In Memoriam

By Darlene Donloe

Many noteworthy people closed their eyes for the last time in 2024. They were writers, actors, directors, musicians, publicists, entertainment executives, activists, community leaders, and politicians. All were influential in their own way. Before leaving the planet, they made their mark and touched many lives. This column remembers their legacies and pays tribute to those who passed this way. Respect! 

JANUARY

Jan. 5 – Lucius ”Tal/Tawl” Ross,  guitarist of Funkadelic.  He was 75. 

Jan. 9 – Reggie Wells, makeup artist who worked on Michelle Obama, Oprah, Beyonce, Whitney Houston and more. He was 76. 

Jan. 12 – Josephine Wright resisted the development of the family’s Gullah land on Hilton Head Island. She was 94. 

Jan. 12 – Diane Larche, Larche Communications LLC's publicist, president, and CEO. She was 65. 

Jan. 15 - Ronald Powell, former NFL player. He was 32. 

Marlena Shaw

Jan. 19 – Marlena Shaw, singer (California Soul, Woman of the Ghetto). She was 81. 

Jan. 30 - Chita Rivera, the singer and actress who leaped to stardom in Broadway’s production of “West Side Story.” She was 91. 

Jan. 30 - Hinton Battle, Tony Award-winning actor. He was 67.

 

FEBRUARY

Feb. 1 – Joe Madison, civil rights and radio legend.  He was 74. 

Carl Weather

Feb. 2 – Carl Weathers, actor – Rocky, Predator, and Mandalorian. He was 76. 

Feb. 7 – Henry Fambrough, the last original member of The Spinners. He was 85. 

Feb. 21 – Hydeia Broadbent, HIV/AIDS activist. She was 39.

Feb. 28 – Michael Jones, former pro wrestler – best known as “Virgil.”  He was 61.

 

MARCH

March 4 - Anthony “Baby Gap” Walker, a former member of The Gap Band. He was 60. 

March 8 – Ernie Fields, Jr., musician and music contractor. He was 89.

March 9 – Julie Robinson Belafonte, wife of Harry Belafonte. She was 95. 

March 11 – Everett Collins, Isley Brothers drummer in the 70s. 

March 11 - Bo$$, a rapper best known for her album Born Gangstaz and for being the first female rapper to sign with Def Jam. She was 52. 

March 17 – Sandra Crouch, gospel singer. She was 81. 

March 18 – Kevin Toney, The Blackbyrds, pianist and composer. He was 70. 

Louis Gossett Jr.

March 29 – Louis Gossett Jr. is the first Black man to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. He was 87.

 

APRIL

April 2 – Casey Benjamin, saxophonist. He was 45.

April 5—Rev. Cecil Murray, civil rights activist and former pastor of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles died at the age of 94.

April 10 – O.J. Simpson. He was 76.

April 10 – Mister Cee, New York radio personality. He was 57. 

April 13 - Rico Wade co-wrote and produced TLC’s 1995 hit “Waterfalls.” He was 52.

April 17 - Arthur “Pooch” Tavares, founding member of the legendary group Tavares. He was 74. 

Mandisa

April 18 – Mandisa, American Idol, Grammy-winning Christian singer. She was 47. 

April 23 – Terry Carter, actor on Battlestar Galactica, McCloud and Foxy Brown. He was 95.

 

MAY

May 4 – Darius Morris, former Los Angeles Lakers guard. He was 33. 

May 12 – Sherif Lawal, boxer. He was 29. 

May 13 - Samm-Art Williams, playwright, screenwriter, and actor. He was 77.

Peggy Blu

May 19 – Peggy Blu, soul singer. She was 77.

May 31 – Drew Gordon, former NBA player. He was 33.

 

JUNE

June 3 – Brother Marquis, a rapper known for being a core member of 2 Live Crew.

June 9 - Rev. James Lawson Jr., Civil Rights Giant. He was 95.

June 12, Ron Simons, actor, and four-time Tony-winning producer. He was 63. 

June 13 – Angela Bofill, singer. She was 70.

June 16 - Cedric Napoleon, Pieces of a Dream co-founder, Fo Fi Fo singer. 

Willie Mays

June 18 – Willie Mays, the Say Hey Kid, baseball legend (Giants) and Hall of Famer. He was 93. 

June 20 - Taylor Wily, actor (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Hawaii Five-O), a former sumo wrestler. He was 56. 

June 23 – Pat Colbert, actress on Dallas. She was 77. 

June 23—Julio Foolio, a Florida rapper, was born Charles Jones. He is known for “Crooks” and “Reach The Top.”  He was 26. 

June 25 – Sika Anoa’i, WWE Hall of Famer and father of fellow pro wrestling star Roman Reigns. He was 79.

June 26 – Bill Cobb, actor, The Bodyguard, The Brother from Another Planet, Night at the Museum, and Oz the Great and Powerful. He was 90. 

June 26 - Renauld White, actor/model. The first African American to appear on the cover of GQ Magazine. He was 80. 

June 26 - Dr. Doris Yvonne Wilkinson, the first African American female appointed to a full-time position at the University of Kentucky in 1967. She was 88.

 

JULY

July 2 – KeKe Jabbar, cast member of the OWN reality show, Love and Marriage: Huntsville. She was 42.

July 6 - Khyree Jackson, Minnesota Vikings rookie. He was 24. 

July 14 – Jacoby Rashi’d Jones, Baltimore Ravens wide receiver. He was 40.

July 15 – Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant, former Philadelphia 76er NBA player and father of NBA legend Kobe Bryant. He was 69.

July 17—Bernice Johnson Reagon was a civil rights activist who co-founded The Freedom Singers and later started the African American a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock. She was 81. 

July 18 – Gail Lumet Buckley, daughter of Lena Horne. She was 86.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee

July 19 – Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, former Democratic Congresswoman. She was 74. 

July 21—Evelyn Thomas, disco singer best known for her hit track “High Energy." She was 70.

July 21 – Ron Charles, Basketball player. He was a member of Michigan State University’s 1979 national championship team and played professionally in many leagues, including Italy’s Lea Baset Serie A. He was 65. 

July 22 – Abdul “Duke” Fakir, original Four Tops member. He was 88.

July 27 – Rapper DJ Polo. He was 56.

July 28 – Alma Powell, civic leader and wife of Secretary of State Gen. Colin L. Powell. She was 86.

July 28 – Rapper Chino XL. He was 50. 

July 29 – Erica Ash, actress, Survivor’s Remorse, TV One original movie, Miss Me This Christmas, Scary Movie. She was 46.

July 29 - Reyes Moronta, former Dodgers pitcher. He was 31. 

