Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper

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May 28th, 2023

Arts and Entertainment

Harry Belafonte, activist and entertainer with a ‘rebel heart,’ dies at 96

Harry Belafonte, the dashing singer, actor and activist who became an indispensable supporter of the civil rights movement, has died, his publicist Ken Sunshine told CNN. He was 96. Belafonte died Tuesday, April 25, 2023, of congestive heart failure, Sunshine said. Belafonte was dubbed the “King of Calypso” after the groundbreaking success of his 1956 hit, “The Banana … [Read more...] about Harry Belafonte, activist and entertainer with a ‘rebel heart,’ dies at 96

Patti LaBelle announces date for rescheduled Riverside Theater show

Patti LaBelle will return to Milwaukee in May 2023 for a rescheduled concert after a bomb threat cut short her performance in December 2022. The concert will be at 8 p.m. on May 10. Doors will open at 7 p.m. All previously issued tickets and parking passes will be honored at the Riverside Theater on the new date and do not need to be exchanged. If the new show date … [Read more...] about Patti LaBelle announces date for rescheduled Riverside Theater show

Local author celebrates release of new book: Reflections!

Terry Wells-Jones grew up in a small town in the Deep South during the Jim Crow era in the 1950s. After a traumatic experience in her life, her family moved to Milwaukee, WI, where she graduated magna cum laude from North Division High School and was awarded a four-year academic scholarship to the University of Wisconsin majoring in pre-med and business administration. She is … [Read more...] about Local author celebrates release of new book: Reflections!

Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss, DJ for ‘Ellen DeGeneres Show,’ dead at 40

Stephen “tWitch” Boss, the amiable DJ for “Ellen DeGeneres Show” and dancer who rose to fame on “So You Think You Can Dance,” has died, his wife, fellow dancer Allison Holker Boss, confirmed in a statement to CNN. He was 40. “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us,” Holker Boss said in a statement. “Stephen lit up every room … [Read more...] about Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss, DJ for ‘Ellen DeGeneres Show,’ dead at 40

‘Beehive’ chronicles changing times through music

By Jacquelyn D. Heath Special to The Milwaukee Times If you were alive and conscious during the decade of the 1960s, you may remember it as a time of relative innocence that built up to radically changing mores. For women, it was a time of coming out front, finding a social and political voice, and being recognized as individuals and as an important demographic group. A … [Read more...] about ‘Beehive’ chronicles changing times through music

Lena Horne Theatre dedication celebrates the relationship between the late performer and the Nederlander Organization

The Lena Horne Theatre is the latest Broadway house to be renamed for a black artist. On November 1, 2022, the venue, owned by the Nederlander Organization and the current home of “Six,” revealed its new marquee in a dedication ceremony and block party outside the theater on 47th Street. Led by Broadway royalty (LaChanze, Audra Mc- Donald, Tamara Tunie and Vanessa Williams — … [Read more...] about Lena Horne Theatre dedication celebrates the relationship between the late performer and the Nederlander Organization

‘Black Nativity by Langston Hughes’ returns to kick off holiday season in Milwaukee

Black Arts MKE’s beloved holiday musical returns for its seventh year with its biggest and best production to date. Black Nativity by Langston Hughes runs one weekend only – December 8-11, 2022, at the Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall, Marcus Center. Set in Milwaukee rather than Bethlehem, this joyous and hopeful re-telling of Hughes’ original 1961 play incorporates poetry, music, … [Read more...] about ‘Black Nativity by Langston Hughes’ returns to kick off holiday season in Milwaukee

‘Unforgettable’ recalls life, career of music icon Nat ‘King’ Cole

' By Jacquelyn D. Heath Special to The Milwaukee Times Between 1940 and the mid-1960’s. there were few recording artists – black or white – who enjoyed a worldwide fan base. There were even fewer who were recognizable simply by the sound of their voice or were on a first-name-only basis with the public. Nat “King” Cole was all of that. The life, career and music … [Read more...] about ‘Unforgettable’ recalls life, career of music icon Nat ‘King’ Cole

‘The Woman King’ slays with overperforming $19-million debut and A+ CinemaScore

Though the box office slump continues, it looks like the worst is over. The weekend’s $48.5-million overall box office is the fourth worst of the year, but it's around a 13 percent increase from last weekend’s $42.3-million, which was the year’s second worst weekend and may turn out to be the season’s weakest. This weekend is the first in September to perform better than the … [Read more...] about ‘The Woman King’ slays with overperforming $19-million debut and A+ CinemaScore