Eddie Murphy Locks In Date To Return To Stand Up And Does It For Charity
It has been decades since Eddie Murphy has done stand-up comedy for the general public, but in a precursor to his upcoming Netflix specials, Murphy has agreed to perform a set from home for Byron Allen‘s upcoming charity event, the Feeding America Comedy Festival.
Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish and Billy Crystal are also part of the star-studded lineup for the festival, which Allen put together via his Entertainment Studios. Funny or Die is co-producing the charity event, which will raise money for Feeding America.
Image via Paramount
The three-hour event won’t air on a major network or streaming service, however. Instead, it will be live-streamed on Allen Media Group’s television networks Comedy.TV and The Weather Channel as well as on the free streaming service app Local Now on Saturday, May 9. Viewers will be encouraged to donate to Feeding America at www.feedingamerica.org.
Additional comedians who will perform sets from home include Marc Maron, Jon Lovitz, Brad Garrett, Marlon Wayans, Howie Mandel, Taraji P. Henson, Louie Anderson, Margaret Cho, Kenan Thompson, Caroline Rhea, Billy Gardell, Tim Meadows, Jamie Kennedy, Bill Engvall, Sheryl Underwood and Allen himself.
“In partnership with Feeding America, my comedian friends and all of us at Allen Media Group are pleased to announce this global live-streaming comedy event on May 9th,” Allen said in a statement. “Laughter is often the best medicine, and we are extremely motivated to bring attention to issues of food insecurity, and to assist in providing meals to families across the country who are financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Image via NBC
“The coronavirus pandemic and the economic downturn it has created is shining a light on the fragile nature of people’s household budgets,” added Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America, a nationwide network of 200 food banks. “Millions more of our neighbors are turning to food banks for help and we cannot thank Byron Allen and Allen Media Group enough for their support to raise funds and awareness of our work.”
Murphy is riding high off strong notices for his Netflix movie Dolemite Is My Name, as well as his recent hosting stint on Saturday Night Live. His new comedy special was supposed to hit Netflix later this year, but it’s unclear if that’s still the case, as I’m not sure whether he had a chance to film it before comedy clubs across the country were forced to close their doors. While Murphy’s Feeding America set may be short and safe, it’s something to hold fans over until his full-fledged Netflix special arrives. At this point, we’ll take any laughs we can get!
Source: Collider.com
Dwayne Johnson, Issa Rae Team For HBO Backyard Wrestling Show
HBO is getting back into the ring with Dwayne Johnson.
The WWE legend and former Ballers star will executive produce a show about backyard wrestling that’s in development at the premium cabler. His Seven Bucks Productions partner, Dany Garcia, and Insecure creator and star Issa Rae are also executive producing.
Titled Tre Cnt (or Tre Count), the show centers on Cassius Jones, a dock worker and struggling pro wrestler who lives in Houston’s Third Ward, also known as The Tre. It will follow working-class family, neighbors, and friends of Cassius who come together — pooling their talents, resources, savvy, and dreams — to build a unique hip-hop centric backyard-wrestling empire from nothing, with Cassius using inherited life insurance money and the deed to a shotgun house from his grandfather to start his American dream.
Mohamad El Masri (HBO’s Here and Now, Apple’s forthcoming Brie Larson CIA drama) is writing and executive producing, and Judah Miller (American Dad, Crashing) is set to serve as showrunner. Johnson, Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia of Seven Bucks Productions also exec produce along with Rae and Montrel McKay of Issa Rae Productions and 3 Arts Entertainment’s Dave Becky, Tom Lassally and Jonathan Barry.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Loni Love Hosts Quarantine Talent Show With Special Guest Judge Jonathan McReynolds
In 2003, Loni Love competed as a finalist on “Star Search” an opportunity that brought major attention to her comedic chops as a stand-up talent. This past weekend, Love went back to her roots and garnered over 20,000 viewers who tuned in for the first-ever Loni Love Quarantine Talent Show.
#QuarantineWithLoni is a 1 hour Instagram Live series presented by Loni Love, Emmy and 2x NAACP Image Award winning talk show co-host of The REAL Daytime and co-host of the nationally syndicated Cafe Mocha Radio show, to give people an opportunity to escape. Many fans check in from around the world and play a round of ‘Shoutragous!’ as seen on “The Real” that requires blurting out things related to a specific topic before time runs out!
