Source: styleblazer.com

From styleblazer.com

By Patrice J. Williams

Raven-Symone is a pretty rare breed. She’s one of the few child star’s who’s actually grown up to have a successful career while staying out of the tabloids for reckless behavior.  Her style game has evolved over the years, and she recently stepped out in a look we love.  While at a promotional appearance for her role in the Broadway play, Sister Act, she showed off a bright, eye-catching ensemble.  Leggings can be a bit boring and casual, but Raven avoided that by wearing graphic print leggings that featured pops of pink.  She further played up the artsy bottoms by adding a bright pink blazer and pumps to coordinate.

Read more at styleblazer.com

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Hello Noires and Noirettes,

Interested in seeing the Sister Act show on Broadway starring Raven-Symoné?

All you have to do is email us with the correct answers to the following three questions between 12pm (NOW!) and 4pm EST today to enter! We’ll randomly pick a winner from the entries which contain all the right answers. If you live in the New York city area or are nearby, this is a great chance for you to experience a critically-acclaimed theater show. Here are the questions:

1) What popular TV show did Raven-Symoné get her start on?

2) In the original Sister Act film, why was Whoopi Goldberg’s (Sister Mary Clarence) character on the run?

3) Which “I Know What You Did Last Summer” star appeared in the sequel to Sister Act?

Email us at editors_at_madamenoire.com with your answers. Make sure to put “Sister Act” in the subject line.

At the beginning of the year, we told you that Raven would be taking the role of Deloris Van Cartier from the hit movie turned Broadway Play, Sister Act.

Recently, she hooked up with her predecessor on The View to co-host. But before she went on stage, Raven and Whoopi gushed about the musical, their favorite selections and Raven’s theatrical debut.

Find out why the women at HelloBeautiful.com are dying to see Raven in the Broadway show and what she and Whoopi talked about, here.

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If there’s one thing we can say about Raven Symone, it’s that the girl stays working. Shortly after the cancellation of her sitcom “State of Georgia” on ABC Family, the starlet has landed the lead role of Deloris Van Cartier in the Broadway play, Sister Act. The play, based on the similarly titled movie, is being produced by Whoopi Goldberg.

This is not Raven’s first time on a Broadway stage. Back when she was five years old, Raven sang with the Boys Choir of Harlem. As Raven prepares to take on this lead role, she’ll replace Patina Miller who has played the role of Deloris since the show first opened this past April.

According to Deadline, Raven will begin rehearsals at the end of February and hit the stage at the end of March. She’ll star in the play for a minimum of six months.

Now that Raven’s involved, do you plan on seeing this play?

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Sponsored By:

 “I am where I am because I believe in all possibilities” – Whoopie Goldberg

Opportunities are endless if you look for them in every situation, circumstance and/or problem. If you believe that anything you want is possible, than that’s exactly what you will get. The first step in making a dream come true is to believe that you can turn it into reality. The always honest Whoopie Goldberg couldn’t have said it better – believe in all possibilities

Have a great day!

With October 31st just around the corner, kids all over the country are getting ready to transform into little goblins, witches and Disney princesses. Meanwhile, many of us full-grown adults will also be donning costumes and partying like we don’t have a care in the world.

As you pick out your outfit in hopes of having a ‘wicked’ night, we advise that you avoid the following costumes in the name of good taste and good times…

Read the rest of this entry »

By Marcus Scott

In times like these people need a way to relieve the tension of everyday hardships.  So you might say that Chester Gregory and fellow cast members of “Sister Act: The Musical” aren’t just singing and dancing up there – they’re doing a public service.

Inspired by “Sister Act”, the 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg, the musical tells the story of Deloris Van Cartier, a disco diva who hides out in a convent when a former lover puts a hit out on her.  Nominated for five Tony Awards, the show comes on the heels of critically acclaimed “Fela!” and “Memphis,” suggesting increasingly firm ground for black ensemble musicals. This is great news for Gregory, a musician with a thing for the stage.

In January, after wrapping up his role as James “Early” Thunder, the coke-fueled R&B lothario in the national tour of “Dreamgirls”, Gregory began rehearsals for “Sister Act.” It was a star turn.  His role as Eddie, the love-gushing police chief and arch nemesis to Deloris’ (played lovingly by Patina Miller) former beau Curtis Shank, won Gregory the “Best Actor” award from Broadway World and raves from the New York Post’s “Best Actor This Year” honors.  Many critics described his presence as under-utilized, a good thing in theatre. Recently nominated for “Outstanding Featured Actor” by the Outer Critics Circle, the showman is still hungry, if not a little off his rocker.

“I have a disease called workaholic-ism. I’m addicted to my work, so I just want to crank out as much as I can so I can try to inspire. That’s my goal. That’s my mission as an artist,” Gregory said.  That’s why he’s currently in the studio, tinkering on the follow-up to his debut, “In Search of High Love.”

“Outside of doing eight shows a week, when I leave from doing the show, I often go to the studio late at night around 11 ‘o clock, 12 ‘o clock, to like lunch time, ” he said.  “I just work and song-write and put stuff together.  I’m really excited about it.  I’m with great people — Dot Da Genius, who did “Day ‘n’ Nite” with Kid Cudi, a new band called Wizard, 88-Keys, who did work with Mos Def and various other people too.”

A huge J Dilla fan, Gregory’s debut was a homage to all of his influences.  On his latest, still-untitled effort, he aims for a more unique sound with world-weary emphasis, as opposed to his slow-burning, baby-making start. “No, it’s not going to be an album of showtunes!,” Gregory said.   “We’re going more modern-day Stax recordings. It’s not necessarily doing a throwback album, but I want the authenticity of what those records did,” he said.

