. ENTERTAINMENT r"
THE QUmOTTE POST
—-— _ Thursday, May 13. 1982 - THE CHARLOTTE POST - Page IB
Richard Simmons
Will Give Two ~
Exadse Concerts
Who is behind that inspirational
force that gets women, men and
children touching their toes and'
stretching their limbs as early as 9
a m. every weekday morning on
—WSOC TV, Channel 9?
That person is a success pheno
menon called Richard Simmons
and get ready Charlotte, he’s
.coming to town.
Simmons will be giving two ex
ercise concerts at the Charlotte
Civic Center Saturday, May 22.
Sponsored by WSOC-TV, Belk
Stores and the Mecklenburg
County Medical Auxiliary, the con
certs will be conducted at 1 and 4
pm. The ticket proceeds will go to
benefit the Charlotte Rehabilita
tion Hospital. Tickets are $6 and
are available at all Belk Stores in
Charlotte, Albemarle, Concord and
Salisbury.
Simmons, who has struggled
with a weight problem in the past,
shares his exercise and diet se
crets to millions everyday on his
television program-“The Richard
Simmons Show”-weekdays at 9
a.m. on Channel 9. The program is
an inspirational mix of humor and
seriousness and includes every
thing from entertaining skits to the
delicious recipe of the day and of
course the exercises-with Richard
making slimming down look easy.
And on May 22, he will show
Charlotte.
l oly gram Releases
Two Hit Singles
PolyGram Records will release
the single "Back to School Again,"
sung by Casablanco-PolyGram re
cording artists The Four Tops,
and the theme to the upcoming
Paramount film, “Grease 2.”
“Grease 2” is the sequal to one of
the best loved and most successtUi
stage and screen musicals of all
time, "Grease,” and the forth
coming soundtrack album is the
heir in spirit to the ten million
selling “Grease” soundtrack
album.
"Grease 2” stars Maxwell Caul
field and Michelle Pfeiffer, and is
produced by Robert Stigwood and
allan Carr, the producers of the
original “Grease,” and directed by
Patricia Birch, the original cho
reographer for "Gfease” on
Broadway. The soundtrack LP
features musical performances by
Caulfield, Pfeiffer, Tab Hunter and
other members of the cast as well
as The Four Tops, and was
produced by Louis St. Louis, the
musical director of "Grease” on
Broadway and the author of the
song “Sandy,” sung by John Tra
volta on the first "Grease” sound
track. St. Louis contributes five
original songs to "Grease 2.”
—jsaa _-___
OBBA BABA TUISDE
—Self-taught singer
latent Is Die Liquid That Pours Into Him
Obba Babatunde h “Like A Pitcher!”
By Loretta Manago
Post Staff Writer
Obba Babatunde is like a pitcher
and talent is the liquid that pours
into him with so much abundance
that Obba Babatunde overflows
with the ability to do not only one
thing exceptionally well but
several other things as well.
A self-taught singer, actor,
dancer, musician Obba Babatunde
has been stunning audiences
everywhere with the magnetism of
his talents. Masters of the enter
tainment industry have praised
him with such compliments as
“...an. outstanding performer”
and “...one of the best dancers of
the business.”
Although young in years Baba
tunde is no stranger to the work
involved in professional entertain
ment. Nor is he unaccustomed to
hearing applause from audiences
that say to him his work has not
been in vain.
Babatunde was only six years
old when he began staging song
and dance numbers for family and
friends. Throughout school Baba
tunde was constantly Involved with
music, drama and choral produc
tions. By the time he was M
Babatunde was playing eight to ten
brass instruments.
Already charting his path for the
direction he’d had chosen for him
self Babatunde received his first
professional job touring the West
Indies with the Metropolitan Brass
Ensemble while still a teenager.
In order to get a smooth mix
ture of first-hand musical experi
ence and book knowledge of his
other interests, the theater,
Babatunde enrolled in a Brooklyn
College where he majored in
Speech and Theatre.
