Valarie Pettiford News

Today, BET Networks announces the acquisition of eight-part drama “Carl Weber's The Family Business,” based on The New York Times best-selling author's most popular family crime drama novel starring acclaimed-actor and Executive Produccer Ernie Hudson. Originally developed and produced as an indie film franchise, BET has licensed the content to air this dynamic production in an explosive way. Meet the Duncans, a prominent family from Jamaica, Queens living fast and luxurious. By day, they're an upstanding family; by night, they live a dangerous secret life. The patriarch of the family, L.C. Duncan (Hudson), is at the age when he's starting to think about retirement and has to decide which of his children should take over his thriving exotic car dealership. The Duncans quickly come under siege from some of the top politicians, mafia and drug cartels in the city. The Duncans will have to stick together or die separately. The highly anticipated television event “Carl Weber's The Family Business,” makes its debut on Tuesday, November 13 at 9 PM ET/PT on BET.

Today, BET Networks announces the acquisition of eight-part drama 'Carl Weber's The Family Business,' based on The New York Times best-selling author's most popular family crime drama novel starring acclaimed-actor and Executive Produccer Ernie Hudson. Originally developed and produced as an indie film franchise, BET has licensed the content to air this dynamic production in an explosive way. Meet the Duncans, a prominent family from Jamaica, Queens living fast and luxurious. By day, they're an upstanding family; by night, they live a dangerous secret life. The patriarch of the family, L.C. Duncan (Hudson), is at the age when he's starting to think about retirement and has to decide which of his children should take over his thriving exotic car dealership. The Duncans quickly come under siege from some of the top politicians, mafia and drug cartels in the city. The Duncans will have to stick together or die separately. The highly anticipated television event 'Carl Weber's The Family Business,' makes its debut on Tuesday, November 13 at 9 PM ET/PT on BET.

A CELEBRATION OF LIFE The Los Angeles Memorial/Tribute for Alan Johnson at The Performing Arts Center October 14, 2018 Alan Johnson was truly a man of many talents. On Sunday, October 14th, 2018, friends, all of whom are either dancers, choreographers, directors or actors, or all combined, that have had the honor to work with or befriend him, gathered at The Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles, CA, owned by Joe Malone and Nanci Hammond Malone, two superb dancers/teachers that donated their facility for this event, to honor, reminisce and celebrate Alan's wondrous life and career.

Sundance Now, AMC Networks' direct-to-consumer SVOD service curated with high-quality dramas and crime thrillers, and SHUDDER, the leading premium streaming service for thriller, suspense and horror, announced today that the entire season of the captivating drama “A Discovery of Witches” will premiere simultaneously on both platforms Thursday, January 17th, 2019 in the U.S. and Canada.

Lifetime has announced the network's It's a Wonderful Lifetime lineup, which features 14 all-new original movies and nine acquired films. Starring in these films includes a slew of Broadway stars such as Megan Hilty, Marrisa Jaret Winokur, and Jane Alexander.

Christmas is coming early this year! Lifetime sleighs the 2018 holiday season this year with the network's It's a Wonderful Lifetime lineup, featuring 14 all-new original movies and nine acquired films. Kicking off on November 21 with a special week featuring five nights of premieres, each week of the holiday season will feature new movies every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, it was announced today by Tanya Lopez, EVP, Movies, Limited Series and Original Movie Acquisitions, Lifetime and LMN.

Sundance Now, AMC Networks' direct-to-consumer SVOD service curated with high quality dramas, comedies and crime thrillers, and Shudder, the leading premium streaming service for thriller, suspense and horror, today announced at San Diego Comic Con the joint acquisition of the Sky original production, 'A Discovery of Witches.'

Sky One, a British TV Channel, just revealed a teaser channel for its upcoming 2018 TV Series, A Discovery of Witches.  The official press release from Sky One states, What happens when a witch and a vampire fall in love? History professor and closet witch Diana Bishop and geneticist and secret vampire Matthew Clairmont find out when they are thrown together in pursuit of the truth behind a strange manuscript found in the University of Oxford's Bodleian Library. 

