From EurWeb

Tony Award nominee Condola Rashad will star opposite Orlando Bloom in a new Broadway run of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, but this time the bitter divide between the Montagues and Capulets will be underscored by their different ethnicities.

Five-time Tony nominee David Leveaux will direct the staging, also set to feature Jayne Houdyshell (Follies) as Juliet’s Nurse, and Joe Morton (Raisin) as her father, Lord Capulet, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The production will begin previews August 24 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, with official opening set for Sept. 19. Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy was last presented on Broadway in 1977.

Check out the details of this modern project on Eurweb.com.

Source: WENN

“When one door closes, another one opens” is probably a philosophy that actress Vanessa Williams is well acquainted with these days. Last month we reported that ABC made the decision to pull the plug on her television drama 666 Park Avenue due to the show’s plummeting ratings, which sort of left the actress unemployed. Luckily for Vanessa, she’s a hot commodity who rarely goes without a gig for too long.

According to The Grio, the 49-year-old actress has just been signed to star in a Broadway play entitled “The Trip to Bountiful” alongside Cicely Tyson, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Condola Rashad. The play, which will be directed by Michael Wilson is referred to as the “revival” of two-time Oscar winner, Horton Foote’s original play, which explores the topics of acceptance and returning home. The play made its Broadway debut in 1953 and was turned into a film in 1985. What is interesting is that similar to A Streetcar Name Desire, this play is being sort of redone by African American actors that will star in roles that have traditionally been played by White actors.

USA Today is reporting that Cuba and Vanessa will be playing the son and daughter-in-law of Cicely, who’s role is that of an elderly woman who is seeking to revisit her small hometown in Texas.

“The Trip to Bountiful” will only be on Broadway for a limited time, fourteen weeks to be exact. Previews will begin March 31, 2013 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre and is scheduled to open April 23, 2013.

This is great news. It’s great to see how Vanessa Williams always bounces back and I am excited to Condola Rashad progressing in her career as an actress. She did such an amazing job in Steel Magnolias.

What do you think of Black actors and actresses starring in remakes of plays and movies that originally had predominately White casts? Willing you be going to see the play once it opens in April?

Jazmine Denise is a news writer for madamenoire.com. Follow her on Twitter @jazminedenise

Source: blogs.indiewire.com

By the time Stick Fly completed its two plus month run on Broadway last year, critics had expressed varied opinions about the play. Some said likened the play about a emotional and drama-filled weekend at Martha’s Vineyard to a soap opera; while others, like myself, felt it adequately touched on issues of race, class, wealth and family dysfunction pretty well. I know it kept me engrossed and Condola Rashad was nominated for a Tony for her performance. You know, everything ain’t for everybody.

Luckily,  someone felt strongly enough about Lydia Diamond’s work to turn it into an HBO movie.

Just like the play, Alicia Keys will produce, alongside Nettie Nugent as well as the people at HBO. Though Diamond and Keys are still on board, there’s no word on whether or not the cast will come along and how the final product will look once it comes to television.

Did you see Stick Fly on Broadway? If not, do you plan to check it on HBO?

Source

It’s fall! So away with the bright colors and let’s bring out all the clothing with character! That’s right, I’m talking about all things–dresses, jackets and more–that are embellished to the nines. These ladies got beaded and braided up in their ensembles this week, and the results? Well, that’s up to you and your fashion sense. Let’s proceed.

Getty

Diddy’s girl Cas-boogie showed up for Paper Magazine’s 8th Annual Nightlife Awards in NYC wearing this leather mini-dress that definitely turned heads. The leather Balmain shirtdress was embellished with ornate beading and stitching, a high collar. The gold, black and white combination was paired with strappy gold and black heels.  The hair was in a side ponytail that was bumped in the back (and made uber cute with a bang), and she accessorized with gold bangles and a watch. I absolutely love this look! And that includes the makeup and the hair (good to see that half-shaven ish finally being covered up). It’s a laid back type of outfit in the fact that it’s a simple shirtdress, but with the leather and all the ornaments, it works for the event. Steal!

Getty

Anybody else excited about the Steel Magnolias remake? Initially, I wasn’t, being that I’m not a fan of remakes, especially ones of really, really good movies. But I’m always down to support the sistahs! Especially Queen La. Latifah, who is a producer for the Lifetime remake, has released promotional pictures of all the ladies dolled up. The movie is set to debut on the Lifetime Network on October 7, and stars not only Queen Latifah (as M’Lynn), but Alfre Woodard (as Ouiser), Phylicia Rashad (as Clairee), Jill Scott (as Truvy), Condola Rashad, Phylicia’s daughter (as Shelby) and Adepero Oduye, of Pariah fame (as Annelle). Check them out:

That hair on Queen = FRESH. She looks like she stepped straight out of a CoverGirl ad.

As pretty as that blue dress is on Alfre, she looks stunning in this gold gown.

Work Adepero! And the hair is looking wonderful as well. Can a sistah get some product recommendations please?

Both Phylicia and Condola look beautiful. And Condola is her father’s twin (Ahmad Rashad)!

