By Bill Vaughan
Entertainment Writer
The 17th annual Essence Black Women in Hollywood Red Carpet and Awards Ceremony, held last week at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, will premiere March 15 at 9 p.m. on OWN.
Hosted by celebrated actor, Grammy Award-winning rapper and entrepreneur, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, the event recognizes the remarkable achievements of Black women in the film and television industry.
This year’s honorees are Danielle Brooks and Halle Bailey from “The Color Purple,” acclaimed screenwriter and showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll of “All American” and “Found” fame, and industry powerhouse Kathryn Busby, president of original programming for STARZ.
The special features a constellation of notable celebrities, from esteemed actors and directors to music moguls and fashion icons, including: Zendaya, “American Fiction” star Erika Alexander, (reuniting with her “Living Single” peers Kim Coles and Yvette Lee Bowser), sisters Tia Mowry and Tamera Mowry-Housley, Serayah, Chole Bailey, Leslie Jones, Tina Knowles, Letitia Wright, Normani, Da’Vinci, Teyonah Parris, Skai Jackson, Aldis Hodge, Marsai Martin, Anthony Anderson, Gabourey Sidibe, Lance Gross, Grammy-winning artist Muni Long (who closed the show with her hit song, “Made for Me”), and many more.
After its premiere, the 90-minute OWN broadcast will be available to stream on Max.
TICKET WATCH: Vocalists Tank, Keri Hilson and Carl Thomas join forces for The R&B Money Tour headed to Los Angeles’ YouTube Theater on June 20. For tickets, which go on sale to the public on March 15 at 10 a.m., visit Ticketmaster.
ON THE HUMAN CONNECTION: “There’s a marked difference between acquaintances and friends. Most people really don’t become friends. They become deep and serious acquaintances. But in a friendship, you get to know the spirit of another person; and your values coincide.” – MAYA ANGELOU
CLIPPETTES: Denzel Washington is returning to Broadway next year in a presentation of William Shakespeare’s “Othello” to co-star Jake Gyllenhaal with direction by Tony Award-winner Kenny Leon. Washington, currently filming Spike Lee’s “Highest 2 Lowest” with Halle Berry, was recently named by Forbes as the 10th highest-paid actor of 2023 …
Rolling Loud California 2024 kicks off three nights at Hollywood Park Grounds on March 15 with a line-up including Nicki Minaj, Post Malone, Don Toliver, Chief Keef, Big Sean, and Metro Boomin & Future …
The evening also finds Bad Bunny at Crypto.com Arena, Eric Bellinger at The Observatory, Cameo at Morongo Casino, and Trippie Redd at Don Quixote; as well as the Branford Marsalis Quartet at Long Beach’s Carpenter Center, the Marc Cary Trio at The Sun Rose, Mark de Clive-Lowe at World Stage, and Pete Escovedo & Family beginning two nights at Catalina Bar & Grill …
Meshell Ndegeocello performs March 16 at The United Theater on Broadway; while conductor Thomas Wilkins leads music from Leonard Bernstein’s beloved “West Side Story” and joins forces with an electric bass icon Victor Wooton at the Walt Disney Concert Hall for the start of a two-night stand …
March 17 offers singer/songwriter Peven Everett at Killer Yacht Club Speakeasy, the multi-talented Raul Midón at Vibrato Grill, reggae star Yellowman at The Venice West, and legendary heartthrob Frankie Avalon at the La Mirada Theatre …
Former Prince vocalist Liv Warfield is in concert March 20 at The Sun Rose, as the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater begins a four-night engagement at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion March 24.