Babatunde's diversified inter
ests have allowed him the oppor
tunity to develop his other talents.
During his professional career
Babatunde has performed with the
Negro Ensemble Company,
National Black Theatre, Afro
American Total Theatre and
several national touring compan
ies. He was lead male dancer and
choreographer for the Internation
al Afrikan-American Ballet, after
which he wrote and directed
musicals for the New York State
Children’s Theatre. He was
offered a part in the movie "Short
Eyes" as an undercover police
man and he shared the stage with
Leslie Uggams and Richard
Roundtree in the touring company
of “Guys and Dolls." When six
principal roles in musicals for
Broadway were offered to him
Babatunde chose "Timbuktu!"
"Timbuktu!” more than any
other production gave Babatunde
the chance to showcase several of
his skills. He acted as a consult
ant in West African folklore and
music as well as writing and
playing instruments in two of the
charts used in the show: he created
the character Chakaba, on stilts,
and gave memorial performances
in the "Antelope Ballet" and other
dances throughout the play.
Chosen over 60 competitors from
across the country Babatunde
began a world tour with Liza
Minelli in 1978. He sung and danced
with Ms. Minelli in several num
bers throughout the show and took
the spotlight during his solo," Mr.
Cellophane.”
New sights and higher heights is
the fuel that keeps Babatunde's
ambitions burning. He will star in
a new Braodway musical called
“Reggae" with Calvin Lockhart
and Phillip Thomas. Babatunde is
a man without stereotypes. He
accomplishes it all.
Mint Museum
Schedules Five
One-Act Plavs
J
Original one-act plays -- writ
ten by Charlotte playwrights -- star
in the Golden Circle Theatre
during the month of May
Mint Museum Theatre Guild
members will present two week
ends of original one-act plays May
14. 15, 21 and 22 at 8 p.m in the
Golden Circle Theatre. 501 Hemp
stead Place Tickets are $2 for '
each evening’s performance
Two one-acts will be presented at
each performance May 14 and 15
“Baby Talk." written by Judy
Cook and directed by Lydia Gry
bos, has a cast of five Pauline
Niilend. Bonnie Cook. Judy Flet
cher. Dandy Saville. and Susanne
Dean. “Matador. Adios." written
by Mark Gilbert and directed by
Sandy Queen, is a 20 minute
monologue delivered by Dean
Whitworth.
On May 21 and 22. three one
act plays will be presented each
evening. '•Strategy." written by
John Thompson and directed by
Phyllis Van Cleave, has a cast oi
two - Vaughn Olinger and Rudy
Thompson "Lou Gehrig Did Not
Die of Cancer," written by Jason
Miller and directed by Dan Shoe
maker, features Barbara Hird and
Paula Tinsley. “Miri," written by
Lie Steele and directed by Mary
Coyne, has a cast of five: Sandy
Queen, John Brewer, Mindy
Asrael, Phil Cutrell and Ted
Levine
The five one-act plays, acted and
directed by Mint Museum Theatre
Guild members, are presented
under the supervision of Marilyn
Carter, Artistic Director for the
Department of Performing Arts of
the Mint Museum. Proceeds bene
fit the Dorothy Masterson Scho
larship Fund to assist deserving
students with tuition for acting
classes taught at the Mint
Dalian
J.R. uses his power to try and
force the Farlows to stop protect
ing Sue Ellen and John Ross, on a
rebroadcast of "Dallas." Friday.
May 14 at 9 p.m. on WBTV
Channel 3.
Unknown to J.R., Sue Ellen s
relationship with Dusty is already
being adversely affected by his
feelings of inadequacy Bobby is
having troubles of his own. Pam
has a life-threatening emotional
breakdown and he has to deal with
a possible extortionist after re
ceiving a baffling piece of mail.
Cliff Barnes' new role as head of
Wentworth Tool and Die does not
sit well with his new-found half
sister, Katherine, and Mitch con
siders a new approach to his
medical career in the hope of
getting Lucy back