From Rihanna to Aretha Franklin, the Grammys last night brought out the best of the best in music. The wonderful world of technology made it possible for R&B heavy-hitter Alicia Keys to start the show with a sweet duet with “Old Blue Eyes” himself — the late great Frank Sinatra. The night was packed with performances by some of our favorite artists.

Although I was a bit confused by the coupling of the 80s group, The Time with R&B pop sensation, Rihanna, their performance was entertaining nonetheless.

The absolute most entertaining act for me was Kanye West, who is the most talented hip-hop artist out right now. His powerful rendition of “Stronger” was a soul-stirring glow-in-the-dark punk party while his tear-jerking tribute to his late mother, Donda West, was compelling and sincere. He also took home the Best Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the the Year award.

The much-hyped duet of Beyonce with her obvious performance inspiration — Tina Turner was quite lackluster, I don’t know what I was expecting exactly, but whatever it was I didn’t get it. The gospel set with Aretha Franklin, Bebe Winans, The Clark Sisters and Trinitee 3-5-7 brought church to the Staples Center.

Alicia Keys made another appearance to sing “No One,” which I never get tired of no matter how many times I hear it. She topped her performance off with a surprise guest guitarist — the strangely sexy John Mayer. Not only did she perform twice, she also took home the trophy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

Our favorite nominee for rehab from across the pond, Amy Winehouse, brought down the house in London via satellite while sweeping the show with 5 awards.

The Grammys were good, but not great. I guess it reflects the state of music right now. Thanks to Kanye West and Alicia Keys they really made the show for me. For a complete list of winners go to www.grammys.org.

Alicia Keys

Beyonce

Jay-Z

Rihanna

Ludacris

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Now that we’re almost a full week into February, I thought that I would share some events that are taking place in honor of Black History Month around the country.

Even though BGG honors African-Americans on a daily basis, it’s great that the nation takes notice of our contributions to the country even if it happens to be the shortest month of the year!

Be sure to check out some of these events if you’re in the area:

The 16th Annual Pan African Film & Arts Festival: A showcase of Black creative films that reinforce positive images and help to destroy negative stereotypes.
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Date: February 7 – 18th 2008
For more information visit: www.paff.org

Black History Showcase: People and Progress: Celebrate Black History Month with a showcase of traditional dance, poetry and singing performances.
Location: Clarendon Park Community Center in Chicago, IL
Date: February 23, 2008
For more information visit: www.chicagoparkdistrict.com

Resurrection: A unique blend of music, poetry, comedy and drama, RESURRECTION follows six interconnected men, ages 10 through 60—a child scientist, a young man from the projects preparing for college, an ex-convict, an executive, and a Bishop of a mega-church—through an evening that changes their lives forever.
Location: 14th Street Playhouse in Atlanta, GA
Date: February 2-17th 2008
For more information visit: www.woodruffcentertickets.org

Underexposed: The month-long exhibition is an opportunity to experience the artistry of photographers whose work is under-represented in the field—African-American women. Eight compelling photographers, who are based in New York, but hail from as far away as California and Barbados, are represented in underEXPOSED, showing work ranging from travel and nature photography to portraiture and photojournalism.
Location: Lincoln Center in New York, NY
Date: February 1-28th 2008
For more information visit: www.lincolncenter.org

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Photo Courtesy of The New York Times

Recently, I saw another Broadway play, this time it was “Come Back Little Sheba,” starring S. Epatha Merkerson. Known for her role on NBC’s Law and Order, Merkerson plays a faded beauty queen named Lola in this dramatic revival first made popular back in 1950.

Set in a fictional Midwestern town over half a century ago, the show revolves around the character, Lola, who is a frumpy, middle-aged, yet childlike wife of a recovering alcoholic. The play explores the depths of her insecurity, regret and loneliness. Lola is a needy and sometimes annoying woman who desperately yearns to feel loved and wanted by her husband.

Merkerson’s strength as a theater actor is truly exemplified in this role. Her expressions and spellbinding intensity successfully conveys to the audience her sorrow and dismay as if it were their own. Her co-star and veteran Broadway actor, Kevin Anderson’s portrayal of Lola’s alcoholic husband is also quite riveting. He sets the tone for this emotional rollercoaster with his subtle, yet perfectly executed gestures and speech that are akin to real alcoholics and substance abusers. The supporting cast also gives commendable performances and provides humorous spurts throughout the otherwise very serious show.

Even though this domestic drama boasts outstanding performances by seasoned actors, the overall plot couldn’t hold my attention throughout the 2-hour show. If “Little Sheba” comes back to Broadway years from now, I’m not so sure I’d come back to see it.

“Come Back Little Sheba” is currently showing at the Biltmore Theater, 261 W. 47th Street in New York City. For ticket information call Telecharge at (212) 239-6200.

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