Life on a Palette, a new musical based on Norman Rockwell's covers for the Saturday Evening Post, will present excerpts at Knesset Israel in Pittsfield, MA on Monday, June 25 at its annual gala fundraiser. Rockwell features book and lyrics by Eleanor Albano and Anthony Barnao, and music by Ron Abel.

A Little New Music returned to the Catalina Jazz Club in the heart of Hollywood on Tuesday, March 6 with a stellar lineup of singers and new musical theatre songs. Scroll down for photos from this exciting evening!

Like a graceful matador who has complete control of the engagement and can dramatically move and dominate an arena, Chita Rivera brought her talent, magic and super Broadway stardom to the stage of Feinstein's/54 Below last night and here are some of the photos.

A Little New Music returns to the Catalina Jazz Club in the heart of Hollywood on Tuesday, March 6 at 8:30pm, with a stellar lineup of singers and exciting new musical theatre songs! Scroll down for photos of the cast in rehearsal.

A Little New Music will spotlight a diverse array of artists performing new and unheard musical theatre songs in a classic cabaret setting at Hollywood's historic Catalina Jazz Club on Tuesday, March 6 at 8:30pm.  Audiences of A Little New Music's concert series discover firsthand pieces of musical theatre that could become Broadway hits.

On Tuesday, March 6 at 8:30pm, A Little New Music (ALNM) presents its sixteenth concert of the latest 'new or unheard' musical theatre songs at the historic Catalina Jazz Club. Be among the first to discover the best new writing for Broadway, brought to life by LA's premier performing artists and the ALNM band. The event is co-hosted by Broadway's J. Elaine Marcos (ANNIE, PRISCILLA) and MadTV's Michelle Ortiz under the guest music direction of singer, songwriter, and arranger Jan Roper (Hollywood Bowl, Musical Theatre Guild).

On Stage at Kingsborough, a leading performing arts presenter located at Brooklyn's Kingsborough Community College presents its 2017-2018 season, featuring world class artists from around the globe. On Stage at Kingsborough brings top notch performing arts to Southern Brooklyn with an eclectic roster of artists spanning multiple genres including cabaret, dance, music, and family programming. The full season runs through May 19, 2018.

 The New York City Dance Alliance Foundation (NYCDAF), a forward-thinking charity committed to shaping the future lives and training of young dancers, returns to NYU Skirball Center, October 1, for an eclectic and star-studded gala event to raise funds for college scholarships. With over 200 dancers sharing in $2 Million dollars to attend the colleges of their choice since the Foundation's inception in 2010, NYCDAF's Annual 'Bright Lights Shining Stars' brings together performers and dance educators to further its mission to broaden and advocate for performing arts awareness and training. The evening's presenters include Joel Grey (Cabaret, Chicago, Goodtime Charley), Bebe Neuwirth (Sweet Charity, Chicago) and Patricia Birch (Over Here!)-more appearances to be announced.

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director; Evans Haile, Interim Executive Director; David McCoy, Chairman of the Board), dedicated to the development of new musicals and the preservation of musical gems from the past, as part of its acclaimed Developmental Reading Series, will present the staged reading of OMG...BROADWAY!

The York Theatre Company, dedicated to the development of new musicals and preserving musical gems from the past, has announced the 2017 summer New2NY Series presentation of the new musical Me & Ella, written and performed by Andrea Frierson (Once on This Island, The Lion King), direction by the Tony Award-winning team of Murphy Cross and Paul Kreppel (Jay Johnson: The Two and Only), with music direction and arrangements by Ron Abel (Hazel, A Musical Maid in America, 'Happily Divorced').

City of Light, a new musical by Gabrielle Wagner, Julie Weiner and Jan Roper with direction by Tony Award-winner Cady Huffman, will play three performances at the SheNYC Summer Theater Festival. 

City of Light has a charming musical theater score with music by Jan Roper, lyrics by Julie Weiner, and book by Gabrielle Wagner. The show will star Kimberly Immanuel (Pacific Overtures, The Fantasticks) as Molly. It will also feature Tony nominee Valarie Pettiford (Fosse, Big Deal), Anthony Norman (Newsies Nat'l Tour), Darren Bunch, Keri Safran, and Jack Cotterell.