By Bill Vaughan
Entertainment Writer
Rocky Carroll, now in his 15th season of starring as Leon Vance on the CBS hit drama “NCIS,” will return to his live theater roots when he stars in the Los Angeles premiere of the late August Wilson’s autobiographical solo show, “How I Learned What I Learned,” April 15 at Los Angeles Theatre Center.
After the one-night-only performance, he will participate in a 25th anniversary retrospective/prospective, hosted by executive producer Charles Floyd Johnson, discussing the 1998 Town Hall “African American Theater – The Next Stage: Los Angeles,” which was convened by Wilson, African Grove Institute for the Arts Executive Director Victor Leo Walker II, and several of their Black Theater Network colleagues.
The event is free to the public, but reservations are required through www.EventBrite.com.
Carroll, already established on the New York theater scene with Joe Papp’s New York Shakespeare Festival, was introduced to the works of Wilson in 1987 as an original cast member of the playwright’s Pulitzer Prize-winner, “The Piano Lesson.”
In 1990 Carroll was nominated for Tony and Drama Desk Awards for his performance in the Broadway production. In the summer of 2005, he starred in a national tour of Wilson’s final original play, “Radio Golf.”
“Working with August Wilson was a privilege and a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” says Carroll, who transitioned to TV’s “Roc,” and “Chicago Hope.” “There’s a good reason he became one of America’s most successful playwrights. Not only do his plays portray the Black experience in a manner that few other writers have, but they are universal in the way they capture the characteristics of the human condition that we all share.”
SEPIA CINEMA: MGM+ has given the go ahead to “Hollywood Black,” a four-part docuseries based on the book chronicling a century of the Black experience in movies by historian Donald Bogle. Forest Whitaker is an executive producer with Justin Simien (“Dear White People”) directing.
“Hollywood, like many American industries, was built on Black culture and Black talent, even though it excluded Black people from many of its origin stories,” Simien said. “This series seeks to illuminate present-day controversies, from #OscarSoWhite to the almost regular ‘blackface reveal’ of prominent white celebrities, told through the lens of Black individuals throughout Hollywood history. It’s the most important story I’ve been able to tell to date on such a large scale, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to tell it with this team.”
TICKET ALERT: The second Blue Note Jazz Festival Napa announced the full lineup for this year’s edition, and it is a winner! Grammy Award-winner Robert Glasper curates and Dave Chappelle hosts the event July 28-30 at Silverado Resort (bluenotejazz.com).
Scheduled for the three stages are acts as diverse as Mary J. Blige, Nas, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Digable Planets, Ari Lennox, Big Freedia, Cordae, NxWorries (Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge), Gary Clark Jr., Talib Kweli &Madlib, PJ Morton, Rakim & DJ Jazzy Jeff, Cory Henry, Me’shell Ndegeocello, The Soul Rebels featuring Keyon Harrold, Taylor McFerrin & Marcus Gilmore with Bobby McFerrin, Rapsody, Derrick Hodge, Frédéric Yonnet and others.
9th Wonder, DJ Trauma, and DJ Pee .Wee (.Paak’s alter ego) will spin at the after parties.
Paisley Park has set June 8-11 as the dates for the seventh edition of the “Prince Celebration” at his famed Minneapolis studio and facility. The annual gathering (through paisleypark.com) offers live music, celebrity panels, in-studio recording sessions, and special opportunities to see and hear historical Prince performances. If they are smart, someone will make a call to get funky, Nashville-based multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Jarrod Lawson on the bill. His astounding new remake of “I Would Die 4 U” is fire! Check YouTube if you don’t believe, or just to vibe.
“This is a very special song to me as I have vivid memories of riding around in the car with my mother as a child and singing along to this song,” Lawson says. “It’s kinda always been my favorite amongst Prince’s vast catalog of sonic gems. This coupled with the fact that I just happened to have been in attendance at the Fox Theater in Atlanta for the ‘purple one’s’ final performance before his untimely departure, compelled me to work up a proper tribute to this unquestionable genius that the world was forever changed by.”
TASTY QUIP: “I love Donkey. They did the Puss in Boots movies. I was like, ‘They should have done a Donkey movie. Donkey is funnier than Puss in Boots!’ I mean, I love Puss in Boots but he ain’t as funny as the Donkey. I would do a Donkey movie. I would do another Shrek, in two seconds. – EDDIE MURPHY whose wish is about to come true, to Etalk, before Disney’s announcement of a Donkey spin-off film and new “Shrek.”