July 29 - Oba Adefunmi II: King of the Yorubas in the United States, son of Oba Oseijiman Adefunmi,  founder of Oyotunji Afrikan Village and “pioneer” of Afrikan Traditional Religion (ATR) in the U.S. 

July 30 - Winzell Kelly, member of The Dramatics since 1994. He was 71.

AUGUST                                                       

Aug. 2 – Ellis Gordon, Jr., financial executive, and community advocate. 

Aug. 6 – Connie Chiume, “Black Panther” actress. She was 72. 

Aug. 6 – Maurice Williams, legendary “Stay” singer. He was 86. 

Aug. 14 – Wally “Famous Amos” Amos, creator of Famous Amos Cookies. He was 88. 

Aug. 20 – Al Attles, Warrior Hall of Famer. Among NBA’s first Black head coaches. He was 87. 

John Amos

Aug. 21 – John Amos, ‘Good Times,’ ‘Roots,’ ‘Coming to America,’ ‘Die Hard 2,’ ‘Mary Tyler Moore’ actor. He was 84.

Aug. 27 – Betty Bridges, actress and director. Also, the mother of actor Todd Bridges. She was 83. 

Aug. 30 – Fatman Scoop, rapper and hype man. He was 53 or 56.

Aug. 31 – Obi Ndefo, known as Bodie on Dawson’s Creek. He was 51.

 

SEPTEMBER 

Sept. 5 - Boris ‘Bo’ Ricks, CSU-Northridge Educator. 

Sept. 5 - Rich Homie Quan, rapper.  He was 34. 

Sept. 8 - James Earl Jones, legendary actor. He was 93. 

Sept. 10 - Michaela Mabinty DePrince, a ballerina from war-torn Sierra Leone. She was 29. 

Sept. 11 - Antoinette Russell, Los Angeles Black radio personality (KJLH, KACE, KOST). 

Sept. 11 - Legendary R&B singer Frankie Beverly of Frankie Beverly and Maze. He was 77. 

Sept. 11 - Tina McElroy Ansa, noted novelist. She was 74. 

Tito Jackson

Sept. 15 –  Toriano Adaryll ‘Tito’ Jackson, member of The Jackson 5, The Jacksons, and the brother of Michael Jackson. He was 70. 

Sept. 21 - Bennie Golson, saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He composed the soundtrack for Room 222, Mash, Mission Impossible, and more. In 2009, he was inducted into the International Academy of Jazz Hall of Fame. He was 95. 

Sept. 27 – Warren Wilson, Los Angeles broadcaster and KTLA reporter. He was 90.

Sept. 30 – Dikembe Mutombo, Hall of Fame – NBA player. He was 58.

 

OCTOBER 

Cissy Houston

Oct. 7 – Cissy Houston, Grammy-winning singer and mother of Whitney Houston. She was 91.

 

NOVEMBER

Quincy Jones

Nov. 3 – Quincy “Q” Jones, legendary musician, producer, and composer. He was 91. 

Nov. 6 - Tony Todd, ‘Candy Man’ and ‘Final Destination’ actor. He was 69. 

Nov. 9 - Ella Jenkins, American singer/songwriter and children’s singer. She was 100.

Nov. 9 – Judith Jamison, Alvin Ailey dancer and choreographer. She was 81. 

Nov. 12 – Roy Haynes, pioneering modern jazz drummer. He was. 99. 

Nov. 19 – Sir Lady Java, Trans Nightlife Legend (actress, singer, dancer, and comedian) and transgender rights activist. She was 82. 

Nov. 22 – Harry Williams, the last original member of Bloodstone. 

Nov. 24 - Nancy Cheryll Davis-Bellamy, Townstreet Theatre co-founder and artistic producing director. 

Nov. 28 – Solomon Herbert II, assistant editor at Black Meetings & Tourism magazine. He was 44. 

Nov. 29 – Hildreth (Hal) Walker, Jr., laser scientist and professor. He was 91.

 

DECEMBER

Dec. 5—Robin Ayers, host of KBLA Talk 1580 and writer/reporter for EURweb.com. She was 54.

Dec. 5 - Dominique Brown, Disney influencer. She was 34. 

Nikki Giovanni

Dec. 9 – Nikki Giovanni, poet and Virginia Tech professor. She was 81. 

Dec. 17 – Alfa Anderson, founding member of Chic. She was 77.

Dec. 21- Rickey Henderson, MLB’s all-time stolen base king. He was 65.

Dec. 22 – Ryan Levert, daughter of Eddie LeVert (The O’Jays). She was 22.

Dec. 21 – Art Evans, veteran actor (A Soldier's Story, Die Hard 2). He was 82.

Dec. 25 - Bill Speed, pioneering music veteran. He was the first Black Editor at Radio and Records. Also helped create BET's Video Soul. He was 75.

Dec. 26 – Richard Parsons, former Time Warner CEO. He was 76.

Dec. 27 – Greg Gumbel, CBS sports broadcaster. He was 78.

 

 

Celebs Reveal What Holiday Tradition They Can Do Without

                 By Darlene Donloe

It’s the holiday season! 

It’s that time of year again when a bunch of holidays are happening within weeks of each other. 

The holiday season begins annually in November and ends in January. Several holidays fall within those months, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year's. 

Many traditions occur during that time, including families and friends getting together for Thanksgiving to consume lots of turkey and sweet potato pie while watching football. At Christmas, gifts are exchanged, letters are written to Santa, ugly sweaters are worn, carols, parades, lots of get-togethers, families gather, bake cookies, decorate trees and over-eating.  Hanukkah sees the lighting of the menorah each evening, prayers, games, food, songs, eating treats fried in oil, giving children gifts of money, and playing a game with a four-sided top. Kwanzaa traditions include sharing a feast, celebrating Black culture, honoring ancestors, African drumming, candle lighting, and reciting original poetry. New Year’s consists of a midnight kiss, singing Auld Lang Syne, parties, watching the ball drop, making a toast, making New Year’s resolutions, counting down to the New Year, football, and parades. It is usually a colossal celebration of families and friends participating in many traditions.

With so many customs to uphold, I asked several celebrities to name one-holiday tradition they could do without.

Cedric the Entertainer

CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER 

I’m a big holiday fan. It’s hard to think of kicking any holiday stuff to the curb. It’s gotten a little expensive. I’d say, in general – the friend groups need presents... uh…. I take care of my kids and my wife. Now you gotta think about whether this is really my best friend this year. I got these employees. Then there are the guys who come over every week.  It’s so much. I can’t stress over that. I want to return to when Christmas was about kids – and that was it. All you grown folks – scoot back.

Tichina Arnold 

TICHINA ARNOLD – (The Neighborhood) 

I can do without all of the holidays. They cost so much money, and America bastardizes everything. Every year, I have a Halloween party. I invite the crew—everybody on the show. It’s the one time we get to be together off the set.

