Greetings! Condolences to family, friends and fans on the passing of Sylvia Woods, “The Queen of Soul Food.” She will be missed.
We end Black Media Month with a reminder to join us with “Obama Watch” commentator Bankole Thompson, senior editor of the Michigan Chronicle and author of “Obama and Black Loyalty” and “Obama and Christian Loyalty,” Sunday night on WLIB 1190 AM at 10 p.m. Also, pass the word that we’ll be fundraising for WBAI-FM on my GBE 2.0 program this Saturday. Join us; public radio needs our help.
Theater
- The Tony Award-winning production of “Fela!” has returned to Broadway for a limited run of 32 performances. Adesola Osakalumi, who starred in the title role for the world tour along with Tony Award-nominated actor Sahr Ngaujah, will continue in the title role for the limited engagement. It will run through Aug. 9 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, 302 W. 45th St.
- “The Best Man,” featuring the brilliant James Earl Jones and Angela Lansbury. A revival of Gore Vidal’s play about a contentious presidential election campaign, which originally ran on Broadway in 1960 and was nominated for six Tony Awards, including Best Play. At the Schoenfeld Theatre, 236 W. 45th St.
- Tennessee Williams’ classic “A Streetcar Named Desire,” with a multiracial cast featuring Blair Underwood, Nicole Ari Parker, Daphne Rubin-Vega and Wood Harris, is on Broadway for 16 weeks only. At the Broadhurst Theatre, 253 W. 45th St. For tickets and more information, call (212) 239-6200 or visit www.telecharge.com or www.streetcaronbroadway.com.
- “Clybourne Park,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Bruce Norris, directed by Pam McKinnon, which also won the Olivier Award for Best New Play, imagines the history of one of the more important houses in literary history, from Lorraine Hansberry’s classic “A Raisin in the Sun.” At the Walter Kerr Theatre, 219 W. 48th St. For tickets, call (212) 239-6200 or (800) 432-7250 or visit www.clybournepark.com.
- “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess,” a revival of the famous folk opera with a revised book in a musical theater format and jazz-oriented musical arrangements, featuring Tony Award winner Audra Macdonald. At the Richard Rodgers Theatre, 226 W. 46th St.
Music
- Crotona Park Jams, with hip-hop legends Biz Markie, DJ Rockin Rob, DJ Cash Money and Afrika Bambatta at Crotona Park in the Bronx. Thurs., July 26 from 5-8 p.m. Enter the park at Crotona Park East and Charlotte Street.
- City Winery Summer presents “Beyond the Beehive” featuring a live performance by Ronnie Spector and a full band with personal stories, photos and videos. Fri., July 27. Also coming to City Winery, at 155 Varick St., is Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Sun., July 29. For tickets and more information, call (212) 608-0555 or visit www.citywinery.com.
- Sistas’ Place celebrates the 75th birthday of James Spaulding Sat., July 28 at 9 p.m. At 456 Nostrand Ave. in Brooklyn. For more information, call (718) 398-1766.
- The Martin Luther King Jr. concert series at Wingate Field features free shows every Monday through Aug. 20. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m.. Coming up: Public Enemy and Salt-N-Pepa on Mon., July 30, and New Edition members Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant as Heads of State on Mon., Aug. 6. Wingate Field is on Brooklyn Avenue between Rutland Road and Winthrop Street.
- Earl Klugh is at the Blue Note, 1313 W. 3rd St., Aug. 7-12 at 8 and 10:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.bluenotejazz.com.
Community
- “A Celebration of Our Sons through Words and Images” is a group art exhibition by 10 visual artists at the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. art gallery located on the second floor at 163 W. 125th St., east of Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard. The exhibition is free and on view now through Aug. 8 by appointment. To schedule an appointment, contact the curator, Gregory Mills, at (212) 749-5298.
- “Great Day in Harlem,” the daylong family-oriented event, is kicking off Harlem Week 2012 on Sun., July 29. Participants will enjoy an outdoor festival, picnic, fashion show and concerts saluting gospel, dance, theater, Latin, R&B and jazz. There will also be arts and crafts, food from around the world, vendors, exhibitions, corporate exhibits, career recruitment and much more! The theme for the day is dedicated to the late, great Hal Jackson’s “Sunday Classics.” For a full schedule of the day, an overview of Harlem Week 2012 and vendor information, visit www.harlemweek.com.
- “Arts and Activism (Originality in Hip Hop)” is a candid conversation taking place Sun., July 29 from 2-4 p.m. at the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts, 80 Hanson Place, Brooklyn, with world-renowned artists and thinkers who are trailblazers in the world of hip-hop. Led by April R. Silver of Akila Worksongs Inc. the roundtable discussion will include Toni Blackman (MC, pioneer in hip-hop education and founder of I Rhyme Like a Girl); Joan Morgan (award-winning journalist, author and provocative cultural critic); Adesola Osakalumi (actor, choreographer, dancer, co-creator of the off-Broadway classic “Jam on the Groove” who is currently starring in the title role in “Fela!” on Broadway). Free and open to the public! For more information, call (718) 756-8501 or email pr@akilaworksongs.com.
- Legendary broadcaster Bob Law invites the public to a Namaskar Legacy Auction featuring art by renowned artists like the legendary Tom Feelings and Leroy Cambell, rare recordings by great Black musicians and more. Sun.,July 29 from 3-5 p.m. at Namaskar, Law’s health and wellness shop, 643 Vanderbilt Ave., Brooklyn. For more information, call (718) 636-1967.
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.
