Arts & Lifestyle
Of Interest ...
Noted author coming to A&T
Dr. Peniel Joseph will be the guest speaker for the
annual Gibbs Lecture presented by the Department of
History in conjunction with the University Lyceum
Series at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical
State University.
Dr. Joseph
The lecture. "The 1%0's,
Black History and the Role of
the N.C. A&T Four," will take
place on Monday, April 5 from
6:30-8 p.m. in the auditorium of
the General Classroom
Building. The event is free and
open to the public.
Joseph is author of two crit
ically-acclaimed books, "Dark
Days, Bright Nights: From
Black Power to Barack
Obama" and "Waiting 'Til the
Midnight Hour: A Narrative History of Black Power In
America." He is a professor of history at Tufts
University w hose commentaries on issues of race have
been featured on C-SPAN's Book TV, NPR and the
PBS NewsHour telecast.
"He possesses the ability and the potential to
become perhaps the single-most influential interpreter
of African American life and history of his genera
tion," says Dr. Manning A. Marable, a Columbia
University professor of public affairs, history and
African American studies and one of the country's
leading political scholars.
There w ill be a book signing and reception follow
ing the lecture that will be sponsored by the A&T
Honors Program .
Rapper arrested for
alleged assault on his mother
CLEVELAND (AP) - A rap artist from the group
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony was been arrested during an
Ohio concert on 12-year-old charges that he roughed
up his mother with a gun.
Thirty-six-year-old Stanley Howse ? whose stage
name is Flesh-N-Bone ? was in jail Monday, a day
after he was taken into custody during a show in the
group's hometow n of Cleveland.
Sheriff's spokesman John O'Brien says deputies
didn't wait until after the show because Howse seemed
to notice them, invited audience members to the stage
and tried to slip out. He was arrested backstage.
O'Brien says Howse was wanted on domestic vio
lence and felonious assault charges. The rapper is
accused of striking his mother with a gun in 1998,
leaving a I -inch (2.5-centimeter) gash on her head.
Faculty art show opens at WSSU
"Views from Our World: Works by the WSSU Art
Faculty" has opened at Diggs Gallery on the Winston
Salem State University campus. It will run through
May 8.
As part of the exhibition, there will be a faculty
panel followed by a
reception on
Tuesday, April 13 at
6 p.m.. that is free
and open to the pub
lic.
These "views"
include representa
tions of themselves
and others as seen in
the oil portraits by
Juie Rattley and Al
Dean Landscape
paintings by Justine
Linville and photo
Three Dogs in Venice by
Scott Betz
graphs by Alison Fleming and Ginger Williamson pro
vide numerous reflections of how they see the natural
world Paintings by James Huff and Marvette Aldrich,
along with draw ings by Thomas Tucker, exemplify the
manner in which artists interpret and analyze ideas and
objects Prints by Scott Betz and films by Christine
Kirouac reveal worlds created by artists with vastly
different effects. Images of the KP Urban Art
Environment by Tammv Evans detail the efforts to
transform vacant property in a blighted area of Detroit
into a place for the community to gather, garden and
display art works Finally, installation pieces by Leo
Morrissey. created in collaboration with both his stu
dents and musician Tom Judson. reveal how an artist
places himself into different environments and
responds to outside forces.
Harrah's Cherokee Casino
plans renovations, additions
Harrah's Cherokee Casino & Hotel has unveiled
plans for a new 3 jOOO-seat Events Center, makmg it the
leading concert, events and entertainment venue in the
region. Opening celebrations are scheduled for Labor
Day Weekend 2010.
Hosting top-tier talent across all musical genres,
the Events Center will have three levels with four VIP
suites, box seating and more than 1 .000 balcony seats.
Modular seating will be used for conventions, sports
programming, catering and special events with access
to a full banquet kitchen
Concession areas will be located oo all floors, and
LCD screens will be strategically placed throughout
the pre-function area.
The Center is just one of the projects underway as
part of the property's $633 million expansion.
Scheduled for completion in 2012. the expansion will
add a third tower to the hotel/casino, with 532 luxury
guest rooms and suites
Harrah's Cherokee Casino & Hotel, an enterprise
of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation, is located
50 miles west of Asheville at the entrance to the Great
Smoky Mountains National Park.
Photo by VanderVccn Phtrtographen.
Cassandra Lowe Williams as Waters. Also pictured is George A. Pass II.
Ethel Waters musical
hitting Triad Stage
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
Triad Stage (232 South Elm St. in
Greensboro) will begin its production of "Ethel
Waters: His Eye Is on the Sparrow" on April 1 1 .
The musical will run through May 2.
Written by Larry Parr, the one-woman
biography tells the story of the rise of
the legendary singer, who came from
the slums of Philadelphia. Donna
Baldwin-Bradby directs the produc
tion, while Cassandra Lowe Williams
soars in the title role. George A. Pass
II serves as the production's music
director and shares the stage with
Williams as the piano player.
"Ethel Waters: His Eye Is on the
Sparrow" was commissioned by
r?i : o. i: _ ti : _ c
nuriua atuuiu i ncairc in ^aiasoia as
part of its New Play Development Program and
premiered in 2005. It is the third in a trilogy of
one-person shows written by Parr about influen
tial African-American women in show business
that began in 1991 with "Hi-Hat Hattie," about
Hattie McDaniel and continued in 1996 with
"My Castle's Rockin'," about singer Alberta
Hunter. Parr first discovered Waters when he was
given a copy of her biography by a friend in high
school.