  

Mickey Stevenson

MICKEY STEVENSON (Motown legendary songwriter): I can’t think of anything. Maybe the giving of gifts. Every day is special.

 

RICK BRAUN (trumpeter) For 25 years, I was on a Christmas tour. I would say goodbye to my kids on Thanksgiving. I’d get home on Christmas Eve. I did that for 25 years. It was a rigorous tour.

 

Jay Will

JAY WILL: (Rob Peace/Tulsa King) I will turn that around. I can’t do without; I need momma’s yams and cornbread for Thanksgiving. I’m good without having a Christmas. I don’t need it as much. It wouldn’t break my heart.

Dave Koz

DAVE KOZ (jazz trumpeter) – We can do away with excessive gift-giving. We need to do something meaningful. The gift-giving has gotten carried away. There are other ways to show your love. I love Thanksgiving. I’m always on the road because we start our tour the next night. Everyone on the show is together.

Dulce Sloan

DULCE SLOAN – (Comedy Central)

Santa Claus! What’s the point? Your parents work hard every year to buy you toys. Santa has nothing to do with the birth of Christ. He’s pointless.

Jay Ellis 

JAY ELLIS: (Insecure/Top Gun Maverick) People giving out fruitcakes.

 

Sheaun McKinney

SHEAUN MCKINNEY (The Neighborhood) - That’s a good question. You can get rid of the fruitcake. We’re not going caroling. I don’t like snow. I’m from Miami. I love giving gifts. I don’t know.

 

James Anthony Tyler

JAMES ANTHONY TYLER (playwright): The gift giving. The commercialization of Christmas.

Christian Sands

CHRISTIAN SANDS (jazz pianist): Every tradition is necessary.

Michael Sumuel 

MICHAEL SUMUEL: (opera singer)

I can see getting rid of the White Elephant. The abundance of gifts. The older I’ve gotten, the simpler things make me happy.

 

Marcel Spears

MARCEL SPEARS (Marty Butler on ‘The Neighborhood’): I like all of them. Now that I’m an adult and just had a baby, I used to wake up early on Christmas morning. It would be top of the morning. I would instead not do that now. As my daughter gets a little older, I see her joy and energy, and I’m like -----uh, No!  I feel so bad for my parents because I was up at 6 a.m., not knowing they were probably wrapping presents until 2. I’m going to see if I can eliminate the waking up early.  My grandma, who has passed now, would give us all scratchers and put them in our stockings with apples, candy, and stuff. We have decided to keep that tradition going. Somebody wins $5 or $10, and we share. We do stockings. My dad is a pastor, so we must attend church – no matter what.  When I was younger, I didn't appreciate it all.  Now I do.

Vocalist Penni Layne Releases 'Warm in December'

BOSTON, Mass. - In the oppressive midsummer heat of New York City last July, jazz vocalist Penni Layne and her quartet entered iconic Sear Sound to record “Warm in December,” the just-released Upside ten-track set of seasonal standards and an original tune that she wrote with her coproducer Larry Jackson. Despite the stifling temperatures and humidity outside, Layne and her ensemble summoned memories of Christmases past to bring this cozy collection of classics presented as acoustic jazz rhythms and melodies to life.      

The “Warm in December” seeds were sown last Christmas as Layne and Jackson began rifling through holiday songbooks to select material to record. Her mission was to record “a holiday album that is the product of childhood memories, magic, and traditions passed onto our children. The album is a love letter to my husband, my family, past and present, and to anyone who believes in miracles.” 

Many of the selections on “Warm in December” are timeless perennials - “Winter Wonderland,” “The Christmas Song,” “Let It Snow,” “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” and “Sleigh Ride” – shared in imaginative new arrangements. A few cuts – the title track, “I Love The Winter Weather,” and “A Christmas Love Song” – are lesser-known gems given a fresh sheen rendered with the hope that they become new favorites of the album’s listeners.

Then there is the tender original, “At The First Snowfall.” Layne and Jackson composed it during Christmas in the pandemic, penning a song to conjure family connectedness despite the prevalent feelings of isolation and loneliness. The married partners tapped into fond memories and gratitude to tell a story to evoke happiness during the sacred season, a hard-pressed season not to be impacted by the worry, sadness, and fear that gripped the globe at the time. The heartfelt number plays like a gift to be opened each Christmas, like the entire album.

Throughout “Warm in December,” Layne plies her soothing voice, beaming joy, grace, elegance, fervor, and gentility. Her cohorts – pianist Michael Kanan, bassist Neal Miner, guitarist Greg Ruggiero, and drummer Keith Balla – astutely construct swinging jazz cadences and romantic ballad backdrops, settings from which Layne’s inviting vocals leap to the fore, taking powerful command of the spotlight. 

The Boston-based Layne will celebrate the season and the album release with a concert at Regattabar in Boston this Friday (December 13). Performing a setlist featuring songs from “Warm in December,” Layne will be accompanied by Jackson on bass, GRAMMY-winning trumpeter Bijon Watson, keyboardist Ryan Claunch, and drummer Steve Bankuti.

Layne and Jackson are a prolific pair that create a wide array of music projects – from jazz to R&B and electronic dance music. 2025 will see them issuing a jazz album comprised of standards and originals titled “Every Day I Fall in Love” (release date TBA). Their busy release slate includes an album, “The Art of Love and Poetry,” from their eight-piece R&B band, Penni Layne & The Wonder Boys. They plan to release six singles – one every six weeks – with the first to arrive at a soon-to-be-announced date. Teaming with producer Andrija Gavrilovic to create high-energy remixes under the PLM moniker, Layne eyes dropping six to eight singles from a yet-to-be-titled album beginning in February or March. 

For more information, visit https://pennilayne.com.

L.A. Theatre Works Releases Four Tennessee Williams Audio Plays

LOS ANGELES (December 10, 2024) — L.A. Theatre Works is excited to announce the availability, beginning today, of four audio theater productions of classic plays by Tennessee Williams. The company’s Tennessee Williams Collection launches with the release of The Glass Menagerie today, December 10, followed by three titles in 2025: A Streetcar Named Desire on March 11, The Rose Tattoo on April 8, and Summer and Smoke on May 6. Listeners can find each recording online at latw.org, as well as at retailers and libraries everywhere.

A co-production with NPR affiliate KCRW 89.9 FM and the BBC, the L.A. Theatre Works audio production of The Glass Menagerie, Williams’ autobiographical “memory play” that launched his career, reunited the cast of the Roundabout Theatre’s celebrated revival: Julie Harris, Calista Flockhart (in her Broadway debut), Kevin Kilner and Zeljko Ivanek, and features John Goodman as the narrator. Set in 1935 and based on Williams’ family, the play centers on the Wingfield family, who live together in a cramped St. Louis flat, forced to wrestle with unrealized dreams and painful memories.

