Courtesy photo
By Bill Vaughan
Entertainment Writer
If you were wondering how Academy Award-winner Viola Davis could follow up winning wars as “The Woman King,” how about as a butt-kicking leader of the free world. Welcome to the blockbuster movie “G20,” premiering April 10 on Prime Video.
In the film, Davis stars as U.S. President Danielle Sutton at a summit under siege who must “outsmart the enemy to protect her family, defend her country and safeguard world leaders.”
The trailer has more than 6 million views in anticipation of the action ride with an eye-opening cast of “Black-ish” alums Anthony Anderson and Marsai Martin, “Will Trent” himself Ramón Rodríguez, and Antony Starr of “The Boys” fame.
Up next for Davis is reuniting with “The Woman King” director Gina Prince-Bythewood and co-star Thuso Mbedu for the film adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi’s novel, “Children of Blood and Bone.” They will be joined by Cynthia Erivo, Idris Elba, Lashana Lynch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Damson Idris and Amanda Stenberg, with Regina King rumored.
FLASH LIGHT: Producing documentarian Stanley Nelson, whose culture work has included the films “Boss: The Black Experience in Business,” “Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool,” and “Attica,” is now tackling that “which not only moves it can remove.”
“We Want The Funk,” premiering April 8 on PBS’ “Independent Lens” is Nelson’s syncopated voyage through the history of funk music, spanning from African, soul and early jazz roots, to its rise into the public consciousness.
Featuring James Brown‘s dynamism, George Clinton‘s extraterrestrial Parliament Funkadelic, transformed girl group Labelle, and Fela Kuti‘s Afrobeat, the story also traces funk’s influences on new wave and hip-hop.
Shout Out to Danny Bedrosian, the longtime keyboardist and author of “The Authorized P-Funk Song Reference – Official Canon of Parliament-Funkadelic 1956 -2023.” Caught him last week with The Secret Army, featuring Parliament-Funkadelic/P-Funk All Stars bassist Lige Curry and P-Funk drummer Benjamin “King Benzel” Cowan jamming at the Read Freely Fest.
Another book is on the way: “Make My Funk The P-Funk” covering the band’s meteoric rise in 1975 from “Chocolate City” to “Mothership Connection.”
THE FORCE IS WITH THIS ONE: “It’s a franchise that’s so white that a Black person existing in [it] was something. You can always tell it’s something when some ‘Star Wars’ fans try to say, ‘Well, we had Lando Calrissian and Samuel L. Jackson!’ It’s like telling me how many cookie chips are in the cookie dough. It’s like, they just scattered that in there, bro! They’re OK with us playing the best friend, but once we touch their heroes, once we lead, once we trailblaze, it’s like, ‘Oh my God, it’s just a bit too much! They’re pandering.’”– JOHN BOYEGA on his “Star Wars” experience as Finn to Apple TV+’s “Number One on the Call Sheet”
CLIPPETTES: In a rare move by Netflix, the streamer has ordered a pilot rebooting the sitcom “A Different World.” While the casting has not been confirmed, the story is supposed to surround the daughter of Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison) and Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy) enrolled at their parents’ alma mater — the fictional Black Hillman College. Gina Prince-Bythewood (“The Woman King”), Reggie Rock Bythewood (“New York Undercover”) and Debbie Allen are on board as executive producers with the latter directing …
Je’Caryous Johnson‘s “Games Women Play” directed by Carl Payne who is featured with Jill Marie Jones, Flex Alexander, Demetria McKinney, Brian J. White, Claudia Jordan and Chico Bean raises the curtain of the Orpheum Theatre for two nights beginning April 4 as the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater fills the same dates at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion …
Nigerian vocalist/producer Davido hits The Roxy on April 5 as Catch One presents house music legend Louie Vega, Walt Disney Concert Hall celebrates composer John Williams, The Improv presents “Ali Wong: Work In Progress,” and Whisky A Go Go hosts the return of The Bus Boys (with Blaxmyth, The Last Slice and more) …
That upcoming movie from “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone starring Kendrick Lamar has been shifted from this fall to spring of next year. Could it have anything to do with its alleged storyline of a Black man who discovers his white girlfriend’s ancestors “owned” his family? …
Terence Blanchard, the first Black composer to premiere an original opera at the Metropolitan Opera with “Fire Shut up in My Bones” followed by the groundbreaking hit, “Champion,” will perform selections from both works with The E-Collective and Turtle Island Quartet. The Soraya commissioned premiere goes down the afternoon of April 6 at their venue …
Later, Randall Goosby is at the Soka Center, and The Comedy Store welcomes Horribly Funny featuring Arsenio Hall, Bobby Lee, Pauly Shore, Bassem Youssef, Margaret Cho, Jamie Kennedy and Caroline Rhea …
The California African American Museum hosts its Inspire LA: Mayoral Speaker Series with Karen Bass on April 7 with guest author/activist Bryan Stevenson (“Just Mercy”) while The Improv presents Monderays with Dray Davis …
Former “Saturday Night Live” regular Punkie Johnson is at The Improv on April 9 as The Go-Go’s play The Roxy.