CLIPPETTES: John Mayer – Solo is at The Forum April 14, while The 5th Dimension bring their hits to the Saban Theatre…
“Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive” comes April 15 to Costa Mesa’s Segerstrom Center, as bassist Victor Wooten plays Anaheim’s House of Blues …
London singer Bakar hits The Novo April 17 …
Prolific author Tananarive Due is in conversation April 18 with Lynell George promoting “The Wishing Pool and Other Stories” at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena …
Blondie rocks out The Greek April 19, while African singer/songwriter/guitarist Fatoumata Diawara comes to Inglewood’s Miracle Theater …
TASTY QUIP: “When I wrote ‘All Night Long’ it was truly all night long. Now my ‘all night long’ is down to a fierce 15 minutes.” – 73-year-old music legend LIONEL RICHIE while promoting “American Idol.”
TC ON TV: April 14 – “Weathering” (Netflix): Alfre Woodard and Jermaine Fowler are in this thriller that marks the writing and directorial debut of actress Megalyn Echikunwoke (“CSI: Miami”). “Cocaine Bear” (Peacock): Streaming premiere of the outrageously (semi-) true story. “Jennifer Hudson” (Syn): Stephen A. Smith “Blindspotting” (Starz): The series, co-created by Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal who stars alongside Jasmine Cephas Jones and Helen Hunt, returns. “Next at The Kennedy Center” (PBS): “Ballet Hispánico’s Doña Perón” presents an explosive portrait of Argentinian leader Eva “Evita” Perón. “A Black Lady Sketch Show” (HBO): Robin Thede’s award-winning series returns. “Coachella” (YouTube): Streaming this weekend and next with sets by Frank Ocean, Bad Bunny, Gorillaz, Burna Boy, Idris Elba and more.
April 15 – “Drunk, Driving, and 17” (Lifetime): Michael Michele (“Dynasty,” “ER“) is featured in this film inspired by true events about the tragic consequences of underage drinking and social hosting. “Saturday Night Life” (NBC): Ana de Armas hosts musical guest Karol G.
April 16 – “Alex Vs America” (Food): Chef Alex Guarnaschelli returns to take on James Beard winners in the opener. Afterwards, her new show “Welcome To Ciao House” premieres. “Naked and Afraid” (Discovery): Black survivalists are paired in this unique episode. “Unsung” (TV1): “Best In Black: Film Pioneers” “Uncensored” (TV1): Sheryl Lee Ralph “Queen Collective” (BET/BET Her): The series focusing a spotlight on the works of upcoming Black women filmmakers concludes with Imani Dennison’s “Bone Black: Midwives vs. The South” and “Founder Girls.”
April 17 – “AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange” (World Channel): “Bill Traylor: Chasing Ghosts” looks at the work and life of the artist born into slavery who began painting in his 80s — when he was indigent and crippled — to create one of the largest known bodies of drawn and painted images chronicling Black life in Alabama and the American South in the 19th and 20th centuries. “That’s My Jam” (NBC): Simu Liu & Halle Bailey vs. Chloe Bailey & Adam Lambert
April 19 – “Chimp Empire” (Netflix): Mahershala Ali narrates this immersive nature documentary following a vast community of chimpanzees thriving in a Ugandan forest. “The Mandalorian” (Disney+): The season finale is expected to bring back Giancarlo Esposito’s villainous Moff Gideon. “Pretty Stoned” (MTV): A stoner comedy with a female-led cast including Brandee Evans (“P-Valley”), Jess Hilarious, Kandi Burruss-Tucker and Portia Williams. “Snowfall” (FX): The drug saga, co-created by the late John Singleton, comes to an end after six seasons. Producer/star Damson Idris and writer/producer Walter Mosley will participate in a free screening April 20 at the Ray Stark Family Theatre. Admission is free but reservations are required at visionsandvoices.usc.edu.
April 20 – “Nick Cannon Presents: Wild ‘N Out” (VH1): “Battle of Sexes” with Nelly, Angela Simmons and Jermaine Dupri. “The Best of All The Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson” (SHO): Charles Barkley
END QUOTE: “We’re all going to get older. Our skin is going to shrivel up and we’re going to look different. I see things changing with my face and body, but I’ve never put all my eggs in that basket. I’ve always known that beauty is deeper than the physical body you’re walking around in.” – HALLE BERRY
As featured in the Los Angeles Wave and Independent, Tasty Clips is one of the leading entertainment columns in the nation, serving nearly 1 million weekly readers. Bill Vaughan may be reached at tastyclips@yahoo.com, via Twitter @tastyclips, or Instagram @tasty_clips.