Glenne Headly, Vincent D'Onofrio, Amy Brenneman, and David Selby headline the cast of A Streetcar Named Desire, an L.A. Theatre Works co-production with the BBC and CBC. In Williams’ Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece, Blanche DuBois, once a well-heeled Southern belle but now alcoholic and destitute, arrives in New Orleans to stay with her sister Stella and her brutish brother-in-law Stanley. As Stanley terrorizes the fragile Blanche, reality slips slowly away from her.

Mercedes Ruehl and Anthony LaPaglia, who starred in the 1995 Broadway production of The Rose Tattoo that earned a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play and Drama Desk Awards for both actors, reunited to record the play for L.A. Theatre Works in front of a live audience at L.A.’s Skirball Cultural Center. The story of an Italian-American widow in Louisiana who has allowed herself to withdraw from the world after her husband's death; the large cast also includes Emily Bergl, Marieclare Costello, Tim DeKay, Brent Hinkley, Carol Locatell, Kate Mulligan, Antonia Ray, Peggy Roeder, Vincent Schiavelli and Claudette Sutherland.

Finally, Summer and Smoke’s Alma Winemiller is a shy, religious young woman who grew up pining for the boy next door. He’s grown up to become a doctor with a penchant for sexual conquest, so when he returns to their Mississippi town to start a medical practice, their strange attraction sets them on a path of turmoil and heartbreak. Also recorded before a live audience at the Skirball, the L.A. Theatre Works audio production stars Ann Gee Byrd, Kristen Frazier, Mark Kudisch, Carlos Lacamara, Gabriel Olds, Tina Sánchez, David Selby, Tegan West, Armin Shimerman, Kitty Swink and Sarah Zimmerman.

Domingo To Receive Award at 40th SBIFF

 

Colman Domingo

SANTA BARBARA, CA - The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is honored to announce that cinema icon Colman Domingo will receive the Montecito Award at the 40th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Domingo will receive the prestigious award on Friday, February 14. The evening will highlight his powerhouse performance in Greg Kwedar’s SING SING, where Domingo’s portrayal of Divine G brings an incredible mix of vulnerability, charisma, and resilience to the big screen. This recognition comes from Domingo's win at last night’s Gotham Awards, where he took home the honor for Outstanding Lead Performance.

“ Colman is such a committed performer and of the most extraordinary talents on the small screen, in theatre, and in film, and he makes it all seem effortless.  His work in SING SING is unforgettable,” remarked SBIFF’s Executive Director Roger Durling.

Colman Domingo has been nominated for an Oscar, BAFTA, Tony® Award, Critics Choice Award, Independent Spirit, Gotham Awards, Lawrence Olivier, Drama Desk, Drama League, NAACP Image, and Black Reel Award. He has also won an Emmy, Astra, AAFCA, NAACP Image, and Black Reel Award.

In 2023, Domingo starred as Civil Rights leader Bayard Rustin in Netflix and Higher Ground’s film “Rustin," for which he received an Academy Award Nomination, Golden Globes, BAFTA, and SAG nomination. He can also be seen as “Mister” in the Warner Bros production of "The Color Purple," which received a SAG Ensemble nomination.  Domingo's executive produced and starred in Greg Kwedar’s film “Sing Sing,” which was purchased for distribution by A24 and had its theatrical release in the summer of 2024. He also executive produced "It's What's Inside”, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and was released on NETFLIX in October 2024.

Domingo is well known for his Emmy Award-winning role as “Ali” in HBO’s “Euphoria” as well as his roles in “Zola,” “If Beale Street Could Talk,” ‘Selma,’ “Candyman,” and many more. 

He is currently seen in the Netflix limited series "The Madness" created by Clement Virgo. He also recently wrapped production on ‘Michael’ playing Joe Jackson, directed by Antoine Fuqua. Lionsgate will release the film on October 3, 2025. Additionally, Domingo will voice Norman Osborn in the upcoming Disney+ animated series “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.” Domingo is currently in production on NETFLIX’s “The Four Seasons” alongside Tina Fey and Steve Carrell.

The Montecito Award is named after one of Santa Barbara's most beautiful and stylish areas. Past recipients include Jeffrey Wright, Angela Bassett, Penélope Cruz, Amanda Seyfried, Lupita Nyong’o, Melissa McCarthy, Saoirse Ronan, Isabelle Huppert, Sylvester Stallone, Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey, Daniel Day-Lewis, Geoffrey Rush, Julianne Moore, Kate Winslet, Naomi Watts, and Javier Bardem.

The 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival will occur LIVE February 4 - February 15, 2025. Official events, including screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, and celebrity tributes, will be held at SBIFF’s Riviera Theatre and its new Film Center, plus the historic Arlington Theatre. Passes for the 2025 Festival are on sale now at sbiff.org.

Last year, the festival featured 200+ films from over 48 countries, with honorary awards given to Robert Downey Jr., Bradley Cooper, Mark Ruffalo, Paul Giamatti, America Ferrera, Lily Gladstone, Greta Lee, Charles Melton, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Andrew Scott, Martin Scorsese, Justine Triet, Billie Eilish, and Ludwig Göransson.

A-list and industry guests will once again ascend to Santa Barbara, making it a must-stop location on the awards circuit and delivering a record number of films with many World and U.S. premieres. The film lineup and schedule will be announced in January 2025.

About the Santa Barbara International Film Festival

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts and educational organization dedicated to discovering and showcasing the best in independent and international cinema. Over the past 39 years, SBIFF has become one of the top 10 film festivals in the United States, attracting 100,000 attendees and offering 11 days of 200+ films, tributes, and symposiums. SBIFF fulfills its mission to engage, enrich, and inspire the Santa Barbara community through film.

SBIFF continues its commitment to education and the community through many free educational programs and events. SBIFF’s programs support over 18,000 kids, students, and families in our local community by introducing film as an art form to young children with programs like AppleBox and Mike’s field trip to the Movies; teaching film analysis to high school and college students with programs like Rosebud and the Film Studies Program; and teaching the craft of screenwriting and filmmaking with Film Camp and 10-10-10 Mentorship programs. Most importantly, SBIFF’s programs are always directed toward the under-represented and under-served communities within Santa Barbara County.

More recently, SBIFF secured a long-term lease for the iconic multi-plex at 916 State Street in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara. This landmark acquisition paves the way for creating a state-of-the-art film center. This vibrant, year-round destination will be a central hub for cinema enthusiasts and the heart of SBIFF’s renowned Film Festival. Building on the success of the Riviera Theatre revitalization in 2016 and the opening of its own Education Center in 2019 in the downtown area, SBIFF continues to strengthen its commitment to the cultural fabric of Santa Barbara.

