Dreamgirls Takes To The Big Screen...

Beyonce' Tries Her Hand At Acting Again...

While surfing the net, I came across some production pictures (courtesy of the Beyonce World website) of the "Dreamgirls" project that is being adapted to the silver screen movie format. The original "Dreamgirls" producton was loosely based on the 1960's girl group, "The Supremes", which included Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, and Mary Wilson. Typically, in situations like these, one of the ladies wishes to be "The Breakout Star" and have the other two be the backup singers way, way, way, back in the background. I suppose the producers and directors chose Beyonce' to star in this movie, because of her experience in dealing with the break up of a girl group. She says that she's really excited about this movie, and that this will be the first time she'll have the opportunity to really "act" in a movie, although she has appeared in others.

I've been keenly interested in this movie project, because I really wonder whether the cast can really pull it off. Some things should really never ever be remade, and long ago I thought "Dreamgirls" was one of them. The original "Dreamgirls" project appeared in 1982 as a Broadway show starring Jennifer Holliday, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Loretta Devine just to name a few. If you've ever heard Jennifer Holliday sing the "I'm Not Going" song, you know why I'm just a bit skeptical about any remakes. Jennifer, the vocal powerhouse, absolutely blows that song away, and to date, no one has ever been able to sing like her or sing the song better than she can. And I mean no one!!! So all that I'm saying is that the Broadway show is a tough act to follow. And to top this off, the cast of the original "Dreamgirls" won several Tony awards that lets you know how dazzling they were. This whole scenario puts a whole lot of pressure on the new project that also stars Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Danny Glover, Anika Noni Rose, and Jennifer Hudson. I just bet the movie studio execs are banking on this movie to be a huge success, but we'll have to wait and see. Dreamworks has set up an Official Dreamgirls Movie Website to provide updates leading up to the movie's premiere projected to happen by the end of this year. If I don't go to see this movie for any other reason, I'll go to see Jamie Foxx. *wink*

Former Destiny's Child Member Prepares To Release Album...



LeToya Luckett Reappears...

I guess Letoya Luckett, formerly of Destiny's Child, has let bygones be bygones with Beyonce', since the Destiny's Childs group's big fiasco went down. As some may recall, LeToya and LaTavia Roberson left the girl group for reasons that differ depending on whom you speak to. LeToya and LaTavia stated that they had a problem with the management (Matthew Knowles and Beyonce's pop) of the group, while the new Destiny's Child members stayed mum about it. Then there were reports that LeToya and LaTavia were kicked out of the group for speaking up. LeToya and LaTavia ended filing court cases against the group and the management, but later things were quietly settled out of court for an undisclosed amount of money. Then the new group added Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin, but Farrah soon jetted just before the really big money started to roll in. (Side Note: I wonder is she somewhere kicking herself.)

Sure Destiny's Child existed for a while before the first break up, but for some reason after all of the musical chairs and personnel changes in the group, it seems that things sort of took off for the latest transformation of Destiny's Child. The new group went multiplatinum and many more opportunities (solo recording careers; acting in movies, tv, and broadway, and creation of a fashion house) popped up for its members (mostly Beyonce') . LeToya and LaTavia tried to pair themselves off with a couple of other girls in Atlanta, GA to form the group, "Anjel," but the production fell through and they were back to square one. They gave it the good ole college try and things still didn't work out.

But anywho, LeToya has moved on. It appears that she's taken her settlement money and opened a new boutique in the Houston, TX area called "Lady Elle." I recently read in a magazine that LeToya has seen and spoken to Kelly and Beyonce' since the split, and things between them seem to be okay. It's good to see that everyone is acting mature about the whole thing. In fact, LeToya's store is selling clothes from Beyonce's and Beyonce's Mother's (Tina) company named the "House of Dereon." LeToya has had pleasant things to say about the new Destiny's Child and Beyonce. No more grudges. I think that's a healthy mindset for LeToya to have before releasing her first solo CD, because she really doesn't need the media pitting her work against Beyonce's, although they may do that anyway. LeToya's self-titled album is set to be released sometime this spring. I haven't heard any of LeToya's music, but I just hope that she can be successful also. Why not?


Kanye West's Controversial Magazine Cover...



Publicity Stunt Or Not?

Kanye West's name is in the news again. This morning I heard on the radio that Kanye is appearing on the cover of a magazine as Jesus. As a Christian, I frankly don't care for the cover. It seems to me that Kanye wants to be a spokesman for something or someone, but sometimes he has trouble in knowing what to say or how to deliver it. From his onset, I haven't really known what he's all about one way or the other. But it's hard to tell with stars, because it could all be part of an elaborate publicity stunt. When Kanye came out with the "Jesus Walks" song, I never took it for a gospel song, while some churches and people in the Baltimore-Washington metro area fully embraced it. I just thought it was another rap from a rapper. Nothing more...Nothing less...I never had anything against him; I just never saw him as a gospel singer or rapper.

Fastforward to last fall when he made remarks about the topmop and the topmop's response to the Katrina disaster. I don't know Kanye personally, but I agreed with his statement about the bad treatment of some people. He just stated what a lot of people were thinking. The images of black people suffering for days on end at the Superdome were mindboggling and very disappointing when help could have been provided. So, Kanye spoke his peace. The mainstream powers that be in the music industry quickly silenced Kanye from making anymore statements about that. In fact, a week or so later he appeared on another star telethon show, and he explicitly stated that he wouldn't be making any comments about the Katrina disaster. Hmm. Kanye could have made a more powerful statement if he had stuck to what he said initially and not backed down even if he had to sacrifice his recording career. But I still wonder what the music label told him.

Kanye has since resumed his public speaking. I haven't gotten a chance to read the magazine article yet, but the folks on the radio said that Kanye took the picture posing as Jesus to make a statement that mainstream America wants people to do great things but not to say that they are great. The radio personalities are saying that Kanye said something to that effect. I repeat that I don't know the man, but I think he better get a lasso out of his superhero bag and capture his ego. *lol* But seriously, I just hope one day Kanye will learn that great people don't have to go around tooting their horns, because their greatness shines through. For it's usually some of the most humble people who do the greatest and most profound things.