Entertainment

ABOVE PHOTO: Gerald Alston selling his beautiful wood wares. (Photos courtesy of Gerald Alston) By Constance Garcia-Barrio One Christmas, award-winning woodworker Gerald Alston gave his mother a fit. “From childhood, I would take things apart, toys or whatever,” Alston recalls. “One Christmas when I was about 11, my mom bought me a radio. She got…

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ABOVE PHOTO: Jai Rodriguez. (Shutterstock.com) By Kharisma McIlwaine Before there was “Project Runway” and “The Real Housewives,” Bravo introduced the world to “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.” “Queer Eye” premiered in July 2003 and featured five openly gay men who were experts in their respective fields: Ted Allen, the “Food and Wine Connoisseur”; Kyan…

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Photo: Norman Lear (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File) LOS ANGELES (AP) — Norman Lear, the writer, director and producer who revolutionized prime time television with “All in the Family” and “Maude,” propelling political and social turmoil into the once-insulated world of sitcoms, has died. He was 101. Lear died Tuesday night in his sleep, surrounded by…

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By Napoleon F. Kingcade ABOVE PHOTO: Director/producer Frankie Darcell and the cast of “Conversations for Sistas Only”. WDAS-FM radio personality and Detroit native Frankie Darcell has written, directed, and produced a stage play that is both serious and at times hilarious, giving audiences food for thought while being entertained. Inspired by the book of the…

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ABOVE PHOTO: Marcus Scribner  (Photo courtesy: Marcus Scribner) By Kharisma McIlwaine Millions of households welcomed Marcus Scribner into their homes as Junior (Andre Johnson Jr.) on the award-winning sitcom, “Black-ish.” After eight seasons of making people laugh on the successful show,Scribner takes on his first dramatic role as an actor and executive producer of the…

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Photo/AP BY JONATHAN LANDRUM JR LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs has temporarily stepped down as chairman of his cable television network Revolt amid multiple sexual abuse allegations against the music mogul. Revolt announced Combs’ decision on social media Tuesday. It’s not clear when he will return to his media company — which said Combs previously had…

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By Constance Garcia-Barrio Grief, adolescence, risky politics, and an interracial marriage roil the Crump family in “Crumbs from the Table of Joy”, which opened November 15 at the Lantern Theater Company in Center City. The author, prolific African American playwright Lynn Nottage, whose work often centers on Black working-class people, remains the only woman to…

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BY LARRY NEUMEISTER NEW YORK (AP) — A lawsuit by singer Cassie containing allegations of beatings and abuse by music producer Sean “Diddy” Combs has been settled, the artists announced Friday, one day after the lawsuit was filed. The settlement was announced in a statement sent by attorney Douglas Wigdor, who represents Cassie, whose full name is Casandra…

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NEW YORK (AP) — George “Funky” Brown, the co-founder and longtime drummer of Kool & The Gang who helped write such hits as “Too Hot,” “Ladies Night,” “Joanna” and the party favorite “Celebration,” died Thursday in Los Angeles at age 74. Brown died after a battle with cancer, according to a statement released by Universal…

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ABOVE PHOTO: EAGLES’ CORNERBACK DARIUS SLAY models the latest mens’ fashion at this year’s Big Brother Big Sister Independence hosted its 8th annual Fashion Touchdown. (Photo: Kharisma McIlwaine) By Kharisma McIlwaine On November 13, Big Brother Big Sister (BBBS) Independence hosted its 8th annual Fashion Touchdown, which combined fashion, football and fundraising for a wonderful…

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