Disneyland Opens First Black-Themed Park Ride

Disneyland courtesy photo

By Darlene Donloe 

 Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the first Black-themed ride in Disneyland’s history, finally opened to enormous fanfare on Friday, Nov. 15. 

The long-awaited new amusement park ride is the first time Disneyland’s diverse fan base has been able to see itself mirrored in one of the park’s rides. 

 The day before the opening, a host of Disney executives, fans, and celebrities, including Jenifer Lewis (Black-ish), who voices Mama Odie, Anika Noni Rose (Dreamgirls), who voices Princess Tiana, and Michael-Leon Wooley (AJ and the Queen), who voices ‘Louis,’ on the ride, were all on hand to christen Disney’s latest attraction and the next chapter of ‘The Princess and the Frog’. 

Lewis called the opening, ‘historic,’ while Rose called it ‘phenomenal,’ and ‘amazing.’ Charita Carter, executive creative producer of Tiana’s Bayou, and Carmen Smith, sr. v.p., creative development, Walt Disney Experiences, who both oversaw the development of the attraction, were on hand and called the ride a ‘fantastical journey.’ 

Tiana's Bayou Adventure is a log flume attraction at Magic Kingdom in Florida, and Disneyland in California. It is based on Disney's 2009 film, ‘The Princess and the Frog.’ 

The experience begins with an outdoor float-through that leads to indoor dark ride segments, with a climactic steep drop followed by an indoor finale. The drop is 52.5 feet (16.0 meters). 

The attraction, which replaced Splash Mountain, opened on June 28, 2024, at Magic Kingdom and on November 15, 2024, at Disneyland. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is set in New Orleans, circa 1927, as Tiana, who is now a restaurateur (Tiana’s Foods) is preparing to throw a Mardi Gras party. 

The water attraction has Tiana and her alligator friend, Louis, going into the bayou to find a band for the celebration. Tiana and Louis need help finding the new crew. Guests meet 19 new critters along the way, including a turtle, raccoon, bears, and more. They also run into Mama Odie and her pet snake Juju. 

The attraction, which has a carefree, cheerful feel, takes place in a land called Critter Country and takes riders on a musical journey through the Bayou with Tiana and her friends. It reportedly serves as a celebration, boasting a statement about the communal power of music and a narrative that serves as an American success story. 

One of the opening scenes has Tiana welcoming guests to the bayou while Louis plays the trumpet, frogs croak, and a band of critters plays zydeco music on various objects. Lighting up the scene are water lilies and fireflies. 

The ride features multiple songs from The Princess and the Frog, including “Down in New Orleans,” “Almost There,” “Gonna Take You There,” and “Dig a Little Deeper.” 

True to the Louisiana culture, the music, food, spirit, and flair of New Orleans are proudly on display, including murals by Louisiana artist Malaika Favorite on the building outside of the ride. While ‘Tiana’s Bayou Adventure’ is an incredible experience, the real magic comes from seeing a Black Disney Princess as the star of her own Disney Parks attraction for the first time. 

For some, that truly makes it ‘The Happiest Place On Earth’.

'King of Kings: Chasing Edward Jones' Doc, Produced By Quincy Jones and Debbie Allen, Has North American VOD Release

Gangster for some, philanthropist for others, who was really Edward Jones? In the 1930s and 1940s, this descendant of slaves becomes one of the richest men in the United States thanks to the Policy business, an illegal numbers game, that ultimately became the modern state lottery, now played by millions nationwide. It’s estimated that Edward Jones made amassed a fortune  $25 million in the Policy business (numbers game),  and put money in the pockets of Black folks who didn’t have many economic opportunities. But in these times of segregation, his success and unfailing support to the African American community are a problem. In conflict with both the mob and the Feds, he is eventually forces into a life on the run!

Exploring the rise and fall of the most famous Policy King of all times -- Edward  Jones, nicknamed the “King of Kings” --  his filmmaking granddaughter uncovers an unparalleled story, while showing the lasting repercussions of his untold story, both within her family, and for Chicago’s South Side where he once embodied the American dream. 

Love, success, violence, revenge, mafia, murder, betrayal, prison, kidnapping. . . Edward Jones’s story holds all the best ingredients of gangster movies. Add segregation and you have a very explosive cocktail! 

 KING OF KINGS | 98 minutes runtime 

Director Harriet Marin Jones and the legendary Quincy Jones.  
Photo by Emmanuel Guimier

 

Curtis Haywood Has An Emotional 'Last Dance'

 

 

As his mother valiantly fought brain cancer in the final two years of her life, soul/jazz saxophonist Curtis Haywood struggled to let her go. But he knew he had to let go if only to relieve her of the crippling pain she endured. In that moment of clarity, he imagined dancing with her one final time. Haywood captured that intimate and emotional moment on “Last Dance,” the newly released single that he wrote. Billboard chart-topping guitarist Steve Oliver produced the track and is featured playing on the Megawave Records release which is among the most added new singles on the Billboard radio chart. 

 

While the poignant backstory may seem somber, Haywood’s “Last Dance” is a joyous celebration of life’s transient beauty. The soulful interplay of Haywood's soprano saxophone and Oliver's guitar creates a rich, downtempo R&B groove inviting listeners to dance. 

The accompanying video, below, mirrors this vibrant energy, showcasing the track’s infectious spirit.

“‘Last Dance’ is about recognizing the necessity of releasing what no longer serves us, opening ourselves to new beginnings and brighter futures. This powerful message resonates throughout the song, making it a perfect anthem for anyone facing life’s inevitable transitions,” said Haywood who shot the video during a summer residency in the Hamptons.

 

The Brooklyn-born and based Haywood is a saxophonist and steelpan player who attended the Berklee College of Music. He has released three albums incorporating classic R&B, soul, jazz, and gospel beginning with his 2007 self-titled debut set. Haywood also issued a couple of Christmas singles, “Mary, Did You Know?” and “Hark the Herald Angles Sing.” A dynamic concert performer, Haywood has performed with or been on marquees featuring contemporary jazz, classic R&B, soul, and gospel greats Chieli Minucci, Elan Trotman, Will Donato, JJ Sansaverino, Melissa Morgan, Melba Moore; Ray, Goodman & Brown; The Intruders and Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes, Dennis Edwards and The Temptations Review, Kirk Franklin, Sounds of Blackness, and Noel Pointer.

