According to Dave McNary and the folks at Variety, the musical Porgy and Bess is going to be coming to the silver screen again sometime soon. Word is, producers Mike Medavoy and Bobby Geisler are working with the Gershwin family, including Marc George Gershwin, a nephew of the famous brothers, to create an updated film version. Based on the 1935 original Broadway production, it became a film in 1959 starring Sidney Poitier and the beautiful Dorothy Dandridge, as well as Sammy Davis Jr., Pearl Bailey and Diahann Carroll. Despite the film’s star power and influence even today, Ira and George Gershwin were actually pretty disappointed with the film version, and it didn’t really do all that well critically and at the box office back then. However, the revised Broadway version that opened in 2012 was a massive hit, winning Audra McDonald (who played Bess) a Tony, and wound up being the longest-running production of the musical out of all. According to Shadow and Act, it might be the revived musical’s success that is persuading folks to make this into another movie. Either way, Marc George Gershwin is excited about what is to come, and he hopes it will be better than the version starring Poitier and Dandridge (we find that one pretty great though):

“We get approached a lot with ideas that aren’t very good but Mike has a great track record. We’re confident that he’s going to able to find the right director and writer. And we already have the music.”

So now that you know that it’s in the works, are you excited? And who could you see playing Porgy and Bess? As for Bess, what about a Jennifer Hudson? Anika Noni Rose? Or how about if they just let Audra McDonald play the role that got her a Tony on the big screen? She is an amazing actress. But we will see what comes and who is cast soon enough–once a script is actually written and a director is picked. Excitement!

Are you excited about the news of a remake?

 Today, we have Beyoncé and Idris, but before they were heating up Google images, there was Eartha Kitt and Billy Dee Williams. With movie star good looks and the magic to make grown men and women cry, these 15 stars gave us nothing but sex appeal and our parents and grandparents loved it! Here are some of the best black sex symbols of yesteryear!

Source: Promotional Photos/Google Images

Billy Dee Williams

“Oh Billy Dee” is what all of our grandmothers said whenever the mere shadow of this actor came on a screen. Billy Dee was so hot that Diana Ross couldn’t  stop acting with him, appearing with him in Lady Sings the Blues and Mahogany.  Billy even made the hood-classic drink Colt 45 hot. Who else can do that?

Movies can be etched into our minds for a variety of reasons. Sometimes we are captivated by memorable performances. Others have great soundtracks that have us singing the songs long after the movie has ended. For some, we are magically transported to far flung exotic locales or back in time through stunning imagery and imaginative wardrobe and set design…

And sometimes, it’s the hair.

Here is a list of the top 10 movies that stick in our minds because the sistas knew how to rock their hair. An ode to our “Hair”oines…

www.entertainmentwallpaper.com

10. Deliver Us From Eva (2003)

Who could forget Gabrielle Union as mega sourpuss Evangeline “Eva” Dandrige and her silky-maned sisters in this 2003 twist on Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew”? Some of the movie even takes place in sister Bethany’s hair salon, but the sisters themselves are the “mane” act in this movie.

R&B singer Ne-Yo made headlines recently when he revealed that he turned down the chance to play Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. because he didn’t want to gain 30 pounds. He may have passed on a career defining opportunity, but after his role in Red Tails, maybe not…

In the acting world, getting the chance to play someone famous in a biopic is sure to take a career to the next level, and these days, everybody is doing it. Usher has already spoken out about the high expectations he has for his upcoming role as Sugar Ray Leonard. He wants an Oscar. He’d be following in the footsteps of fellow entertainers and actors who have stepped into the shoes of iconic public figures and created a path towards podiums in doing so.

Source: totallytop10.com

Denzel Washington
Denzel was robbed of an Oscar for his portrayal of slain civil rights activist Malcolm X in 1993. Denzel assumed the identity of the complex man with ease and grace. He spoke the way Malcolm spoke. He carried himself the way Malcolm did and he made people feel as passionately about the Nation of Islam as the leader did with his nuanced performance. Denzel thoroughly inhabited the role of Malcolm through his cadence, posture and every inflection to the point where it felt he was no longer acting. He became Malcolm Little turned unconventional hero. Denzel may not have won the Oscar for the biopic, but the universal praise for his performance should be a fitting consolation.

Source: neorepublica.com

With the music world still reeling over the death of British songstress Amy Winehouse, sales of her career-defining album Back to Black (released in 2006) have soared. This is usually the case for most musicians who pass unexpectedly, as fans and even past haters clamor to acquire something to remember them by for the long term. Now that all the talk of the un-lucky 27 is over, and we’re forced to think about some of our own favorite celebrities who were gone to soon, our friends over at Black Enterprise compiled a list of 15 black musicians and actors who they feel passed way too young. From Dorothy Dandridge and Aaliyah to Otis Redding, I’m sure you’ll agree with their picks, and also let us know who you would like to see added to the list. Enjoy!

For the entire list, click over to Blackenterprise.com.

“It’s the reach of my arms, the span of my hips, the stride of my step, the curl of my lips. I’m a woman, phenomenally.” Maya Angelou expresses the grace, beauty and savoir faire that black women seem to add to everything in “Phenomenal Woman.” Our flair for the fabulous commands attention. Every black woman somehow finds a way to turn a trend into something that’s her very own and although our style is imitated, it’s never quite duplicated. Check out 10 top urban fashionistas who manage not only to make a fierce statement out of the act of dressing, but an iconic experience that inspires all whom are lucky enough to witness.

Looking to change up your look with a little old school glamour? Here are some tips for achieving that vintage beauty.

Read the rest of this entry »