It was a memorial service but many had billed it as a tribute concert. I honestly did not know what to expect and I hadn’t planned on watching it. I had decided not to watch any of the coverage because of the media circuses the deaths of Princess Diana and Anna Nicole Smith turned out to be. I saw folks on Twitter talking about the service so I decided to tune in.

The service opened with a choir singing “Soon and Very Soon” (We are going to see the King). Upon hearing the choir I knew this was a serious affair. Above the choir stained glass windows were projected on the screen. The whole scene reminded me of going to church with my grandmother. Many on Twitter commented on how they could turn the Staples Center into a church overnight. That they did.

It was when I saw the casket being rolled out by Jackson’s brothers that I realized that this was the actual memorial service. I couldn’t believe it. People got up to share their experiences with Michael Jackson while others sang songs in tribute to him. It was beautiful. I don’t believe I’ve ever watched a memorial service on TV before but this one was a normal old-fashioned church homegoing service, despite gold plated casket, the star studded guests and the sheer number of other guests attending.

Though watching it on TV, I felt like I was there in that it evoked various emotions in me that I have felt at funerals of family members. I was looking at the brothers and sisters that I had not seen in years (probably 20) thinking of them like family. I grew up with them (on my TV). Back in the 80s all of the Jackson children were on my TV though most are completely out of the public spotlight these days. I was pleased that none of the family members or other guests made it all about them as Joe Jackson has been doing during the past two weeks.

With this memorial service, we got to see Michael Jackson as human. I’m glad about that. It was very refreshing and cathartic. I made it through the entire service without a tear but when Jackson’s daughter spoke about her father I just about lost it. Most of the service focused on his accomplishments but her words were the biggest tribute to Michael Jackson as a human being.

R.I.P. Michael Jackson
“Maybe now they will leave you alone.” -Marlon Jackson

Photo credit: donielle and LadyDucayne

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Artomatic is an annual art (art, music, performance, film) festival featuring local artists in the DC area. This is the tenth year of the event that started in the historic Manhattan Laundry building in NW Washington, DC. There are nine full floors of art on display in a brand new building at 50 M Street, SE (Navy Yard Metro Station).

I went to Artomatic twice and still did not manage to see all Artomatic had to offer. Even though you may not see everything, it’s still worth taking a look today, the event’s last day. With so many different styles of art, there is truly something for everyone (though there are some pieces that are not kid-friendly).

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I’m known to play a video game every now and then but I’ve never considered myself a gamer. I used to play Pole Position on Atari with my brother and the various Mario versions on all the early versions of Nintendo consoles. I’ve been known to play fighting games too like Tekken and Mortal Kombat. But I’ve never been the type to have to play them every night. I can take or leave them. I don’t play video games much these days since most of those out seem to be shooter games and shooter games aren’t my thing.

With all of that said, I really really like this game for Playstation 3 called PAIN. It’s probably the silliest game one can imagine but I like it. The goal of the game is simple, you fling yourself at various objects in the game in order the cause the most damage. You get points for pain caused to the character that you choose as well as damage you do to other objects.

One somewhat new feature of the game is that you can now record your exploits and upload directly to YouTube or export the video. Here’s exported video of the mayheim:

Cow Asplode

A Series of Booms

This game is not one I would recommend for young impressionable minds as it’s not that politically correct. For instance, their’s an elderly woman with a walker, that always manages to get hit by something even when I try to avoid her – in one environment she runs out into the street (getting hit by a car in the process) if anything happens near her. And there’s a horrid Latina character that’s is just too bootylicious. There’s a lot of sexual innuendo in the game as well that is lost on me. Why do they always feel the need to do that?

All in all the game is hilarious and good for stress relief.

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I was contacted by David Dower, Associate Artistic Director at Arena Stage about the public dress rehearsal for Regina Taylor’s hit musical Crowns. Barely making it there after attending a lecture at the Smithsonian, I arrived a little after the show had started. (I’m not sure how the actors can concentrate with people coming in the door late at the Lincoln Theatre as the theatre doesn’t have a light lock – for that alone they get credit.)

The basic story line is that of a teenage girl Yolanda who is sent to live with her grandmother in South Carolina after her brother is tragically killed. She spends a lot of time with her grandmother and her friends who tell her stories of their lives and the importance of their hats, their crowns. And the hats, practically full-fledged characters, range from elegant to downright outrageous.

I thought it was interesting that only two of the actors had performed at Arena Stage before. As someone who does a lot of DC theatre, I see many of the same actors at the various theatre companies. Notable cast members for me were Marva Hicks who I remember from Cuttin’ Up and The Women of Brewster Place at Arena; NaTasha Yvette Williams who played Sofia in Oprah Winfrey’s The Color Purple on Broadway; and Howard University student, Zurin Villanueva who makes her professional theatre debut in Crowns.