John Smith & DA'JA 'Make Me Feel Good'

DETROIT, Mich. - Some lines from movies resonate on a deeper level. As multi-instrumentalist John Smith watched Halle Berry’s Academy Award-winning performance in “Monster’s Ball,” her character said something so simple, yet it had a profound impact on him, inspiring the title of his band DA’JA’s new single, “Make Me Feel Good.” The DA’JA Entertainment contemporary jazz release written and produced by Smith is currently collecting radio playlist adds as it hits streaming and retail platforms including Spotify, iTunes, and Apple Music.

“When Halle’s character leaned in and said, ‘Make me feel good,’ it was simple, but something about the way she delivered the line hit me. It felt raw like she was asking for more than just a moment. She was asking for connection, to be truly understood. That line stayed with me. It captured a feeling of vulnerability and desire, this universal need we all have to feel alive, wanted, and seen. Whether it’s being close to someone, feeling free, or breaking away from everything that holds us back. That’s where the song came from. It’s more than just words; it’s a request, a plea for something real and unforgettable,” said the Detroit-based Smith about the latest single from DA’JA’s “Life After Life” album, which dropped last year.

A cool electric jazz guitar lead speaks evocatively on “Make Me Feel Good.” The downtempo R&B/contemporary jazz groove is carved by bassist Rob Skinner and drummer Jeff Canady while the melodic backdrop is draped by Moe Whitsett’s understated keyboards and warmed by Dennis Lee’s horns.

Smith’s mission is to use music to unite and unify, bridging generations, races, and the cultural divide. Inspired by the death of GRAMMY-winning crossover superstar Selena, he crafted an alchemy of jazz, funk, R&B, and Latin music that he branded Latin Funk. DA’JA’s first album release, “Straight Up John Smith,” dropped in 2002. The band’s fourth collection, “Life After Life,” has spawned seven singles: “Life After Life,” “Takin It Easy,” “Paradise (Full Mix),” “After Five,” “Magical,” “True Love (Acoustic),” and now, “Make Me Feel Good.”

Nominated for Instrumental & Jazz Artist of the Year at the Los Angeles Music Awards, John Smith & DA’JA have played popular Detroit-area venues and festivals at which they shared the stage with Anita Baker, Martha Reeves, Force MDs, and The Time.

In its touring configuration, Smith anchors the DA’JA band septet from the drum throne and is flanked by Derrick Bow (bass), Rodney Walker (guitar), Eddie Payne (keyboards), Neyo Jones (percussion), Terrell Williams (trumpet), and Moe Garcias (horns).

For more information, visit https://dajaent.net.

 

LA Opera Presents Les Talens Lyriques On November 13

(Los Angeles) October 15, 2024 — On November 13, LA Opera will present the Paris-based chamber ensemble Les Talens Lyriques in a concert under the baton of founder and conductor Christophe Rousset, taking place in the intimate environment of Zipper Hall. The program, entitled "The Sound of Music in Versailles," is a tribute to the flourishing sound worlds of the master composers of the French Baroque era, created for the royal courts of King Louis XIV and XV.

"The Sound of Music in Versailles" will showcase music by Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) and François Couperin (1668-1733), as well as the lesser known Michel Lambert (c. 1610-1696) and Michel Pignolet de Montéclair (1667-1737).

Mezzo-soprano Amboisine Bré will be the featured vocal soloist. In addition to Mr. Rousset at the harpsichord, the instrumentalists will be violinist Gilone Gaubert violinist Benjamin Chénier and cellist Emmanuel Jacques.

Performance and Ticket Info

Les Talens Lyriques will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 9, at the Colburn School's Zipper Concert Hall (located at 200 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012).

A limited number of tickets are on sale now, beginning at $54. Tickets can be purchased online at LAOpera.org, by phone at 213.972.8001, or in person at the LA Opera box office at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90012). For disability access, call 213.972.0777 or email LAOpera@LAOpera.org.

About Les Talens Lyriques

Championing a broad vocal and instrumental repertoire ranging from early Baroque to the beginnings of Romanticism, the musicians of Les Talens Lyriques aim to throw light on the great masterpieces of musical history, while providing perspective by presenting rarer or little-known works that are important as missing links in the European musical heritage. This musicological and editorial work, which contributes to their renown, is a priority for the ensemble.

Les Talens Lyriques takes their name from the subtitle of Jean-Philippe Rameau’s 1739 opera Les Fêtes d’Hébé. Their repertoire includes works by Monteverdi, Cavalli, Landi, Handel, Lully, Desmarest, Mondonville, Cimarosa, Traetta, Jommelli, Martin y Soler, Mozart, Salieri, Rameau, Gluck, Beethoven, Cherubini, García, Berlioz, Massenet, Gounod, Saint-Saëns and others.

Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques appear throughout Europe, with performances at the Opéra National de Paris, Opéra-Comique, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Philharmonie de Paris, Opéra Royal de Versailles, Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Lausanne Opéra, Teatro Real Madrid, Vienna State Opera, Theater an der Wien, Théâtre Royal de La Monnaie in Brussels, London’s Wigmore Hall and Barbican Centre, among others, as well as on tour elsewhere throughout the world.

Learn more at LesTalensLyriques.com.

Nicole Byer Brings the Funny to Beverly Hills

Nicole Byer

By Darlene Donloe

Nicole Byer has a ‘funny’ way of making her audience laugh.

For one night only, during a recent standup set at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, Byer’s comedy was on fire as she held the nearly sold-out, diverse audience in the palm of her hand.

Dressed casually in jeans, a bright, multi-colored striped top and black-white checked sneakers, Byers showed why she is a popular comedienne. Her charming personality – coupled with a solid delivery makes her a formidable comical opponent.

With only a microphone and a stool, the actress, host, and comedienne, who confidently paced back and forth making good use of the stage, took the audience on a journey through her life.

As she was introduced, Byer, sporting a slimmed-down frame, walked quickly to the lone microphone in the middle of the stage and wasted no time getting to work. A veteran and a pro, she knows how to keep the audience’s attention.

Nicole Byer

Best known as the host of the EMMY-nominated baking series Nailed It!, the podcaster and writer, whose 1,000-watt personality is as warm and inviting as it is hilarious and engaging, talked about being a big star with several Emmy nominations, using Ozempic, her hosting duties on ‘Wipeout,’ with co-host John Cena, traveling with her friend, Sasheer Zamata, who is also her co-host on the podcast ‘Best Friends,’ meeting a Munchkin-size Tom Cruise, her love of porn and her many failed relationships.

She proudly spoke about dumping one date because he bragged about putting sour cream in his mac ‘n cheese. It was a deal breaker.

But what she’s good at is interacting with her audience. She feeds off of the crowd. Half of her set was asking questions of those in the audience. With just a simple prompt as, ‘Who’s in a relationship,?’ Byer is off and running, with quick, and witty repartee. She could do a whole set by dissecting the relationship of her fans.

