A DAY IN "THE LIFE OF RILEY"

COZI-TV

After a blast on MSNBC last month; a reccent booking on BET's "Don't Sleep"; and other spot on-cam work, I was invited to talk about Blacks on Broadway on a LIVE, in-studio segment (5-minutes-or-so) for NBC News 4 New York's 7p show: 

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/on-air/as-seen-on/Pop-Culture-Expert-Patrick-Riley-on-Black-Broadway_New-York.html

. In a nutshell: "Motown: The Musical"; "The Trip to Bountiful"; and the "Pippin" revival; however, there are many other new offerings on Broadway this season: - including "Kinky Boots" (starring Billy Porter; music by Cyndi Lauper); and Deborah Cox comes back to Broadway opposite American Idol-alum Constantine Maroulis in "Jekyll & Hyde". News 4 New York's 7p is a one-hour show that is a combination of news, guest segments & lifestyle issues on cable station COZI-TV. This episode was hosted by NBC 4’s own Scott Stanford and produced by NBC 4’s own Tiffany Zeno – both TOTAL JOY! COZI-TV reaches more than 5 million homes & can be seen on Channel 161 on Time Warner systems. The show also simulcasts live on www.NBCNEWYORK.COM.

It is also available on other cable providers.

Here's the channel guide:

Cablevision 109 and 118

Time Warner Cable 161

Comcast 248 and 158

Verizon Fios 460

RCN 28

As always, THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT and LOVE!

If you miss it, the segment will live on www.NBCNEWYORK.COM. (SUBJECT TO CHANGE FOR BREAKING NEWS)

Please feel free to FORWARD and to let me know your thoughts.

MOTORTOWN PREVUE

What JOY and NOSTALGIA "Motown: The Musical" brought me on the first PREVIEW NIGHT earlier this week!

ADDED features to the special evening include: experiencing it with Ant; seeing my friend Brandon get called up by "Diana Ross" (as portrayed by Valisia LeKae) to sing along on "Reach Out & Touch (Somebody's Hand)" (Worth noting that he stumbled into his ticket no hour before the show yet SANG HIS BUTT OFF with "Miss Ross" [Great also to chat with Brandon Victor Dixon who plays "Berry Gordy"]).

I got to say HI AGAIN to Mr. Gordy.

Also, so many other GREATS were in the house - including:

Suzanne de Passe;

Jimmy Iovine; Dr. Dre; legendary publicist Ken Reynolds; singer and friend Phil Geston – fellow lover of all things ROSS;

costume designer Emilio Sosa (who I had the chance to interview him after a performance of one of his last shows "...By the way, Meet Vera Stark...");

and Marketing Consultant - my friend - Marcia Pendelton, often my passport to Broadway. Walk Tall, Girl! ESSENCE legend Susan Taylor (in attendance with her husband Khephra Burns) said to me "...this has never been done..." - referencing the palpable evidence of interest not only with the lines-around-the-block to this sold-out, first preview, but at closer inspection, one of the groups there was comprised of Detroit cops who filled a bus and drove in to see the first preview of "Motown: The Musical". My Spelman sisters Melanie and Tiffanie also traveled from Atlanta and Dallas respectively to see "Motown". Afterwards we did some karaoke at Yuki 55 - "Broadway baby Brandon" in tow - including, of course, some Motown/Ross, Wonder, et al!!!!

WWW.BLACKTHEATERONLINE.COM reports the following: We have received phone calls and emails telling us that code SMOKEY was not working or was not being accepted by Ticketmaster. The good news is -- the code is alive and well. The bad news is -- it may not be available on the date you want to attend a performance.

Here is the update:

Discount codes for MOTOWN: The Musical, including code SMOKEY, are no longer available for any performance in March. This does not mean that you can't buy tickets. It means that if you want to see the show this month, you are going to have to pay full or premium prices for tickets.

