Greetings! The 46th annual NAACP Image Awards has nominated “Get On Up,” “Selma,” “Belle,” “Beyond the Lights” and “Dear White People” as the best films of the year.
The Image Awards will be handed out Feb. 6 in a ceremony telecast live by TV One. Interestingly, “Get On Up” star Chadwick Boseman, David Oyelowo of “Selma,” Nate Parker of “Beyond the Lights,” Gugu Mbatha-Raw of “Belle” and Tessa Thompson of “Dear White People” all portray real-life iconic personalities.
THEATER
Irving Street Rep and Faison Firehouse Theatre present “Ain’t Misbehavin,” the life of Harlem in the 1930s, at 6 Hancock Place, at 124th Street, between St. Nicholas and Morningside avenues. Visit smarttix.com or call SmartTix at 212-868-4444.
“Self Made Man: The Frederick Douglass Story,” a new play written and performed by Phil Darius Wallace, is off-Broadway at the ArcLight Theatre (152 W. 71st St.). The production is adapted from the writings, speeches, letters and autobiographies of Frederick Douglass. Call 866-811-4111 or visit frederickdouglasspla.com for more information.
Vy Higgensen’s musical “Alive! 55+ and Kickin’” is at the Dempsey Theater, 127 W. 127th St. in Harlem. For tickets and information, call 212-868-4444 or visit smarttix.com or www.mamafoundation.org.
“Motown: The Musical,” with book by Berry Gordy Jr., 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.
“Kinky Boots,” featuring 2013 Tony Award winner Billy Porter, is at the Al Hirschfield Theatre, 302 W. 45th St. Visit broadway.com/ shows/kinky-boots.
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” is the Tony Award-winning musical with a contemporary take on the classic tale. Rediscover Rodgers and Hammerstein’s memorable songs such as “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible” and “Ten Minutes Ago.” Starring KeKe Palmer as “Ella” and NeNe Leakes (from “The Real Housewives of Atlanta”) as Madame. Broadway Theater, 1681 Broadway, between West 52nd and 53rd streets. For ticket information, go to www.telecharge.com.
“Soul Nativity” tells the story of the nativity in an innovative and musically charged way, employing a score heavily influenced by classic R&B and soul acts. As part of Harlem School of the Arts’ season dedicated to Harlem, all of the musical arrangements are inspired by famous acts that have played at the Apollo Theater.
“Aladdin,” featuring James Monroe Igleheart, the 2014 Tony Award winner for Best Featured Actor, as the uniquely modern genie, is now playing at the New Amsterdam Theatre, 214 W. 42nd St. Visit broadway.com/shows/aladdin-broadway.
MUSIC
“Christmas in Brooklyn” features Run DMC, LL Kool J with DJ Z-Trip, Lecray and Diggy Dec. 19 at the Barclays Center, 960 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y. Visit barclayscenter.com for more information.
B.B. King Blues Club, located in the heart of Times Square, presents Musiq Soulchild Dec. 21 and 22; and Kindred and the Family Soul Dec. 23. Call 212-997-4144 or visit bbkingsblues.com or wbls.com for more information.
Sweet Honey in the Rock is “Celebrating the Holy Days” at NJPAC, One Center St. in Newark, N.J., Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m. Call 888-GONJPAC or visit njpac.org.
Motown legends the Temptations and the Four Tops play the Palace Theatre, 1564 Broadway in New York City, Dec. 29 through Jan. 4, 2015, for seven historic performances, celebrating their 50-year career of classic, unforgettable Motown hits.
FAMILY
The Candlelight Carol Festival combines carillons, organs, harps and all the choirs of the Riverside Church, culminating in a ritual sharing of candlelight illuminating the nave. Music will include traditional songs and selections by composers Lee Hoiby, Amanda Singer, John Rutter and Francis Poulenc. The Riverside Church is located at 490 Riverside Drive, between 120th and 122nd streets. The festival takes place Sunday, Dec. 21, with two services, one at 3:30 p.m. and the other at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 212-870-6784.
Pass the word: The annual Kwanzaa “Regeneration Night” celebration featuring the cultural brilliance of Abdel Salaam’s Forces of Nature Dance Theatre with special guests Sonia Sanchez, Dyane Harvey-Salaam and Theresa Thomason, hosted by yours truly, Imhotep Gary Byrd, is set for Saturday, Dec. 27, with two shows, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are affordably priced and are available at ticketmaster.com, apollotheater.org and the Apollo Theater box office.
COMEDY
“The Flip Side of Phyllis Yvonne Stickney” comes home to Harlem for the holidays, Friday, Dec. 19 (showtime at 8 p.m. with a mix and mingle from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.) at MIST Harlem, 46 W. 116th St., between Fifth Avenue and Malcolm X Boulevard. For more information, call 646-370-1061. You may also purchase tickets via PayPal by emailing Avocates4DIA@gmail.com or visiting www.Advocates4DIA.com.
COMMUNITY
Brown Memorial Baptist Church will host its eighth annual Christmas Craft Fair Saturday, Dec. 20 at 10 a.m. and Sunday, Dec. 21 at 12:30 p.m. Donations of gently used clothing, jewelry, books, toys and other holiday items are being accepted. Vendor tables are available. For information on donations and vendor tables, please contact Deaconess Laura Davidson at lapd69@gmail.com. Proceeds from the fair will benefit the children’s and youth ministries.
D-12 has announced a commemoration for a “Day of Rage” against police killings Friday, Dec. 19 at noon in front of the Federal Hall National Memorial, located at 26 Wall St., off Nassau Street.
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.