For the last few weeks, Love has welcomed special celebrity friends and experts to join her live including DJ D-Nice, Kierra Sheard, Killa Mike, Angela Rye, Tamera Mowry Housley, Terry Ellis of En Vogue, David Allen Grier, Tiffany The Budgetnista, Yo-Yo, Jeannie Mai, Yvette Nicole Brown, Adrienne Houghton and Ta’Rhonda Jones.
During her daily live on Friday, Love announced to fans that she wanted to do something special for them…a virtual talent showcase with a cash prize winner!
Prospective participants were instructed to upload a video and tag #QuarantineWithLoni for a chance to perform live on Saturday. With an overwhelming response, 8 lucky finalists were chosen to compete live in front of a virtual audience. The finalists found out later that Grammy-winner Jonathan McReynolds would join Love as a special guest judge.
The contestants performed various talents that included singing, spoken word, rapping and comedy.
Following the performances, Jonathan McReynolds joined Love on camera to give feedback to the contestants. “I’ve been enjoying the whole talent show. There were a lot of them that were really good. Shamika was cold…the first spoken word artist…Lamarr was cold at the end,” said McReynolds.
Love continued with highlighting McReynolds upcoming “People” project and community initiatives. Last week, in support to those impacted by the pandemic of COVID-19, McReynolds’ non-profit, Elihu Nation, gave away $300 per day to fans that answered trivia questions.
In hopes that he would say yes, Love asked McReynolds if he would sing something…to her surprise before you knew it there appeared his guitar and McReynolds was performing his new single, “People.” Love even joined in on a line of singing…see for yourself!
After the show, Love took to Instagram to announce that she will actually be awarding one male and one female with a cash prize. The public was able to vote via Instagram story poll for Lamarr Lyons or Mir Mizack and DeAna Fai or Shamika Chantae. After more than 17k votes, Love announced not only the two winner BUT another Loni Love Quarantine Talent Show to take place on Saturday, April 25, 2020.
Tamar Braxton To Host New Reality Show ‘To Catch A Beautician’ At VH1
Tamar Braxton is adding to her reality TV resume with hosting a new beauty series entitled “To Catch a Beautician” for VH1.
The Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter is partnering with celebrity hairstylist Johnny Wright on the series that debut May 25. The duo will help clients confront the beautician who damaged their hair; Wright then puts the stylists through a “hair boot camp” before giving them the chance to redeem themselves by redoing their disgruntled clients’ hair.
Braxton is a reality show veteran, sharing the screen with her family for six seasons of “Braxton Family Values,” headlining spin-off “Tamar & Vince,” competing on season 21 of “Dancing with the Stars” and winning “Celebrity Big Brother” in 2019. Braxton also co-hosted the daytime talk show “The Real” for two seasons. Most recently, Braxton announced a new reality series, “Tamar Braxton: Get Ya Life,” which begins airing on We TV in April.
Known for serving as former First Lady Michelle Obama’s personal hairstylist, Johnny Wright’s client list also includes Maxine Waters, Queen Latifah, Kerry Washington, Regina King and Janelle Monáe.
“To Catch a Beautician” is produced by Scout Productions with David Collins, Michael Williams, Rob Eric, and Kim McCoy serving as executive producers. Sitarah Pendleton-Eaglin and Rachel Tung executive produce for VH1.
The beauty series joins VH1’s popular Monday night lineup, which includes “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta” and “T.I. & Tiny: Friends & Family Hustle.”
Source: Variety
Anthony Anderson To Host Special For BET Titled ‘Saving Our Selves: A BET Covid-19 Relief Effort’
Today BET announces comedian and actor Anthony Anderson as the fourth host of the upcoming “SAVING OUR SELVES: A BET COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORT,” special. Anderson joins stars Kelly Rowland, Terrence J, and Regina Hall as host for the two-hour special broadcast. “SAVING OUR SELVES: A BET COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORT,” is set to air on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 at 8 PM EDT.
