite Kings County Hospital. The possible rain date is set for Tuesday night. The public is encouraged to bring their own chairs as seating is limited. Performers are subject to change without notice. No cameras, no audio or video recording, no alcohol, no pets, no bottles, no smoking. All persons and packages are subject to search prior to entry. Call the concert hotline for updates, (718) 222-0600, listen to WBLS-FM 107.5. or go to www.wbls.com for more information.
SummerStage presents Bishop Hezekiah Walker of WLIB, Thurs., Aug. 18 at 5 p.m. at the Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building on 125th Street in Harlem. For more information, go to www.wlib.com.
Donald Lawrence and friends-live! Featuring Dorinda Clark Cole, Jessica Reedy, DeWayne Woods, Trin-i-tee 5:7, Micah Stampley, Jason Nelson, Deon Kipping and William Murphy, Sun., Aug. 14 at 7 p.m. Hosted by Bishop Hezekiah Walker of WLIB. For more information, go to www.wlib.com.
COMMUNITY
Harlem Week 2011 is rollin’-here are some highlights:
Summer in the City and Uptown Saturday Nite, Sat., Aug. 20.
Every Thursday, Aug. 11, 18 and 25 at 5 p.m., it’s “Harlem SummerStage,” with Ray Goodman and Brown, Force MDs, Full Force, DJ Red Alert, Love Jones Girlz. On Aug. 18, the National Black Sports & Entertainment Hall of Fame will present its annual awards. At the Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building Plaza, West 125th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard.
Plus Uptown Fridays!
For more information, call (877) 427-5364 toll-free or go to www.harlemsummerstage.net or wwwharlemweek.com.
Amateur Night at the Apollo joins the Harlem Week festivities by featuring Harlem-based artists and offering half-price tickets to Harlem residents on Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m. Hosted by the “Gangster of Comedy,” Capone. For more information, go to www.apollotheatre.com.
The Coalition for Public Education sponsors the “Parents Taking the Lead Institute,” a weekly series of workshops for parents every Thursday in August. Seeking the participation of parent leaders whose children attend public schools in all areas of New York City. The workshops examine policies, school closings, budget cuts and inequities within public education at the DC 37 union hall on Murray Street and the West Side Highway in Manhattan. For further information, call (212) 362-6021 or (347) 785-3418.
“Millions March in Harlem,” Sat., Aug. 13, assembling on Malcolm X Boulevard at 110th Street at 10 a.m. The day’s focus is on the attack on African people on the continent and in the United States. Special guest speakers include Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam; Father Miguel d’Escoto, former president of the U.N. General Assembly and former foreign minister of Nicaragua; Dr. Molefi Asante of Afrocentricity International; Viola Plummer of the December 12th Movement; NOI Minister Akbar Muhammad; and many others. For more information, call (718) 398-1766 or (347) 737-3272 or email info@millionsmarchharlem.org.
The Code Foundation will host the third annual Children’s Festival on Sat., Aug. 13 from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at St. Andrews Park Playground in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. The festival, whose theme this year is “Put the Guns Down…We Have a Nation to Build” will have a College Zone, Books For Fun tent, health screenings, financial services showcase, sports contests and more. Free back to school supplies will be given away, and the Hon. Rep. Ed Towns and State Sen. John Sampson will issue special awards. The park is located on Herkimer Street between Kingston and Brooklyn avenues. For more information, email codefoundation@yahoo.com.
Hear Imhotep Gary Byrd on 107.5 WBLS-FM daily with “Imhotep’s On-Air Guide to Black Events” and “Express Yourself,” Sunday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m., and on WLIB-AM with “The GBE Mind Flight,” Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to midnight (simulcast on WLIB-AM/WBLS-FM from 7-8 p.m.). The full show can be heard on HD radio at WBLS-HD2. IGB is also heard on WBAI-FM 99.5 with the GBE 2.0 “Global Black Experience” and “Global Beat Experience,” Saturdays from 5 to 7 p.m. We are archived online with both shows at www.wbai.org. To reach us about your event, email gbemail2@yahoo.com, find Imhotep Gary Byrd on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at GBELIFE.