REVELATION: “It is a very personal topic for me and for the hundreds of millions of people impacted around the globe who have for years struggled with weight and obesity. This special will bring together medical experts, leaders in the space and people in the day-to-day struggle to talk about health equity and obesity with the intention to ultimately release the shame, judgment and stigma surrounding weight.” – OPRAH WINFREY on her new special “Shame, Blame and The Weight Loss Revolution” premiering March 18 on ABC/Hulu
TC ON TV: March 15 – “Manhunt” (Apple TV+): Carl Franklin (“Devil in a Blue Dress”) directed the first two episodes and is also an executive producer on this seven-part true crime series about the astonishing hunt for John Wilkes Booth in the aftermath of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. “Dream Scenario” (Netflix): Nicholas Cage drew critical acclaim for his portrayal of a hapless family man whose life is upended when he starts appearing in millions of strangers’ dreams. With Tim Meadows. “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More” (Netflix): Wes Anderson’s Oscar-winning short leads this anthology starring Ralph Fiennes, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, Rupert Friend and Richard Ayoade. “Trolls Band Together” (Peacock): The voices of Kenan Thompson, Anderson.Paak, Eric Andre, Daveed Diggs, Kid Cudi, Ron Funches, Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake are featured in this latest franchise installment. “Friday Night Vibes” (TBS): “Blade,” “Blade II” “The Tonight Show” (NBC): “Ghostbusters” Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd & Ernie Hudson
March 16 – “55th NAACP Image Awards” (CBS/BET/VH1/BET Her): Queen Latifah returns to host the ceremony honoring poet/activist Amanda Gorman and New Edition. “Diarra From Detroit” (BET/VH1/BET Her): Diarra Kilpatrick is the creator, executive producer (with Kenya Barris) and star of this series following a divorcing schoolteacher who inadvertently gets pulled into a decades-old mystery involving the Motor City underworld. With Morris Chestnut and Phylicia Rashad.
March 17 – “The Equalizer” (CBS): Mike Epps guests as a former gambling addict assisting McCall on her latest mission. “In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon” (MGM+): A two-part docuseries with never-before-seen footage directed by Oscar winner Alex Gibney called the definitive musical biography of one of the greatest songwriters (and performers) in the history of rock ‘n roll. “Unsung” (TV1): Chuckii Booker “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (HBO): Essence Atkins (“Half & Half,” “Marlon”) is featured in this episode. “Uncensored” (TV1): Ginuwine
March 19 – “Dinner Party Diaries with José Andrés” (Prime/Freevee): A half-hour special spotlighting the James Beard award-winning dynamo, culinary trailblazer and revered philanthropist inviting guests Jamie Lee Curtis, Bryan Cranston and O’Shea Jackson Jr., over for food and conversation. “Brian Simpson: Live from the Mothership” (Netflix): From embracing his inner hater to the rigid rules of masculinity, the comedian goes full throttle in this unfiltered stand-up special directed by Baron Vaughn. “Kelly Clarkson” (Syn): Brian Tyree Henry, Brittany Howard
March 20 – “X-Men ‘97” (Disney+): A revival of the popular ’90s animated series presenting new adventures in the timeline. “The Masked Singer” (Fox): “Billy Joel Night” “Top Chef” (Bravo/Peacock): New host Kristen Kish joins head judge Tom Colicchio and perennial judge Gail Simmons at the judges’ table as they head to the Midwest to call Wisconsin home.
March 21 – “Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told” (Hulu): From executive producers Luke Campbell, Jermaine Dupri and 21 Savage, comes this celebratory exploration of the boisterous times of the iconic Atlanta street party that drew hundreds of thousands of people in the 80s and 90s. Featuring appearances by Lil Jon, Killer Mike, Jalen Rose, Too $hort, Shanti Das, former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, Erick Sermon, CeeLo Green, Rico Wade, Kenny Burns and more. “Road House” (Prime): The 1989 Patrick Swayze classic gets a remake said to ramp up the action. “3 Body Problem” (Netflix) This ambitious sci-fi series from the creatives behind “Lost” and “Game of Thrones” is the streamer’s most expensive production coming in at $20 million per episode … with visuals that prove it.
END QUOTE: “Gonna be a lotta civil casualties no matter who you vote for. When I say Pay Attention, it doesn’t mean I’m making an assumption of who to vote on. I just tell folk stop voting for candidates and expecting them to be Jesus. They ain’t and you best to make them accountable and stop waiting for the news.” – CHUCK D on X
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 attastyclips@yahoo.com, via Twitter @tastyclips, or Instagram @tasty_clips.