Heeeeeey Jilly, girl! Looking good!

So are you excited about the remake? Will you be tuning in?

*Photos courtesy of Gossipwelove.com and Mylifetime.com.

More on Madame Noire!

• #RealTalk: The Reasons Why You Attract Douchebags
• A Note On Overanxious People Who Like To Blow Other Folk’s Relationships Up: Can We Live?!
• Are We As A People Really Better Off Now Than Four Years Ago?
• Nene Has Some Much-Needed Advice For Evelyn: “Be Quiet”
• I Used To Love Her: The Search For The Next Lauryn

Credit: allmoviephoto.com

They are some of Hollywood’s best kept secrets. These talented brothers and sisters can hold their own on the screen alongside the industry’s heavyweights and consistently give great performances. Yet when the awards seasons roll around, their names are barely, albeit, rarely mentioned. Here is our list of actors who we think are truly underrated, and not just the usual suspects. Do you agree?

Credit: toutlecine.com

Aunjanue Ellis has captivated audiences with her riveting performances in movies Ray, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 and most recently in her role as Yule Mae in the box office hit The Help. She has also earned critical acclaim for her TV work on True Blood, Missing and The Mentalist. With her acting chops, it’s hard to believe she has yet to land a lead role on TV or on the silver screen. The Brown University graduate was recently invited to teach entertainment industry courses as an Artist-In-Residence at Hampton University.

Source: Broadway Stars

Back in October we found out that Lifetime was planning a remake of the classic movie “Steel Magnolias” but with an all-black cast and most of you were less than enthused. But now that we know who will actually be staring in this new project let’s see if that makes a difference.

According to Deadline.com, Queen Latifah will take the lead role in the new casting, and she’s surrounded by some pretty high-quality star power. In addition to the Queen’s role as M’Lynn Eatonton, originally played by Sally Field in the 1989 original, the remaining cast is as follows: Ouiser (Alfre Woodard), Clairee (Phylicia Rashad), Truvy (Jill Scott), Annelle (Adepero Oduye) and Shelby (Condola Rashad).

The Sony Pictures production will follow the six Louisiana women’s lives through their ups and downs as they gather at Truvy’s beauty shop to contemplate the mysteries of life, death, husbands, children, and all the other things women congregate together to talk about. And even if audiences aren’t so thrilled about the remake, Lifetime certainly is. President and general manager Nancy Dubuc had this to say:

“The caliber of talent associated with this film is astounding and falls in line with our strategy to make Lifetime a first stop for the industry’s best both in front of and behind the camera.

“Queen Latifah, Phylicia, Alfre, Jill, Adepero and Condola are some of the most celebrated women in music, film, television and stage — and we could not be more thrilled and honored for them to bring Robert Harling’s poignant story about the strength of women to a whole new generation.”

So, what do you think? Can this cast pull it off or were there other actresses you hoped to see in the remake?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

More on Madame Noire!

• What Did You Do To My Hair!? 6 Signs You’re Dealing With a Ratchet Stylist
• Trayvon Martin, His Witness and What We Should Be Teaching Our Children About Racism
• Where Are They Now? The Cast of “A Different World”
• I Thought You Were Black? Teacher Tells Student to Read ‘Blacker’ in Class
• 6 Times You’ll Have To Accept No Sex For A While
• Teeny Weeny Afros & More: Celebrity Women Who Have Done the Big Chop
• Oh, The Ratchetness! Lewd Songs Women Can’t Deny They Love
• Monica and Brandy Open Up About Their Physical Altercation Back in 1998

It can’t be easy being the daughter of Phylicia Rashad. She’s one of America’s favorite TV moms, not to mention a Tony Award winning actress, but her daughter, Condola, manages to hold her own, particularly as one of the most talked about cast members in the Broadway play “Stick Fly.”

The New York Times recently profiled the 25-year-old California Institute of the Arts graduate and noted her remarkable ability to command attention from the audience among seasoned veterans like Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Tracie Thoms, Dulé Hill, and Mekhi Phifer. Kenny Leon, Director of the play says he gave Condola the role of Cheryl in “Stick Fly” after she auditioned for the character Angela Bassett currently portrays in “The Mountaintop.”

“Condola was too young to play the part in “Mountaintop,” but she had a maturity that made me think she can do older and Hot.”  “Most actresses, they can do blue, red, green and that’s it, they do what they do. But if I say to Condola, ‘Do blue,’ she says, ‘What shade of blue do you want?’

Check out the rest of the profile on NYTimes.com

If you saw “Stick Fly,” what did you think of Condola’s performance?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

More on Madame Noire!

• Six Fashion Trends Sistas Need to Change. Now.
• What We’ve Learned From Ratchet Reality TV
• Do You Confuse Basic Male Traits as Bonuses?
• Ashy to Classy: Must Have Beauty Products to Curb Head to Toe Winter Dryness
• Ask a Very Smart Brotha: Freshmen Woes & Possessive Types
• S*** Black Girls Say vs. S*** White Girls Say to Black Girls