Performances include Alicia Keys with a special tribute to New York City, and a Gospel moment with Kirk Franklin featuring Fantasia, Jonathan McReynolds, Kelly Price, Tasha Cobbs, Le’Andria Johnson, and Melvin Crispell III. Exclusive performances by John Legend, Usher, Jhene Aiko, Chloe X Halle, CeeLo Green, H.E.R., Ella Mai, Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris, Swae Lee, Tyrese Gibson, Buju Banton, DJ D-Nice,SiR, D Smoke, and Charlie Wilson.
Additional celebrity guest appearances will include Tiffany Haddish, Idris Elba, Ciara, Don Cheadle, Mike Epps, Deon Cole, Angela Rye, Dr. Rheeda Walker, Charlamagne Tha God, Symone D. Sanders, DJ Khaled and Chance The Rapper.
Expanding the reach of the telecast, BET will simulcast the special across BET and BET Her domestically, as well as their channels internationally bringing awareness to over 90 million homes. Additionally, BET will join forces with Bounce to help expand the audience to include free, over-the-air broadcast viewers with Bounce simulcasting “SAVING OUR SELVES: A BET COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORT.”
Addressing the communities around the world, a global check-in segment for “BET SAVING OUR SELVES: COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORT” will highlight how various regions around the globe are coping through COVID-19. BET Breaks’ International talent Nomalanga (South Africa), Flora Coquerel (France), and Jourdan Riane (UK) will report on how the pandemic is affecting their countries. British Hip Hop Artists behind the viral “Don’t Rush” social media challenge, Young T andBugsy, and Idris Elba’s wife, Sabrina Elba, will make appearances as well. Internationally, the show will be broadcast on Saturday, April 25 in the UK at 9:00 pm BST, Korea at 9:00 pm KST, Africa at 6:00 pm CAT, and France at 10:30 pm CEDT.
The focus of the initiatives is to combat the racial disparities of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent findings have shown that Black Americans are being disproportionately harmed by the health and financial devastation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. BET, in partnership with the NAACP, United Way Worldwide, leaders in the African American creative, civil rights and business communities will provide critical financial, educational and community support directly to the African Americans hardest hit by this crisis. Corporate brand donors who have generously contributed to the fund include Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Toyota, Salesforce, McDonald’s, AARP, Pine-Sol®, Morgan Stanley, TJ Maxx, Weight Watchers, and NBA.
You can now donate to the fund online via BET.com or by texting BETGives to 51555. More information on BET’s partnership with UWW and additional extensions of our relief efforts are forthcoming. For further details, please visit BET.com/COVID19.
Cedric The Entertainer To Host Viral Video Special For CBS Titled ‘Homevideos: A Global Phenomenon’
The Neighborhood star Cedric the Entertainer is set to host a CBS special in May called Homevideos: A Global Phenomenon.
A press release said it will feature viral home-video moments created while people are social distancing and sheltering in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“This special is a true celebration of the human spirit,” Jodi Roth, senior vice president of specials for CBS, said Friday. “The ingenuity and creativity displayed in these videos is impressive, while also highlighting our spirit and resilience as a community during this unique moment in time.”
Cedric the Entertainer also recently gathered together his comedian friends for an online stand-up show to raise money for essential workers affected by the pandemic last weekend with Def Comedy Jam where he hosted.
Michael Che Of ‘Saturday Night Live’ To Pay Rent For 160 New York Public Housing Residents
“Saturday Night Live” star Michael Che has committed to paying one month’s rent for 160 residents of a New York City public housing building as a tribute to his grandmother, who died last week of coronavirus-related complications.
Che disclosed his decision on Instagram in a post that called on New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and others to find a solution to the rent crisis that many New Yorkers are facing amid the widespread unemployment caused by the COVID-19 lockdown. Che disclosed the death of his grandmother last week when “SNL” returned to the airwaves with its first-ever remote production. Che will cover the rent for other residents in the building where she lived, to honor her memory and make a statement about the rent crisis in the city.
