1/22/24 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: Claudine (1974) Starring Diahann Carroll and James Earl Jones

Claudine is a 1974 American romantic comedy-drama film, directed by John Berry. Claudine was written by Lester Pine and Tina Pine, starring James Earl Jones, Diahann Carroll and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs.  The film was released on April 22, 1974, grossing about $6 million, a modest hit for the times. It was praised for showing a new dimension in black cinema during the height of blaxploitation. Continue reading

11/29/23 O&A NYC WILDIN OUT WEDNESDAY: Whoopi Goldberg- Direct From Broadway, 1984 – 1985, (originally – Spook Show)

In 1983 Whoopi Goldberg (Caryn Elaine Johnson) created The Spook Show, a one-woman show composed of different character monologues. Director Mike Nichols offered to take the show to Broadway. Whoopi Goldberg: Direct from Broadway premiered on October 24, 1984 and ran until March 10, 1985, for a total of 156 performances. Continue reading

11/27/23 HOLLYWOOD MONDAY- REVIEW: RUSTIN

By Alex Smith Jr.

I went to an advance screening of the film RUSTIN last night (Oct. 12, 2023). It was opening the 35th Anniversary of the LGBTQ+ Annual Film Festival here in NYC. This film is a triumph plain and simple. I am trying to hold back from using to many superlatives to lavish on this film. Continue reading

11/23/23 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY ON THANKGIVING : Miracle On 34th Street


After a divorced New York mother (Maureen O’Hara) hires a nice old man to play Santa Claus (Edmund Gwenn) at Macy’s, she is startled by his claim to be the genuine article. When his sanity is questioned, a lawyer (John Payne) defends him in court by arguing that he’s not mistaken.
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10/20/23 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: House of Flowers From Carmen & Geoffrey (2005)

This House of Flowers excerpt featuring Geoffrey Holder and Carmen De Lavallade  is from the 2005 documentary Carmen & Geoffrey. Holder and his brother Boscoe talk about their early roots in Trinidad, forming a dance company and Holder meeting his wife (De Lavallade) in the 1955 production of House of Flowers. Continue reading

10/9/23 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: Cooley High


Set in 1964 Chicago, Cooley High is a slice-of-life tale of high school students coping with the challenges of everyday life and growing up in the shadows of the housing projects. Continue reading

9/25/23 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: The life of Alvin Ailey


Alvin Ailey revolutionized the world of dance by honoring the African American experience, but his journey was not without its struggles. Continue reading

9/4/23 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: The Last Dragon (1985)

The Last Dragon  is an n enjoyable 80″s pastiche of martial arts, romance, music, and video, The story centers around  a likable young hero, Leroy (Taimak), who aspires to become a kung fu master. Trouble arises when the stories protagonist, a man who calls himself “Sho’ Nuff (Julius Carry) is determined to prove himself the kung fu master of the neighborhood. Singer Vanity is the damsel in distress.
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8/30/23 O&A NYC WILDIN OUT WEDNESDAY: Django 2 Chains- Django Parody by @KingBach


A parody of Quintin Tarantino controversial pre-civil war film Django Unchained (the D is silent). Continue reading

8/29/23 O&A NYC DANCE: Sneek Peek at THPAC Documentary- To The Souls of Our Feet

By Walter Rutledge

On August 18 and 19 the Thelma Hill Performing Arts Center (THPAC) began two days of interviews with dancers, choreographers and directors about their experiences with Thelma Hill and THPAC for the upcoming documentary To The Souls of Our Feet. The two days of filming captured the experiences of six artists, (George Faison, Alfred Gallman, Dyane Harvey Salaam, Abdel Salaam, Edisa Weeks, Jill Williams and Lakai Worrell), who lives and careers were directly impacted by Ms. Hill and/or THPAC.

THPAC Documentary Preview

Here is an excerpted from the upcoming documentary with the one and only dance and theater legend George Faison. The final filming will take place in the fall and we will keep you inform as our documentary “To The Souls of Our Feet” get one step closer to coming to a theater near you. For more information about the Thelma Hill Performing Arts Center and/or to make a donation to the “To The Souls of Our Feet” documentary project visit https://www.thelmahill.org/. An additional filming date will take place later in the fall.