HOWEVER, there are performance dates when you can definitely use code SMOKEY. They are:

Monday 4/1

Tuesday 4/2

Wednesday 4/3 Evening

Tuesday 4/9

Wednesday 4/10 Evening

Thursday 4/11

Tuesday 4/16

Wednesday 4/17 Evening

Tuesday 4/23

Wednesday 4/24 Evening

Tuesday 4/30

Wednesday 5/1 Evening

Tuesday 5/7

Wednesday 5/8 Evening

Tuesday 5/14 Evening

Wednesday 5/15 Evening

Please remember that code SMOKEY IS BASED ON AVAILABILITY AND CAN BE WITHDRAWN AT ANYTIME WITHOUT NOTICE. The teeny tiny mouse print at the bottom of the gorgeous ad above gives you all of the restrictions. It is a good practice to read them before you attempt to buy tickets with any discount offer, including the ones from Black Theater Online.

Just as discount codes can be withdrawn at anytime, they can also be extended. Although the restrictions state that this offer is available through May 12, it has been extended through May 15.

We hope this clears up any questions about code SMOKEY.

Like we said when we sent out this offer back in February -- BUY YOUR TICKETS TODAY. He/she who hesitates will be without tickets to MOTOWN: The Musical. Or, will wind up standing in the cancellation line at the theater trying to get one.

Tickets for MOTOWN: The Musical are selling fast. BROADWAY PREVIEWS HAVE BEGUN (as of yesterday): $49 (Mid Mezz/REGULAR - $87); $89 (Orch/Front Mezz/REGULAR - $137).

For tickets, visit www.Ticketmaster.com or call 877.250.2929: CODE: SMOKEY

WWW.MOTOWNTHEMUSICAL.COM

THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL

Earlier that same day, I popped by NYC’s famed Sardi’s Restaurant for a media morning with the cast of Broadway’s THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL, which starts previews SATURDAY, MARCH 30TH and opens TUESDAY, APRIL 23RD AT the Stephen Sondheim Theatre (124 W 43rd Street). Over the last year, I’ve had great run-ins with the show’s stars (www.thetriptobountifulbroadway.com): Cicely Tyson (at B. Michael show, but I also interviewed her many times over the years for my Chicago client); Cuba Gooding Jr. (at Thurgood Marshall Foundation benefit, though I have interviewed him at the National Association of Black Journalists’ convention where he’s brought many films); Vanessa Williams (last week at Dance Theater of Harlem gala but have had nice media moments with her over the years); Condola Rashad (at Steel Magnolias premiere in NYC). With my invite to ‘meet’ the cast alongside other press, I did snap some shots of them on the step and repeat. Also, I enjoyed the company of hairstylist genius Chucki Amos - @CHUCKIELOVE – who did this day’s work on Miss Vanessa Williams - @VWOFFICIAL. ALSO, and as always, GREAT to see my fellow NYC journalist friends – including Jean Parnelle (once-Miss Hayes, the first teacher to give “little Alicia Keys” her singing confidence note when she cast her as Dorothy in the grade-school production of “The Wizard of Oz” – a point made recently on my recurring client OWN’s air (Oprah’s Next Chapter  - http://www.oprah.com/own-master-class/First-Look-Oprahs-Master-Class-with-Alicia-Keys-Video). JOIN ME at “THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL” – www.thetriptobountifulbroadway.com! BACKSTORY ON PLAY: The touching American classic, THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL, tells the story of Carrie Watts (Cicely Tyson), who is trapped in a cramped Houston apartment with her soft-spoken son (Cuba Gooding Jr) and self-absorbed daughter-in-law (Vanessa Williams), dreaming of a return to her home in the small Gulf Coast town of Bountiful, where she grew up and raised her own family. Fearing that she’s an imposition and chafing under her daughter-in-law’s watchful eye, she steals away with her latest pension check and heads home in the journey of a lifetime. The result is an unforgettable meditation on the idea of home and its power to sustain us. For more information via the social channels: www.facebook.com/BountifulBroadway and TWITTER: @BountifulBway and INSTAGRAM: @BountifulBway and YOU TUBE: www.youtube.com/bountifulbroadway and TWEET my friend @CHUCKIELOVE who does all the great DIVA HAIR these days! SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO: TOM WOPAT (Childhood favorite “Dukes of Hazzard” and so much more – especially from Broadway).