“It’s crazy to me that residents of public housing are still expected to pay their rent when so many New Yorkers can’t even work,” Che wrote on Instagram. Of his decision to cover rent for residents of his grandmother’s building, Che wrote: “I know that’s just a drop in the bucket. So I really hope the city has a better plan for debt forgiveness for all the people in public housing, AT THE VERY LEAST.”
Che closed his post with a “P.S.” addressed to de Blasio, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and hip hop mogul Sean Combs. “De Blasio! Cuomo! Diddy! Let’s fix this! Page me!”
Che did not specify the building or elaborate on the details of his grandmother’s death. NBC’s “Today” identified Che’s grandmother’s as Martha.
Che is co-anchor with Colin Jost of “SNL’s” “Weekend Update” segment and co-head writer of the show. He’s been a writer for “SNL” since 2013 and on air with the show since 2014. Che and Jost co-hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards telecast in 2018.
Source: Variety
Rashida Jones To Star In New Animated Comedy For Quibi Titled ‘Filthy Animals’
Jones and the team behind Adult Swim’s Robot Chicken have landed an animated comedy project at Quibi.
The short form streamer is developing Filthy Animals, an animated sci-fi comedy that Jones will star in and executive produce (via her Le Train Train). Artists Nikolai and Simon Haas, Carey O’Donnell and Johnny Smith created the show, and Stoopid Buddy Stoodios, which produces Robot Chicken, is producing.
Jones will voice Sunny Day, a lonely, too-smart-for-her-own-good suburban 12-year-old who befriends Cruz, a selfish, renegade, messy, suave adoptive cat.
The project is the third for Stoopid Buddy at Quibi; the company is also producing the clay-animation series Gloop World, from Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland, and the stop-motion action series Micro Mayhem.
Jones, meanwhile, is part of the voice cast of Fox’s recently renewed Duncanville and stars with Kenya Barris in Netflix’s #BlackAF, which is set to debut Friday. She and her Le Train Train partner, Will McCormack, are executive producers of TNT’s Claws, TBS’ Angie Tribeca (which also starred Jones) and AMC’s upcoming Kevin Can F**k Himself.
Jones and McCormack are exec producing Filthy Animals with the Haas brothers, Smith and Stoopid Buddy’s Seth Green, John Harvatine IV, Matthew Senreich, Eric Towner and Chris Waters.
The mobile-only streaming platform Quibi launched April 6. CEO Meg Whitman said Monday that the service received 1.7 million downloads in its first week, which she said “exceeded our plans and expectations.”
The streamer debuted with some 50 shows, all of which are served in episodes of 10 minutes or less. Content includes scripted and unscripted series and daily news, sports and talk programs. Quibi is offering a 90-day free trial, after which users will pay $5 per month for an ad-supported version of the service or $8 monthly for one with no ads.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Chris Rock, Whoopi Goldberg Come Together For New Jersey’s COVID-19 Benefit Broadcast
Some of the biggest and best names in Hollywood are coming together to assist families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey.
In a one-night telecast, titled Jersey 4 Jersey, a star-studded lineup of people that are native to the state of New Jersey will raise funds to combat the medical and economic struggles caused by COVID-19.
Broadcasting from their individual homes, Bruce Springsteen, Chelsea Handler, Halsey, Jon Bon Jovi, Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Bennett, Chris Rock, Danny DeVito, Charlie Puth, Kelly Ripa, Jon Stewart, SZA, and Saquon Barkley, will be the featured stars during the virtual event.
Jersey 4 Jersey is set to air April 22 at 7 pm and will support the New Jersey Pandemic, Relief Fund.
“New Jersey is on the front lines of this pandemic, making it more important than ever for us to do what Jersey does best, take care of one another,” Tammy Murphy, the wife of New Jersey’s Governor Phil Murphy said in a statement.” That’s why we’re asking everyone in our state to join the NJPRF and some of New Jersey’s finest for some much-needed musical entertainment, levity, and Jersey pride during these unprecedented times,” she continued.
The producer behind Elton John’s iHeart Radio Living Room Concert, Joel Gallen, will be the executive producer of the Jersey 4 Jersey broadcast.
The New Jersey fundraiser comes days after Lady Gaga said that she is curating a musical benefit broadcast titled, One World: Together at Home, that will air on CBS, ABC, and NBC on April 18.