The musical contains some powerful voices with some good gospel music. I did not arrive at the theatre in a good mood thanks to the rain, traffic and attempts to find parking, but somewhere in the middle I found myself singing out loud and clapping to the beat with the rest of the audience. I ran into several people after the rehearsal who had nothing but good things to say.

Crowns runs through April 26 at the Lincoln Theatre.  Read more about Crowns and listen to samples of the music at http://arenastage.com/season/08-09/crowns.

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• March 24, 2009 -- Public Dress Rehearsal for Crowns – Free This Thursday
• December 3, 2008 -- Arena Stage holds open casting call for Yolanda in Crowns
• September 19, 2008 -- Resurrection: The Plight of Black Men

Hold onto your hat—one of our most popular musicals returns with a new production of Crowns. Come see the crowns worn by the “hat queens” of the South—women whose storied lives are woven into the straw, silk, wool and lace that adorn their heads.

This Thursday, March 26, you can see a full dress rehearsal for Regina Taylor’s hit musical Crowns for absolutely free.  The rehearsal will be at 8pm at the Lincoln Theater.  I am told that there are a “bunch” of seats available.

This production of Crowns features Zurin Villanueva, Howard University student and winner of the Finding Yolanda casting search.  To learn more about Crowns visit the Arena Stage website and blog.  You can also listen to a podcast featuring Villanueva and co-star E. Faye Butler talking about the production.

Crowns runs March 27 through April 26 and you can be among the very first to see it.  Reserve your seat now by emailing kpearson (at) arenastage.org.

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• April 2, 2009 -- My Thoughts on “Crowns”
• December 3, 2008 -- Arena Stage holds open casting call for Yolanda in Crowns
• September 19, 2008 -- Resurrection: The Plight of Black Men

Mask
Nuna peoples, Burkina Faso
Mid-20th century
Wood, pigment, metal

This mask depicts a butterfly, one of a cast of masquerade characters, and a representation of a bush spirit.  Butterflies signal the coming of rain and the start of the farming season.

One of the things that I like about the Washington, DC, area is the abundance of cool museums that are predominately free.  I admit, however, that like most I usually take them for granted.  I had not gone to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art in more than 10 years but stopped by to see the current exhibition African Vision: The Walt Disney-Tishman African Art Collection.  This collection is known for its unique and rare works of traditional African art from countries throughout sub-Saharan Africa and has been instrumental in defining the field of African art history in the United States and abroad.

The exhibition, which runs until March 30, is worth taking a look.  There’s almost no one in the museum at lunch time during the week so that’s the perfect time to go.

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Last night I attended a screening of Katrina’s Children as part of the Environmental Film Festival at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. The documentary tells the story of Hurricane Katrina landing in New Orleans as well as the aftermath from the perspective of the children who where affected. Interviews as well as the artwork of the children are used to weave an intricate tale.

I have never seen a documentary told from the perspective of children and I found it very effective in this case. The children tell the entire story. You rarely hear the voice of the interviewer but the children’s voices are always present. I find the voices of the children refreshing – as kids tend to be very honest and they can sometimes make a difficult situation lighthearted. While the kids don’t all have the same story, they all have been traumatized in some way by the storm and its aftermath. Many have seen things that no adult should have to see let alone a child. I also think that these children explore topics that many adults would shy away from or wouldn’t even consider. I find that the use of the kids’ artwork (as well as the animation) gives an idea of how devastating that hurricane was in their lives. There is one particular drawing that stands out where the boy depicts a hurricane that had teeth biting off roofs of houses and claws that were ripping the tops off of skyscrapers and picking up cars and buses. One girl drew a very intricate panel style drawing where a man could no longer take the situation of being trapped in New Orleans near and committed suicide by jumping from a bridge near the Superdome.

According to filmmaker Laura Belsey, who was in attendance, the children were selected mostly randomly but the creators made sure to include children representative of the socioeconomic demographics of New Orleans before Katrina hit. You do see a lot of differences in the level of impact to each family as well as how well the families were (or were not) able to rebound from the situation. What is clear though is that while we are hearing reports of New Orleans being rebuilt, many of these children (and their families) were isolated – either as the only or one of a few families that are in their neighborhoods or living in another state isolated from everything they know.

I hope this film can help shed light on what still needs to be done as well as the fact that children really need to talk about what has happened to them.  I would think in this situation that many adults as well as children would need some type of trauma counseling.

The creators intend to distribute the film via the internet. Check out katrinaschildren.com to view the trailer and to find a screening near you.

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Did you see that the Obama family was at The Kennedy Center for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater on Friday night?  Unbeknownst to me at the time, it was all over the news.  After the fact I also searched Twitter and it was all over it as well.  This got me to thinking.  There are many in the Black community that are looking to Barack Obama and his family to be the savior for all of Black America.  Some suggest that he will singlehandedly reverse “ghetto culture”.  I don’t know that I would go that far but what I do know is that the Obamas will show America a slice of Black America that many are certainly not familiar with.  On Twitter, I even saw folks now wanting to go see Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater because the Obamas did.