(The Grio) — The prestigious Tony Award nominations are in!Today, Anika Noni Rose and Matthew Broderick made the announcements. In the months to come, Broadway’s best will wait in anticipation for the official awards ceremony.  The predominantly African American cast of The Scottsboro Boys cleaned up with a total of 12 nominations. The musical based on the 1930s Alabama court case involving nine black men wrongfully convicted of raping a white woman closed in December of 2010 due to low ticket sales, but is campaigning for a return to Broadway after posthumous acclaim.

Read More…

Madame Noire caught up with  Tanya Blount to talk about  Blount 2 Blount, the new duo that features the gospel star and her brother Willie. Their  upcoming  Christian album, “Worth It All,” marks Tanya’s first collaborative effort with her brother since her solo debut in the early ’90s. It offers a striking new twist of contemporary-gospel music for the ages, and particularly younger fans. She has turned up the volume on her Christian act and successful ventures since gaining prominence as an actress in the 1993 film, “Sister Act 2.” There, she and R&B/Hip-hop musician Lauryn Hill captivated audiences with a memorable performance of “His Eyes on the Sparrow” which was included on the movie’s soundtrack. Now, the D.C native and her brother emerge to give listeners a fresh, hipper style that hopes to bring gospel to another level.

Here’s a look:

MN: Can you tell us about the new album, “Worth It All,” and what we should expect from this effort?

TB: It’s a 10-song CD which was started by me and my brother Willie and it’s a compilation of different styles of songs with Michael Trotter Jr. We have everything from gospel/rock to contemporary/gospel to traditional gospel music. We did a project like this because there wasn’t anything out there like that, except Bebe and Cece Winans music. But we thought it was an effort we always dreamt about singing together. Fans should expect something different, fresh, and young. So we’re really excited about it.

MN: How have you changed as an artist since your solo efforts when you first started out in the ’90s.

TB: Well, I’m a grown up now even though Im different from the 21 year old who did, “Natural Thing” in 1993. I’ve had a lot of life’s experiences you hear about on the record. There’s one called “Top Model” that deals with self-esteem issues that a lot of young women and business women deal with. We tell them that you are special because of who you are and that’s the message I delivered from an individual perspective. But from the whole album, everything you go through in life is like a puzzle where everything has its place. And at the end of the road, its really worth it all in your golden years.

MN: Whose decision was it to team up as Blount 2 Blount?

TB: Well, it was initially my decision and Willie thought it was a great idea. I’m so glad he did it because most artists don’t want to be in a group (laughs). It’s not something they strive to do, but I think it makes sense for all of us to do the group effort.

MN: Christian music has always been the central piece in your family life and career, so what’s the experience been like for Blount 2 Blount on this album?

TB: It’s been great! He comes from a ministry where he’s always done gospel music and I’ve always entertained. But as I grew up into a person who uses God, it came out in the ministry with him and likewise for him. So us working together really irons out those areas in a group setting.

MN: What has Willie helped to redefine in you in the group?

TB: Not much difference. I’ve always been a workaholic and its great to really work with family. What most people don’t know about me is that I’m extremely family-oriented and I really love them. That’s the good part.

MN: Can you tell us about the experience working with Lauryn Hill on “His Eyes on the Sparrow” and how has the duet with her helped to influence you musically?

TB: Lauryn Hill is phenomenal! I went on tour with her during “The Dedication Tour” and really trust her opinions as a businessperson. I learned to be true to who you are as an artist and think she’s a great example. I call her the Lauryn Hill Movement (laughs). She’s not just an artist, but a movement. It’s amazing how one artist can change the spectrum of music and what people look and dress like. To watch her grow and change has been amazing!

MN: Speaking of Lauryn Hill’s movement, what has been Blount 2 Blount’s movement as you progress in ministry and music alone?

TB: I think the movement for me is to really help people, not just young people. I’d say there’s an age group for women. I’m 37, so anything from 23-37, women are going through self-esteem issues. A lot of us are dealing with families, managers, bad relationships and just trying to overcome the struggle of growing into adulthood. My movement is pushing women to be who they really are in God, and knowing that its okay to have failures in life. At the end, its really worth it all. You have to go through these things in order to be perfected. Its been true to who I am and our stories.

MN: What is the next single going to be on the album?

TB: There’s one called, “Im Not Ashamed” and it talks about not being ashamed of God and representing him in your own way. There’s another called, “I Am Lord,” and it has a Mary Mary vibe to it. It talks about how we can’t do anything without God’s ear and how you’re his in every way.

MN: What has been your greatest gift and what do you envision for Blount 2 Blount in the 2011?

TB: Well, I think its wisdom. God has given me the vision for my new label – Code Red Musiq. He’s given us that vision for next year and we live heavily on it. I believe that God will ignite us with the vision. For 2011, I see doing something different and executing the vision. We have a 10-city concert series were doing – we’re coming to Baltimore, Atlanta, Ohio, Virginia and when we go, our fans will get to videotape every concert with their videophone. I don’t call my fans “fans,” but “Sparrows” because I believe that God has his eye on everybody who chooses to be Sparrows as wisdom for the following we have.

Alicia Keys & Swizz Beatz give birth to a baby boy! A rep confirmed in a statement to People.com that the two ”have joyfully welcomed their first child, a son Egypt Daoud Dean on Oct. 14 in New York City.”