Courtesy photo
By Bill Vaughan
Entertainment Writer
We know Margaret Avery from her volume of work in the television and film industries, but the beloved performer developed her skills in the early 1970s in Los Angeles plays including “Revolution,” “Sistuhs” and 1973’s “Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?,” the last for which she nabbed the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award.
As such, it is wonderfully appropriate that she will be co-hosting along with actor/playwright Ted Lange the opening night champagne gala and awards ceremony for the 32nd annual Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival on March 27 at Hollywood’s Barnsdall Gallery Theatre.
Her chops in plays led to a film career during the “Blaxploitation” era with roles in 1972’s “Cool Breeze” and 1973’s “Hell Up in Harlem.”
“We were all stage actors, most of us,” Avery said of the period. “So, we finally got an opportunity to do film. We fit the budget also. It was such low budget filmmaking, and I was so green I didn’t know what we should be making for pay. It was after the fact that I found that we actually saved the movie industry at the time because it was really down.”
“We call it Blaxploitation because they exploited us,” she added. “It was the writers, the producers, the directors. They were all white and they showed everything in the Black community, who were so ecstatic about seeing us and their images on film. So that was the exploitation.”
“And so, when Taraji [P. Henson] talks about being tired of fighting for her money, I understand it. Because sometimes you feel like the people in control think that we should still be grateful for the opportunity, and this isn’t the 70s anymore. You’re dealing with actors who have won awards and not just from the Black community, but from an interracial, big, big community and so we should be getting the same pay that they pay the whites.”
Avery moved into TV roles on series such as “Sanford and Son,” and “Harry O;” and movies “Louis Armstrong – Chicago Style” with Ben Vereen, and “Scott Joplin” with Billy Dee Williams before a screen stealing turn in the 1977 Richard Pryor film “Which Way is Up?”
“I was hoping that that would be my springboard to get into comedy,” she said of her raucous performance, “but there was nothing there so once ‘The Color Purple’ came out, I was stuck in drama.”
It is that role as the “the drug-riddled, fly-by-night singer Shug Avery” in the Steven Spielberg adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel (earning her an Academy Award nomination for “Best Supporting Actress”) that she is most proud of.
“I worked the hardest on it too,” Avery said. “Gained 30 pounds in 30 days but it was all muscle. The 30 pounds extra I have on me now is fat. I’m grateful I had the opportunity to do ‘The Color Purple’ because I was working in television for 20 years at that time. [It] gave me the opportunity to work all these decades,” including recurring parts in the BET series “Being Mary Jane” and the current Netflix comedy series “Man on the Inside” starring Ted Danson.
For more information about LA Women’s Theatre Festival, go to lawtf.org or call 818 760-0408.
TICKET WATCH: The Black Promoters Collective have announced the once-in-a-lifetime event called “The Queens! 4 Legends. 1 Stage.” uniting icons Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight and Stephanie Mills. The first leg of the 11-city tour kicks off May 9 in Las Vegas with Los Angeles set for May 11. The presale begins at 10 a.m. March 20 at BlackPromotersCollective.com and to the public on March 21 at 10 a.m. via BPCTickets.com.