Jersey 4 Jersey can be streamed on multiple streaming services like Apple Music and AppleTV apps; E Street Radio on SiriusXM; local television stations WABC, WPVI, WPIX, News12 and NJTV; and radio outlets including 1010 WINS, WCBS 880, CBS-FM, WFAN, New York’s Country 94.7, Alt 92.3 and Q104.3.
As of Tuesday, the United States has over 599,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with a death toll of over 23,000. The number of confirmed cases in New Jersey has surpassed 64,000, with 2,400 deaths.
Source: BallerAlert.com
Essence Festival Officially Cancels 2020 Event In New Orleans
The 2020 Essence Festival of Culture, a cornerstone of New Orleans’ summertime tourism economy and arguably the pre-eminent predominantly African-American social and entertainment event in the country, has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, organizers announced Wednesday.
The multi-faceted, multi-day event, which was originally scheduled for its traditional July 4th weekend, was previously postponed until an unspecified date this fall because of the crisis.
Now it is canceled entirely.
The cancellation comes a day after Mayor LaToya Cantrell recommended all large festivals in New Orleans be put on hold for the rest of the year.
The 2020 roster for Essence’s three nights of concerts in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome included Janet Jackson, who has previously performed at the event, and Bruno Mars, who would have made his Essence debut.
Janelle Monae, Patti LaBelle, Ari Lennox, Raphael Saadiq and Estelle were also on the bill.
A statement posted to the festival’s social media accounts Wednesday morning read in part, “New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell bravely recommended yesterday that no large events take place in New Orleans in 2020, and Essence fully supports that decision.
“After continued monitoring of the evolving developments in the COVID-19 global pandemic and remaining in close contact and collaboration with our partners in the City of New Orleans and State of Louisiana, we are confirming today that we will no longer move forward with the 2020 ESSENCE Festival of Culture live experience – and look forward to returning to New Orleans in 2021.”
Tickets purchased through Ticketmaster will be refunded automatically. Tickets for the 2020 event will not be valid for the 2021 Essence.
The 26th edition of the Essence Fest was set to include two extra days of activities to commemorate the 50th anniversary year of Essence magazine, along with the annual evening concert series in the Superdome.
The festival’s free daytime panels, celebrity appearances, political and empowerment discussions and product presentations fill the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. In 2019, the festival added “Essence After Dark,” a series of performances at venues around town.
“Music is an important part of our culture,” Michelle Ebanks, CEO of Essence Communications Inc., said in November, but the Essence Fest is about “music, fashion, beauty, entrepreneurship, health and wellness, civic engagement, spirituality. This is what makes it such a large festival. It’s a family reunion.”
What was originally called the Essence Music Festival — it’s now the Essence Festival of Culture — was intended to be a one-off celebration of Essence Magazine’s 25th anniversary in 1995. The success of that first year convinced Essence co-founder Ed Lewis that the festival should be an annual event.
Attendance for Essence’s paid and free events numbers in the hundreds of thousands, with an annual economic impact estimated in hundreds of millions of dollars.
In November, Essence officials joined Cantrell and Gov. John Bel Edwards at City Hall to announce another five-year contract extension to keep the festival in New Orleans at least through 2024.
The 2019 Essence Fest, the 25th overall, was the last under the previous five-year contract extension.
Essence has featured the likes of Beyoncé, Prince, Janet Jackson, Kanye West, Mary J. Blige, Charlie Wilson, Frankie Beverly & Maze, Alicia Keys, Chris Rock, Kevin Hart, Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Smokey Robinson, Chance the Rapper, Kendrick Lamar, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott and dozens more. In recent years, the Essence team has worked with performers to curate one-of-a-kind, multi-artist performances.
Former first lady Michelle Obama, a rare non-musical headliner, was interviewed by Gayle King on the main Superdome stage during the 2019 festival.
Other cities have made overtures to steal Essence away, but it has remained in New Orleans every July 4th weekend except in 2006. The festival moved to Houston that year because the Superdome was still undergoing renovations after Hurricane Katrina.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 will be the first year in a quarter-century without an Essence Fest.
