A DAY IN "THE LIFE OF RILEY"

After I left Cleveland, I went to Chicago to file a piece. While there, I uncovered several early birthday gifts. As you know, I've been talking about "DREAMGIRLS" since the launch of this blog. And I've been in love with the musical since the now-legendary hit debuted on Broadway. Of course, I was just an 11-year-old in Savannah, but I was taken by the iconography of these three, glamorous women who were all over EBONY and JET. And I just lost it, once I got a copy of the soundtrack, which I memorized from beginning to end (filling in the blanks of my mind with how I thought the parts of the musical that weren't on the soundtrack looked). While seeing any version of the stage musical that I could get my hand on (as recently as February in Philadelphia at the Prince Street Theater), I've lived through speculation in the late 1980s that perhaps Whitney Houston would play the lead role of Deena Jones, patterned after Diana Ross. I covered stories for now-defunct BET Weekend Magazine in the late '90s when Lauryn Hill's name was being bandied about to portray the lead role. But at that time, the project was yet again shelved and placed into development hell. Then, come the turn of the century, Beyonce became the name attached and perhaps that sorta' third time was the charm because she IS Deena Jones in the movie adaptation of "DREAMGIRLS" due in theaters at Christmas. After Fantasia and a slew of others auditioned to be the disgruntled-but-redeemed Effie White (the character that gets to sing the blockbuster hit "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" and "I Am Changing"), "American Idol" finalist Jennifer Hudson's name was thrown into the mix. When I interviewed her in August at the National Association of Black Journalists convention, she said she was turned down three times before ultimately getting yet another call from the producers that she won the role. Jennifer also sang three songs for us at NABJ, including "One Night Only" and a new ditty that was written just for the film (along with three other original tunes). I joked "I need a cigarette", after we saw a 30-minute teaser of the film and after Jennifer Hudson performed. I don't smoke, but I needed something to calm my nerves. I'm just that excited about "DREAMGIRLS"!!! Fast forward three months and I happen to be in Chicago and able to accept an invitation to a preview screening of the entire film. My heart is still palpitating from the experience as I absolutely LOVED the movie. Seeing it on the big screen further enthralls me into the magic of this special musical. And I can't wait for everyone to see it. This is the movie to see with your family and friends after Christmas dinner. I sure will.

Meanwhile, while in Chicago, I stumbled into another invitation - to see an icon! I'm not necessarily a big fan, but I do LOVE and RESPECT her art and mastery of craft. I haven't really bought any of her music or gone to the theater to see any of her films, but I know all about them. In fact, going to see Miss Barbra Streisand at her sold-out, United Airlines Arena concert, reminded me - for sure - that this woman is permanently woven into our pop culture conscience. I knew every word as she effortlessly and - in perfect pitch and tone - sang her greatest hits. My friend and I sat just next to the stage in the first section. So, we saw everything from stage right (her good side! smile!). And we could see Rosie O'Donnell sitting front and center as she's been benignly stalking Barbra in most cities on this tour. In fact, Rosie is doing a documentary on her obsession with this tour and her crew interviewed me afterwards, when I walked out of the amazing performance. I gave it a thumbs up! But I also pointed out that I was a bit distracted at the larger-than-life teleprompter which was suspended from the ceiling or maybe the score-board. Its contents were more than lyrical. The teleprompter featured every word of her banter between songs, including some especially-researched Chicago stats on food, fun, and culture. Those sitting on the floor didn't have a clue as La Streisand's delivery is impeccable and she made you feel like she was "speaking" to you and not "reading". But from my vantage point, I saw her ably represent as the "showwoman" she is alongside maintaining the perfectionist that the "electronic cue card" allowed her to be. That said, no "teleprompter" could mirror or make up the beautiful sounds that came out of Barbra's voice box. She sounded smooth and silky, like butter. And when she delivered songs like "The Way We Were" and "Evergreen", there were barerly any dry eyes in the house, which was comprised of few folks who shared my hue (I counted 10. 50, if you count the folks who work there). Still, grown men were crying and they weren't all gay. We were all one that night and truly enhanced for the experience. Simon Cowell's manufactured discovery "Il Divo", quartet of international pop/opera singers, joined Streisand during her set (including performing their hits like "Unbreak My Heart" and "Unchained Melody" while she changed her gowns). I was upset when I saw that she was planning to take her solo of "Somewhere" (from "West Side Story") and share it with the group of hunky men. But the standing ovation I chose to give (along with my friends [READ: everybody in the arena]) corroborated that Streisand knows best. She didn't go political because her George Bush look-alike had another event (It was election night). She instead gave us an extra song "Stoney End", a Bones Howe composition that my diva Diana Ross also recorded in the early '70s. In fact, this song or another Bones Howe composition "Time & Love" could have been Diana's first solo single (instead of Ashford & Simpson's "Reach Out & Touch (Somebody's Hand)"). But Berry Gordy shelved all of this material for the more soulful sound.  Though I digress, this tidbit does give me an opportunity to comment on how my diva Diana Ross has been called "the black Barbra Streisand" for having delivered a successful career of recording, stage, film, and TV success. Diana nor Barbra have commented minimally (if at all) on the comparisons, but Diana did do an album of "Funny Girl" material with the Supremes. And in addition to the Bones Howe materials, Diana went on to work with Barry Gibb and brothers on her "Eaten Alive" album after Barbra had success with her "Guilty" project. And she recorded Diane Warren's "Heart (Don't Change My Mind)" on her worldwide success, 1991 "Force Behind the Power" album. Maybe I was subconsciously a Barbra Streisand fan all along (for a reason).  

Though not a fan of hers from the beginning, Natalie would soon become my best friend since 9th grade. We spent lots of time in our high school classes - talking, laughing, and supporting each other. She's been there for me through all my landmark moments as I have her. She not only introduced me as her "best friend" at our high school graduation, where I spoke, but she would continue to be just that as we both went to neighboring colleges in Atlanta i.e. Morehouse and Spelman respectively. Natalie too met her husband Dwayne in 9th grade and they would go on to be married and have two little girls who they are raising in Atlanta. And I would sing at their wedding. This past April, she and Dwayne came and spent time with my boyfriend, other friends, and me as I gave her a birthday gift of "The Color Purple" (on Broadway) and some other special features that she deserved for being such a good woman. Ironically, this week, she happened to be in Chicago as well (for her business. She is a dual-degree math and engineer major from Spelman and Georgia Tech). As a result, she and I had a small window of opportunity to catch up. So, I took her to a restaurant everyone has been raving about "Japonais", contemporary asian cuisine. And though we were both exhausted from our busy days (and week), we caught up while enjoying sushi, a tempura dish, and a 7-spice rib-eye steak (of $65 fame) that made me want to slap somebody's mama. But I don't think Lydia and Hannah, Nat's kids, would have appreciated me going there with theirs. So, instead, we ended the night with a hug and a smile for having had the chance to catch up one more time. And though the meal was on me, it too reinforced what "a gift" (perhaps "an early birthday gift") Nat continues to be to me.