TASTY QUIP: “Not going back to [En Vogue]. Should’a stayed gone when they wrongly terminated me the first time. Going viral recently just opened the door for the RIGHT opportunities for me.” – Former group member DAWN ROBINSON who has caused a stir with the admission that she has been living out of her car by choice for the last three years
CLIPPETTES: Le Frique Sonique Presents Eternal Ubiquity: Celebrating The Life and Vibes of Roy Ayers at the Moroccan Lounge on March 21 as Smokey Robinson proceeds with his Legacy Tour at Pechanga Resort, and Ron Carter’s “Foresight” Quartet continues their engagement with three more nights at Catalina Bar and Grill …
The Altadena Library reopens March 22 at 10 a.m. with a special event featuring activities, food, music and LeVar Burton reading from his book, “The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm” …
Later that evening, the R&B Invitation Tour with Joe, Musiq Soulchild and Eric Benet comes to the Paramount Theatre; the Isley Brothers and El DeBarge play YouTube Theater; and the Freestyle Festival with Stevie B, Exposé, Trinere, Shannon, Tone Loc, The Cover Girls, Robin S., Crystal Waters, Brenda K. Starr, Egyptian Lover, Mellow Man Ace and many more hits Toyota Arena …
Debbie Allen is partnering with world-class choreographers including LaurieAnn Gibson to provide free community dance classes for fire-impacted children and families on March 23 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Wallis’ Lovelace Studio Theater. All levels are welcome from children 9 years and up to adults, beginners to experienced movers …
In addition, Jazz In Compton with Katalyst, Yoda Jones, Dwight Trible and more will be held at Unity Christian Fellowship with proceeds going to families affected by the Altadena fires. The date also finds comic Ron Funches: Funchadelic at the Hollywood Improv …
Filmmaker Julie Dash joins curator LeRonn Brooks and directors Bryant Griffin and Kitty Hu on March 26 at the Getty Center for a night celebrating the L.A. Rebellion — the Black, Asian, Chicano and Native American artists and filmmakers who emerged from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television following the Watts Uprising in 1965. The screening and Q&A is free with an advance RSVP at Getty.edu or 310 440-7300 …
Also, harpist and composer Brandee Younger is booked for an intimate evening of jazz at The Sun Rose.
TASTY QUIP: “In the past 20 years, we’ve been living through the death of the American male. They have literally killed masculinity in our homes and our communities for one reason or another. But I raised my boys to be young men. And however you feel about that, you feel about that. But my boys will always be respectful, they’ll always say ‘yes sir, yes ma’am. No sir, no ma’am.’ They will always say thank you. They will always open the door for a lady. They will always make sure that their mother is taken care of and provided for.” – ANTHONY MACKIE to “The Pivot”
TC ON TV: March 21 – “Wicked” (Peacock): The smash adaptation hits streaming with the original version and an alternate one for sing-alongs. “Sing Sing” (MAX): In this stirring true story, Colman Domingo, in his Academy Award nominated role, stars as the falsely imprisoned Divine G, who finds purpose by acting in a theater group alongside other incarcerated men. “GMA3” (ABC): Wyclef Jean “Tamron Hall” (Syn): Tatyana Ali “The Jennifer Hudson Show” (Syn): SZA
March 22 – “Single Black Female 3: The Final Chapter” (Lifetime): Raven Goodwin, Amber Riley and K. Michelle reprise their roles from the previous thrillers with Porsha Williams (“Real Housewives of Atlanta”) joining the cast.
March 23 – “David Blaine Do Not Attempt” (NGC): This six-part series follows the world-renowned magician and endurance artist on a jaw-dropping journey through extraordinary cultures to meet fellow performers and masters. “United States of Scandal with Jake Tapper” (CNN): “Anita Hill”
March 24 – “The Bachelor” (ABC): Grant Ellis makes his choice in this 29th season finale followed by the reunion show. “All American” (CW): Dawn Wilkinson directed this homecoming episode guest-starring Steve Harris (“BMF”) titled “Squabble Up.”
March 26 – “Mufasa: The Lion King” (Disney+): Barry Jenkins’ live-action adaptation with music by Lin-Manuel Miranda and the voices of Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Thandiwe Newton, Keith David, Donald Glover, Blue Ivy Carter and Beyoncé arrives to home screens. “The Grudge” (Vice): A new series taking viewers inside sports’ fiercest rivalries kicking off with Kobe Bryant vs. Shaquille O’Neal.
March 27 – “Survival of the Thickest” (Netflix): The comedy starring Michelle Buteau with Tasha Smith and Tone Bell returns adding guest roles for Deon Cole, Tika Sumpter, Anderson. Paak, Issa Rae and others. “Soul of a Sister” (BET+): Paula Jai Parker and Eric Bellinger are featured in this movie about a fallen singer who 10 years later rises up one more time with the help of a special friend and her God-given gift of voice.
END QUOTE: “I think we need to organize ourselves in some kind of an underground way the way Republicans have been doing for years and don’t publicize what we’re doing. We have to have some leadership and get organized. I don’t think leaving our country is the answer. We deserve to be here. We made this country. This is our country. It’s not going to be roses just to run to another country. You’ll have the same problems that you have here.” – MARGARET AVERY
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.