Video: Alvin Ailey Celebrates 50th

Alvin Ailey’s American Dance Theater celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with Washington, DC, as the first city in a 27-city tour.  The company run by Artistic Director, Judith Jamison, performs original choreography by Alvin Ailey as well as pieces inspired by Ailey.  Many of the ballets themselves are 50 years old.  While “Revelations” (1960) is Ailey’s signature work, I was really feeling “Suite Otis” (1971) this past Saturday.  The choreography really captures the emotions of the Otis Redding songs selected for that piece.  My friend and I stayed for the post-performance discussion as well where they mentioned that President Obama and his family were in attendance the previous night (to which my friend asked why we had tickets for Saturday instead of Friday).  I normally complain when people want to do something just because someone else is doing it but maybe it’s not always a bad thing.  Sometimes it’s what’s needed to build awareness.

Here’s another favorite: Fix Me Jesus

I’m also recently seeing lot of discussion about whether Black History Month should continue to exist. I would not have even known about Alvin Ailey had it not been for Black History Month.

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I received the following from Arena Stage via email and thought I’d pass it on.  It’s an excellent opportunity for an inspiring actress.

Arena Stage holds open casting call for Yolanda in Crowns

Tina Fabrique and others from the original Arena production of Crowns.  Photo by Scott Suchman.

Ever dream of acting at Arena Stage?  Now’s your chance!

In Regina Taylor’s musical Crowns, Yolanda is a young woman who finds her true promise and identity through a change she must face. Arena Stage has decided to bring a change of new promise to one lucky, local talent by opening an audition to the entire D.C. area to cast the role of Yolanda in the upcoming production of Crowns. The Finding Yolanda Casting Search will be an all-day event on Saturday, January 3, 2009 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Lincoln Theatre (1215 U Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009). Not auditioning?  Curious about how Arena Stage casts our shows?  You are welcome to come watch the action from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on January 3rd.

Yolanda is a young African-American woman between the ages of 16 and 24. For this role, the actress must be able to act, sing and dance; previous professional theater experience is not required.

Callbacks, which will include a three-part audition focusing on singing, acting and dancing, will be judged by a panel including Arena Stage’s Artistic Director Molly Smith; the Director of Arena’s Crowns Kenneth Lee Roberson; and Arena favorites Marva Hicks and Harriett D. Foy, who were last seen at Arena in The Women of Brewster Place.

For more information, please visit our website or send an email to yolanda@arenastage.org.

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• April 2, 2009 -- My Thoughts on “Crowns”
• March 24, 2009 -- Public Dress Rehearsal for Crowns – Free This Thursday
• September 19, 2008 -- Resurrection: The Plight of Black Men

Last night I caught Daniel Beaty‘s world premier drama Resurrection at the Arena Stage as part of the theatre’s two-year festival of American voices.  Those familiar with Beaty undoubtedly remember his one man play Emergence-SEE!.  In that play, Beatty played all 40 of the characters.  

Resurrection has only six characters and they are played by actors other than Beaty.  These six characters represent different plights of Black men in America.  The characters while named are referred to by their ages.  There’s the 10-year old brilliant scientist to be, the 20-year old college student to be, the 30 year old ex-convict trying to make a living, the 40-year old corporate executive, the 50-year old herbal shop owner, and the 60 year old bishop of a mega church.  (The ten-year difference in ages made me think of August Wilson’s ten-play cycle.)

At first the characters seem a little bit stereotypical, especially the 30-year old Dre and the 60-year old Bishop but I assure you they are not.  They are archetypes representing many different Black men trying to make it in life.  Beaty gives a realistic look into the minds and hearts of these men; they reveal what drives them as well as their biggest fears.  Ten-year old Eric struggles to find a cure, 20-year old Twon struggles to leave the projects for college, 30-year old Dre struggles to deal with the consequences of his previous life, 40-year old Isaac struggles with a secret, 50-year old Mr. Rogers struggles to keep his business together, while 60-year struggles with his own difficulties.  The men are intertwined and this is not only shown by their dialogue and relationships but also in how their lines flow together.  Beatty describes it as an epic poem.

Although there are no female characters on stage the women in these men’s lives are a prominent feature in the play.  Their appreciation for these women is the kind that’s rarely portrayed by the media.  We (the audience) knew so much about them that I half expected them to walk out on the stage.

The play was very funny at some points but was very dramatic at others.  All of the characters got laughs but the performance by Dre was the most emotional.  There were times that the play took you from laughter to sadness and back to laughter almost instanteously.  Through the trials and tribulations, we end up with a resounding message that hope and unity among Black men are the key to making it through.  I highly recommend it.

Check out some behind the scenes video here.

Resurrection runs through October 5 at Arena Stage.  The next stop for the play is Hartford, Connecticut.

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• March 24, 2009 -- Public Dress Rehearsal for Crowns – Free This Thursday
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