HAVING HER SAY: “I thought when people take away your rights, erase your history and deport your friends, you’re supposed to call it out. But I was wrong.” – Writer/comic AMBER RUFFIN to NBC’s Seth Meyers on being removed from hosting this year’s White House Correspondents Association Dinner to “ensure the focus is not on the politics of division.”
TC ON TV: April 4 – “Girl You Know It’s True” (Peacock): Follows the true story of Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan, who conquered global music charts as the pop duo Milli Vanilli. Much was made of their revealed lip-synching to tracks by other singers. Flashbacking to seeing them commanding the stage on that arena tour with MC Hammer and Paula Abdul. “CBS Mornings” (CBS): WNBA’s star/author A’ja Wilson and co-owner/activist Renee Montgomery. “The View” (ABC): Kevin Bacon, Dulé Hill “GMA3” (ABC): Laurence Fishburne (“The Amateur”); gospel artist Jonathan McReynolds (“Before You Climb Any Higher”) “Tamron Hall” (Syn): Rev. Liz Walker, Tamela & David Mann “Sherri” (Syn): Danielle Brooks (“A Minecraft Movie”) “The Jennifer Hudson Show” (Syn): Normani (who portrays a young Tamra Goins aka rapper “Entice” for the Oakland set romp of legend in “Freaky Tales”) “Austin City Limits Celebrates 50 Years” (PBS): A two-hour special with performances by Chris Stapleton, Gary Clark Jr., Leon Bridges, Lyle Lovett and more. “After Midnight” (CBS): Tichina Arnold, Affion Crockett, Essence Atkins
April 5 – “Iyanu” (Cartoon/Max): Roye Okupe serves as creator, executive producer and showrunner of this animated show adapted from his graphic novel series. Drawing on Nigerian culture, music, and mythology, it follows a brave young, orphaned student living in the magical kingdom of Yorubaland. “Give Me Back My Daughter” (Lifetime): Gabourey Sidibe (“Precious”) stars as a single mother struggling to make ends meet and who after making a heartbreaking decision, loses custody of her daughter.
April 6 – “David Blaine: Do Not Attempt” (NGC): South Africa and Japan. “The White Lotus” (HBO): Tonight, we finally learn who is doing all the shooting. “$100,000 Pyramid” (ABC): D.L. Hughley vs. Meagan Good
April 8 – “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu): Elizabeth Moss goes full tilt in this sixth and final season of a once riveting show that has become increasingly hard to watch due to reality. “Finding Your Roots” (PBS): In this 11th season finale, cutting-edge DNA detective work solves longstanding family mysteries for actor Laurence Fishburne and scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. — in a unique and emotional episode where Gates finds himself as a guest on his own show for the first time.
April 9 – “Celebrity Jeopardy” (ABC): Roy Wood Jr., Natalie Morales, Robin Thede
April 10 – “The Accused” (BET+): Paige Hurd (“The Oval,” “Power Book II: Ghost”) stars as a framed brilliant plant geneticist who must go on the run, relying on her intelligence and physical prowess to expose the truth and clear her name. With Lawrence Saint-Victor (“The Bold and the Beautiful”) and Rockmond Dunbar (“9-1-1,” “Prison Break”) “Black Mirror” (Netflix): The high tech “Twilight Zone” clone returns for a seventh season with guest stars Issa Rae, Tracee Ellis Ross, Rashida Jones, Paul Giamatti and Awkwafina. “Matlock” (CBS): Hanelle Culpepper, who in 2019 became the first woman to launch a new “Star Trek” series with “Picard,” directed this episode. “Elsbeth” (CBS): David Alan Grier guest stars as the owner of an elite funeral home in this episode directed by Bille Woodruff (“Black Lightning”).
END QUOTE: “Our consciousness is programmed. We see things a certain way from a young age — we’re programmed to keep doing them that way. Then you have to spend adulthood learning how to overcome it, to read out the programs. Try to create. I want to tell people to create. Just start by creating your day. Then create your life.” – PRINCE
As featured in the Los Angeles Wave and Independent, Tasty Clips is one of the leading entertainment columns in the nation, serving nearly one million weekly readers. Bill Vaughan may be reached at tastyclips@yahoo.com, via Twitter @tastyclips, or Instagram @tasty_clips.