Nicole Byer

Looking for relationship advice, Byer, who loves to interject anecdotes from her life, asked one couple in the audience the secret to their longevity. Both the man and the woman, who have been married for 49 years, seemed confused by the question. Awkward moments went by with Byer close to giving up on getting an answer.  She jokingly looked at the couple and said, “I’m just trying to get some relationship advice.” Finally, the man said, keeping his mouth shut was the secret, while the woman said it was having good humor. By that time, Byer was ready to move on.

Fresh off her performance in the Netflix Is A Joke festival, Byer, who can be seen in the Netflix special, ‘Nicole Byer: Big Beautiful Weirdo and the NBC comedy, ‘Grand Crew,’ briefly bragged about her busy career.

In 2020, Byer made history by becoming the first Black woman ever to be nominated in the category of “Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program” and was nominated again in 2021 and 2022. The series premiered its seventh season in October 2022.

Byer can be seen in Comedy Central’s supernatural comedy, Cursed Friends alongside Harvey Guillén, Jessica Lowe, and Andrew Lewis Caldwell. She also appears in the immersive comedy special, Surrounded, presented by Just for Laughs.

Nori Reed

Nori Reed was the perfect opener. With her acerbic delivery, she quickly had the audience in stitches.

Reed, originally from Kentucky, is an LA-based comedian, writer, and actress who, at one time, described her comedy as languid, critical, psychosexual, and secretly hopeful.

Her set was much too short. Reed, who introduced Byer, is a great warm-up. It would be worth the price of admission to see her set again. 

As the audience left, it was clear by the quips and laughter, that Byer had successfully brought the funny!

 

 

Pianist Christian Sands Is 'Embracing Dawn'

Christian Sands

By Darlene Donloe

Pianist Christian Sands recently made his Hollywood Bowl debut – and it was alongside some heavy hitters. 

Sands performed September 11, as part of the ‘Jazz on Tap at the Bowl’ program, featuring the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, led by Principal Conductor Thomas Wilkins with Music Director Christian McBride who co-hosted the show with the legendary Ben Vereen.  

Other band members included Rodney Jones (guitar), Clayton Cameron (drums), and special guest Terence Blanchard.  

Savion Glover brought down the house with his high-energy tapping.

Others on tap included legendary tap dancers Sarah Reich, Michela Marino Lerman, and Karen Callaway Williams, who tapped alongside featured singers including Freda Payne, Judith Hill, and Paula Cole.  

Sands, 35, dapper in a blue checkered-like suit, was masterful as he tickled the ivories.  

The New Haven, Conn. native and Grammy-nominated artist (Be Water), who now calls Los Angeles home, is having a great year. Not only is he touring and reveling on a successful Hollywood Bowl debut, but he is set to release his latest CD, ‘Embracing Dawn,’ on September 27, with ‘MMC’ as the first single to drop.

Christian Sands

I caught up with Sands (CS), who received a B.A. and a Masters from the Manhattan School of Music, recently to talk about his career. 

DD: When did you first discover the piano?  

CS: The piano chose me. I started playing when I was one year old. The story goes that I would never pound the keys. I would use my fingers to play the piano. We had an upright spinet, and my aunt bought me an upright piano. Lessons started when I was four. I studied classical piano at four. A family friend, a musical director of a church recommended to my parents that I take piano lessons. She passed away when I was five. She left her piano to me in her will. I still own it today. 

DD: Describe what you felt like when you heard the piano.

CS: It's the same now. It’s joy. It’s a place of safety. It’s a place of exploration and pure expression. I still have the same feelings.

DD: When did you get serious about it?

CS: I’ve been performing professionally since I was seven years old. Music is just who I am. That’s a hard question to answer. When I figured out I could make this a living career, I was probably about 14 or 15. I had a steady performance job at a restaurant called Sage in New Haven. I played every Friday. I got paid and I got tips.

DD:  When you were growing up did you ever think you would play the Hollywood Bowl?

CS: No.  Well, yes, eventually. I had no clue at all. 

DD: What are your feelings about that venue? 

CS: I’m very excited. Always wanted to. I’ve seen many wonderful shows there. It’s an honor to play with those musicians. 

DD:  Talk about playing with Christian McBride at the Hollywood Bowl.  Are you two friends? How long have you known him? What’s the relationship?

CS: He’s sort of like my older brother. We’ve known each other since 2010. We used to work together a lot. I was a part of his trio, The Christian McBride Trio. That was my entryway into the pros.  We just performed for Blue Note Napa Festival recently. That’s my brother from another mother. 

DD: Talk about your new album ‘Embracing Dawn’. Why that title?

CS: The title came from the creation of the record. The record was birthed through transition, heartache, trying to find a place of healing and understanding, and about what comes next in one’s life. I wanted to create a space for people to go to. It’s embracing the next steps. The new day. For me, it was a change in relationship, a change in the scope of myself, and a change from the East Coast to the West Coast. 

DD: How long did this latest album take to produce/record?

CS: It took me about a year to write the music. I was trying to capture different aspects of what someone goes through with grief, happiness, hope, and failure. I also wanted to write music about it – as I was going through it. There are nine cuts on the album. 

DD: Talk about the first single, “MMC.” – Moms Mac and Cheese. How did this song come about?

CS: With MMC – we think about the forms of healing and transition. One of those things that helped me was always having a good, home-cooked meal. It’s more about the sustaining of one’s soul. Any time you get a good meal, it does something to your soul. It reminds you everything is going to be cool. Who better than one’s mother who makes a wonderful bowl of MMC? It’s also about showing that there is a place where one can be fulfilled in their soul. Part of that is cuisine.

DD: How would you describe your music?

CS: It’s me. It’s steeped in the traditions of American Black music, classical, jazz, and funk.  I’m a product of that. It’s also creative. I write music to tell stories of people, America, my people, and experiences.

DD:  What do you struggle with as an artist?

CS:  Everything. There are so many things to struggle with. You'd have to be more specific. I struggle with everything everyone else struggles with, a stable home, finances, and relationships. I am fine with how to create.

DD:  How often do you tour?

CS:  Every day. I’m usually on the road 80% of the year.

DD: What do you like and dislike about touring?

CS: I like that I get to experience the world, people, culture, and different ideals, I get to learn stories of humanity. No matter where I am, people love music. They love my music. I’m so appreciative.

DD: Do you switch up your repertoire depending on where you are in the world?

CS: I can play the same thing in America, that I play in Brazil, Budapest, Copenhagen, or Italy.  I have fond memories of every place I’ve gone. The bad part is the travel. It’s the up and down, and the lack of sleep.

DD: What does music do for you?

CS: It allows me to travel and communicate. I can talk to you with my instrument. I can say what I truly feel.  Music allows you to transform language.