"1 loved Ethel Waters when I was a kid. It
Ethel Waters
seemed to me she would be my ideal mother or
grandmother," said Parr. 'As I learned more
about her, I was astounded that someone who
came from such an awful beginning, and who
grew up in such a horrible situation with no one
to love her could rise to such magnifi
cent stardom and become such a
strong symbol of faith. How did this
happen? Well, that's a story I wanted
to tell."
From a childhood as a thief and
unwilling bride. Waters became a
Vaudeville success, a recording sensa
tion and a Broadway and Hollywood
star. Then a reputation for being diffi
cult and her own distrust made her a
recluse until she found a purpose
beyond herself as a performer w ith the
Billy Oraham Crusades. I hrough it all. there
were the songs, the ones that gave her strength
and the ones that made her a legend. Tunes like
"Stormy Weather" and "Am I Blue?" will be
among those performed in the show.
The Opening Night w ill be Friday. April 16.
Tickets for preview performances on April II,
13, 14 and 15 are all $16 each. From Opening
Night, single ticket prices range from $10 to $42.
Call the Triad Stage Box Office at 336-272-0160
or toll-free at 866-579-TIXX (8499), or visit
www.triadstage.org.
Chris Bonner will be among
the performers.
Recital
to feature
talented
vocalists
sraciALta rat chkowki ;
Winston-Salem State
University students Chris
Bonner, Jared Martin. Kierre
Lindsay and Brandon Gaines
will perform their Senior
Recital on Tuesday. April 6.
The 7 p.m. show, which is
free and open to the public,
will take place on the WSSU
campus in the Dillard
Auditorium of the Anderson
Center
Each of the young men
have established themselves
among the city's premier
vocalists. The recital will
display the tenors' wide
range as they perform classi
cal pieces by Stefano
Donaudy. Giacomo Puccini,
Claude Debussy, Ernest
Chausson and Hugo Wolf:
Broadway standards by Jerry
Leiber and Frank Loessor;
and R&B hits by Ben E
King, Stevie Wonder and
John Stephens. The singers
are also expected to perform
spirituals by composers such
as Mark Hayes .and Lena J
Mclin.
First Lady Honored
PRNewsFofiVNickciodeon/OfTiciai White House photo by Samanthd Applet or
First iMdy Michelle Obama accepts a special Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award
over the weekend. She earned the honor for her work combating childhood
obesity. Although the First Lady did not make it to the live taping of the show
in Los Angeles, she taped a special thank you message from the Waldorf
Astoria Hotel in New York.
Rapper signs on to tout Census
C HRONICLE STAFF REPORT ^
Rapper/actor Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges has joined an effort to encourage African
Americans to fill out their 2010 Census questionnaires.
The "Luda on the Block" promotion will feature the rapper in radio and Web site pro
motions. Me win also visii live cities to per
sonally encourage blacks to take part in the
Census.
"I look at our communities now and I see
many empty lots, closed clinics, dilapidated
schools and an overall breakdown of social
services for the poor and elderly." says
Ludacns. "Today is a day for change. 1 plan
to knock on doors in various neighborhoods
around this country to try and dispel any
myths about the Census. It's important that
we all stand up and be counted so we can
help create potential financial opportunities
for our dying communities." -
Ludacns was brought on board by Christopher "l.udacris" Bridges
Globalhue. an advertising agency that spe
cializes in cultural-based marketing, which has been hired to tout the importance of the
Census, which helps decides how many federal dollars are allocated to communities for
key services such as education and job training
A particular focus for Globalhue and Ludacns are single black males, who tend to be
the most undercounted in the African American community.
Ludacns began his five-city tour on March 19 in Dallas. He also stopped in New
Orleans on March 23. The rapper will next hit New York (April 5). Washington. D.C.( Apnl
6) and Atlanta on Apnl 9.
N.C. History
Museum opens
Boy Scouts exhibit
CHRONIC I I STAR Kl PORT
The Museum of History in Raleigh has
opened an exhibit commemorating the centennial
anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America.
"Scouting" has been developed by the
Raleigh-based Occoneechee Council of the Boy
Scouts. The exhibit, which is free and open to the
public, offers a glimpse of the Boy Scouts' past
ana firings it r
to the present, k
Visitors N
will see items
ranging from
a 1910 Boy
Scout uniform
and handbook
to numerous
award- win
ning
p i n e w o o d
derby cars
made by cur
rent members.
The exhibit
explores sev
eral of
S c o u t i n 2 ' s
more popular elements and themes, including
high adventure, the Order of the Arrow, pinewood
derbies, duty to God and country, volunteerism,
uniforms, and notable Eagle Scouts.
Other items from past decades include an offi
cial Boy Scout cook kit. patches, pocketknives
and canteens. Among the photographs is a 1913
image of the first Boy Scout troop in Raleigh
Nearby is the 1926 charter establishing Durham's
first troop.
Video components in "Scouting" show con
trasting footage of local summer camp activities
in the 1940s and modem Scouts taking advantage
of abundant opportunities, whether it's rock
climbing, snorkeling. sailing or volunteering in
the community. The exhibit also features an inter
active knot-tying station.
"Scouting" will remain open throughout the
summer. The N.C. Museum of History is located
at 5 E Edenton St.. across from the State Capitol.
Reservations are required for groups of 10 or
more. To schedule a reservation, call the Capital
Area Visitor Center at 919-807-7950 or toll-free
at H66-724-HM7.