Greetings! Our GBE “Emancipations Month” spotlight shines on “Friday Night in Harlem,” saluting gospel and swing jazz at the Apollo Theater on Friday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. The mega event also celebrates the 2014 Super Bowl and Black History Month and will pay tribute to jazz legend Duke Ellington, with featured performances by the Manhattan School of Music Swing Jazz Orchestra. See special performances by Cecil Bridgewater and Arturo O’ Farrill.
The tribute will also feature award-winning vocalist Regina Belle and an all-star band, including brilliant jazz musicians Alex Bugnon, Victor Bailey and Lenny White. The Whitney Houston Award will be presented to legend Valerie Simpson, who will be joined onstage by Harlem’s First Corinthian Baptist Church Mass Choir. I’ll see you there.
For tickets and information, call 800-745-3000 or visit ticketmaster.com.
Theater
“Dr. Dubois and Miss Ovington,” written by Clare Cass and presented by the New Federal Theatre in association with the Castillo Theatre, runs now through Feb. 16 at the Castillo Theatre, 543 W. 42nd St. For more information, call 212-941-1234 or visit castillo.org.
“The Kitchen,” a thrilling drama presented by the H.A.D.L.E.Y Players in association with Voza Rivers’ New Heritage Theatre Group, is now playing at the Poet’s Den, 309 E. 108th St. in East Harlem. For more information and tickets, call 646-502-6562 or visit hadleyplayers.org.
Fraser Grace’s “Breakfast With Mugabe” runs now through March 2 at the Lion Theater, 410 W. 42nd St. For tickets, call 212-239-6200, or visit Telecharge.com or BreakfastWithMugabe.com.
“Motown: The Musical,” with book by Berry Gordy Jr. and featuring Felicia Boswell as Diana Ross, Tony nominee Charl Brown as Smokey Robinson and Brandon Dixon as Berry Gordy, is now playing at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, 205 W. 46th St. (between Eighth Avenue and Broadway). For tickets, visit ticketmaster.com or motownthemusical.com.
“After Midnight” celebrates the glamour and exuberance of Harlem’s Golden Age, with the timeless songs of Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway and Harold Arlen woven around the prose of Langston Hughes. The production stars Grammy Award winner Fantasia and Emmy Award nominee Dulé Hill (“The West Wing”). The music was selected by the Jazz at Lincoln Center All-Stars.
“Lady Day: The Billie Holiday Musical,” featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater and written and directed by Stephen Stahl, is now playing at the Little Shubert Theatre, 422 W. 42nd St. between Ninth and 10th avenues. For tickets and schedule information, call 212-239-6200 or visit Telecharge.com or ladydaythemusical.com.
Shedding clarity on the African-American community and communism, Ishmael Reed’s “The Final Version” is now playing at the Nuyorican Poets Café, 236 E. Third St. It is directed by and starring Rome Neal with an awesome cast. Call 212-780-9386 or visit nuyorican.org for more information.
“Platanos, Collard Greens & Callaloo”—that’s right, “Callaloo!” This remix brings Caribbean flava in the house. Now playing at Baruch Performing Arts Center, 55 Lexington Ave. (enter on 25th Street between Lexington and Third avenues). For tickets, call TheaterMania at 212-352-3101, visit theatermania.com or visit plantanosandcollardgreens.com.
Music
Aretha Franklin’s Radio City Music Hall appearances have been rescheduled for June 15 and16. Visit radiocity.com for more information.
Motown great Martha Reeves brings her classics on Friday, Jan. 24 to B.B. King Blues Club and Grill, 237 W. 42nd St. For tickets and information, call 212-997-4144 or visit bbkingsblues.com.
Maceo Parker, the anchor of the classic James Brown Band, brings his funky grooves to the Blue Note Jazz Club, 131 W. Third St. on Tuesday, Jan. 28. Call 212-475-8592 or visit bluenotejazz.com.
Lauryn Hill brings her multi platinum eclectic soul to the Capitol Theatre, 149 Westchester Ave., Port Chester, N.Y., on Friday, Jan. 31. (914) 937-4126 or visit: TheCapitolTheatre.com
Exhibitions
The closing reception of world-renowned photographer Saddi Khali’s dual exhibit, “Beautiful Again,” will be held on Thursday, Jan. 30 from 7 to 9 p.m. at ImageNation’s Raw Space, located at 2031 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. The exhibit features select images from Khali’s career-defining collections, “Decolonizing Beauty: The Therapeutic Nudes of Saddi Khali” and “A Black Eye: The Beauty We Often Overlook.” There will be a question-and-answer session with Khali moderated by April Silver of AkilaWorksongs, followed by live music, light refreshments and drinks. For more information, visit facebook.com/saddikhaliphotos.
Community
CEMOTAP presents a comprehensive health forum on conquering and controlling diabetes, heart trouble, hypertension and stress. Dr. Arthur Lewis will give a detailed presentation at 2 p.m. at the Saturday, Jan. 25 forum entitled “Eat to Live and Stay Out of the Box.” Dr. James McIntosh will discuss how to face the most devastating mental health issues facing the African community. Handouts will be provided and both physicians will respond to questions from the audience.
Admission is free. CEMOTAP is located at 135-05 Rockaway Blvd. South Ozone Park, N.Y. For more info, call 347-907-0629.
The second International People’s Tribunal will be held Saturday, Jan. 25 at 12 p.m. at Columbia University Law School, 435 W. 116th St., off Amsterdam Avenue. The event will feature a distinguished panel of international jurists who will hear the people’s prosecutors and testimony on war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the United States, Great Britain, France, Italy, Canada and NATO allies. It is sponsored by the December 12th Movement International Secretariat, International Association Against Torture, Pan African Solidarity Hague Committee and Africans Helping Africans. For more info, call 718-398-1766.
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 7 to 9 p.m., and on WLIB-AM with “The GBE Mind Flight,” Sunday evenings from 9 p.m. to midnight. The full show can be heard on HD radio at WBLS-HD2. IGB is also heard on WBAI-FM 99.5 with Radio GBE: “The 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 contact us for bookings or to reach us about your event, email igbexp@gmail.com, find Imhotep Gary Byrd on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @GBELIFE or call 212-592-3279.