It’s a storyteller.

DD: When you are performing, are you conscious of the audience?

CS: The audience is part of the band. If they are not into it, I’m not into it. I’m conscious of everything.

DD: Ten years from now – what do you want to be and what do you hope to be doing?

CS: I’ve been trying to figure that out. What I want to be doing is institution building. I’m somebody who believes in giving back to the well that has fed and watered you. That can be me either performing, teaching, or being an artistic director of something I’ve created.

'Kill Move Paradise' Looks At Black Brotherhood In The Afterlife

By Darlene Donloe

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright James Ijames (2022-Fat Ham) isn’t afraid to go there. 

He likes to do deep dives and evoke uncomfortable questions that audiences are encouraged to answer for themselves based on what they believe they saw on the stage. 

His 2017 drama, ‘Kill Move Paradise,’ currently enjoying its Southern California premiere at the Odyssey Theatre in West L.A., is a sampling of Ijames’ diverse works.

(l-r) Jonathan P. Sims, Ulato Sam, Cedric Joe, and Ahkei Togun

The story is about four Black men, torn from the world without warning, who find themselves in a cosmic waiting room in the afterlife, which is described as being “reminiscent of Elysium” - the Greek paradise inhabited by only the most heroic or virtuous souls.

One by one we see the men being tossed down a giant slide from which there is no return.

And, one by one, they challenge their earthly fates, while trying to make sense of their new life, or in this case – death journey. 

Ulato Sam

Isa, played by Ulato Sam, is the first one to find himself alone in a waiting room of sorts. As his eyes adjust, he notices a printer, the inquisitive eyes of the audience, and nothing else. Perplexed as to how he ended up there, he enlists the help of the audience – but to no avail. He tries to remember the last thing that happened before he awakened in his sparse digs.  As things start to slowly come to his remembrance, including his proximity to law enforcement, he asks the question, “At what age is a Black boy when he learns he’s scary? At eight?”  It’s a provocative question that permeates the Black community.

(l-r) Ulato Sam, Ahkei Togun, and Jonathan P. Sims

Next to drop in is Grif, played by Jonathan P. Sims, then Daz, played by Ahkei Togun, and later a youngster named Tiny, played by Cedric Joe. The three older men are thrown for a loop at Tiny’s youth and his presence in the waiting room.  Tiny is still holding a toy AK47 when he tumbles to his fate. 

Why they are there and the question about their fate is a conundrum to the quartet, who quickly bond to figure out their circumstances. 

Ijames has crafted a thought-provoking, stimulating, and amazing drama that explores humanity on its raw terms. 

The cast of 'Kill Move Paradise'

“I wanted to create a space in which the humanity of the people on stage is undeniable,” Ijames said in an interview. “These characters embody all the ways in which we try to be human. They are jealous, they are kind, they are maternal and paternal, they are pushed physically to the edge of something and then fall. I always say that I hope this play becomes obsolete one day. That’s like a crazy thing for a playwright to say. But I hope one day that people will say we don’t need to do this play anymore because we are different. We are better.” 

While Isa has had time to evaluate his life and death, Daz, Grif, and Tiny find it easier to play, sing, tease, and uplift one another as they’re forced to confront how they arrived in this unearthly place. 

This show has some heart-breaking moments, especially when each man tries unsuccessfully to fling themselves back across a steep, angled slide that brought them there. 

Their realization that they are each, indeed, dead is a sobering moment for the men, who try to remember their last moments of life.

(l-r) Ulato Sam, Ahkei Togun, and Jonathan P. Sims

A sense of melancholy bathes the hushed theatre during a scene when Isa reads the names of an ever-growing list of slain Black men and women, coupled with the fear and threat of death the men continue to face daily. 

Some heads bowed and several theatergoers shed a tear as familiar names like Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, George Floyd…and others not as well known -  were read out loud - all being the victims of “death by cop”. For those who understand the agonizing significance, it’s a painful moment in the show – that takes your breath away, especially as the printer continues to pour out the never-ending names. 

The men soon find out that they are not stranded forever. This is just a stopover on their way to eternal bliss. 

(l-r) Ulato Sam, Cedric Joe, Ahkei Togun, and Jonathan P. Sims

Even though the dialogue is filled with righteous indignation, considering the subject matter, Ijames’ showed some restraint in this tome. 

Ijames’ light, sometimes comical injections help the audience to digest this heavy show. 

For instance, there are interludes of a painfully “playful” nature, as when Tiny has an imaginary, sitcom-esque reunion with his parents, complete with a laugh track, and when the men act out a surreally over-the-top childhood game. 

'Kill Move Paradise' is a captivating reminder of our collective humanity.

Kudos to Sam, Sims, Togun, and Joe, who through their acting and their physical performances – push the story forward.

Gregg T. Daniel

A story like this could only be put in the hands of a masterful director like Gregg T. Daniel, who has proven, time after time, that he knows how to bring a production and its emotional penalties to life. Kudos to Daniel, who has helmed several August Wilson plays at A Noise Within. He had his hands full with this one. ‘Kill Move Paradise’ at its guttural core, is no easy play to interpret. 

“Kill Move Paradise deals with ongoing violence against Black and Brown people in a highly original and unique way,” said Daniel. “The audience will laugh… while also feeling invested in the pain our heroes are feeling. We relate to these four young men as they find the humor in their situation, celebrate their culture, and revel in one another. It’s hard to hate someone when you get to know them. This is a kind of politically motivated theater I haven’t seen in some time.” 

‘Kill Move Paradise’ is a “must-see.” 

‘Kill Move Paradise,’ written by James Ijames, directed by Gregg T. Daniel, and produced by Sally Essex Lopresti, stars Cedric Joe, Ulato Sam, Jonathan P. Sims, and Ahkei Togun. 

Kudos to Toran Xavier Moore (choreographer), Donny Jackson (lighting designer), David Gonzales (sound designer), Stephanie Kerley Schwartz (scenic designer), and Wendell C. Carmichael (costume designer). 

On the DONLOE SCALE: D (don’t bother, O (oh, no) N (needs work), L (likable), O (oh, yeah) and E (exceptional) ‘Kill Move Paradise’ gets an E (exceptional). 

Running time: 80 minutes with no intermission. 

‘Kill Move Paradise’, Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA; 8 p.m., Fri.-Sat.; 2 p.m. Sun.; 8 p.m. Wed., Sept 25 and Oct. 16; through Nov. 3, 2024; $20 - $40, with an additional $3 per ticket fee if using a credit card. “College Nights” on Friday, Sept. 27, and Friday, Oct. 18 are Pay-What-You-Can (reservations open online and at the door starting at 5:30 p.m.). For more information and to purchase tickets, (310) 477-2055 or OdysseyTheatre.com.