A Day In "The Life Of Riley"

WELCOME to "The Life of Riley" which will include periodic chronicles of pop culture and possibilities that flow out of Patrick L. Riley's day. That's me!!! Through blogging (and soon some other technological features on which I'll keep you posted as they launch), I will pull experiences from my busy life to entertain and inspire all of you. Through this site, I will share my observations and insights.

Some features to look forward to:

1.) "PATRICK'S POP UP(DATES)" will feature stories from pop culture, music, theater, fashion, and the entertainment industry at large.

2.) "The Life of Riley" will also introduce a "take-a-look-at-your-life" section (READ: sort of an advice column), where I will help readers come up with their own questions and answers around what "ways of being" are working (or not working) to have them acheive their respective goals and live their best lives. This section is called "WHO YOU BE?".

3.) Additonally, there will be a free-flowing, organic section called "TESTIFY" from which I will pull from my own life's journey to share and hopefully inspire. Some of the fare may be new musings and experiences. Other times, I may pull from my journals and past sharings to shed light on some uncomfortable truths that I've experienced and that may perhaps play a role in healing someone else's wounds as the real-life experience did for me. From my experience of covering 9/11 as a freelance journalist to courageously coming out (as gay) to my family, "TESTIFY" promises to move those who choose to read it.

4.) And a section titled "PR" (like my initials, but also like "public relations") will include press clips from any coverage I get.

5.) And anytime pictures or video can support an entry (in the blog, and perhaps in the subsequent podcasts, my space, and website), those visuals will keep things aesthetically enrolling. That section will be called "MY TUBE".

PLAYING TO THE POP IN POSSIBILITIES!

Patrick L. Riley

Entries in For All My Girls (1)

so thankful

Hi folks,

Thanks to all who participated in #ALLSTARKARAOKE #MISTHARLEM #BRUNCH which doubled as my birthday party!

Many seemed to enjoy! And my heart is full for ALL THE LOVE everybody sent my way!

NOTE: We are EXCITED that Miss Jessie’s and Walk Tall Girl Productions want to continue to partner with #ALLSTARKARAOKE.

We welcome any other good-fit partnerships for our future installments

- NEXT UP: Sunday, December 11th.

Just let me know.

1. We want to thank MIST HARLEM for housing us at such a beautiful facility with delicious food and beverage. THANKS to all who hung in there with the service team as we look to make the next two installments run much more smoothly.

I am SO GLAD we were able to CONTINUE to have SO MUCH FUN as those things were being/are being managed. And again, THANK YOU ALL!

2. We look forward to enjoying you:

Sunday Dec. 11

a. Winter Holiday kick-off

b. Celebrating any SAGITARIANS

c. Miss Jessie’s

d. Walk Tall Girl Productions Broadway/ticket giveaways

Sunday Feb. 12 (2017)

a. Valentine's Day

b. SPECIAL CO-PRESENTER: Apollo Theater Young Patrons

c. Celebrating Ernest Maynor and Derrick Styles’ birthdays and all AQUARIANS (Kevin Moochie Freeman; etc.)

d. Miss Jessie’s

e. Walk Tall Girl Productions

3. We must THANK Derrick Styles who is THE BEST! ALL STAR KARAOKE is POWERED by: DERRICK STYLES from Mount Vernon.

His #KARAOKESUNDAYS at #BUNGALOW is our OFFICIAL #ALLSTARKARAOKE AFTER SET

4. OUR ALL STAR KARAOKE BRUNCH series is POWERED by MISS JESSIE’s who had BAGS for everybody! ALSO, we’ll RAFFLED some FULL-SIZED PRODUCT BAGS – including her National Best Seller by Miss Jessie’s Co-Founder, CEO, and Creative Director Miko Branch: “Miss Jessie’s Creating a Successful Business from Scratch – Naturally” (Available in paperback January 2017).

And with Miko in the house, you KNOW we did #THEBOSS!

5. ALL STAR KARAOKE is also PRESENTED by WALK TALL GIRL PRODUCTIONS and its Founder Marcia Pendelton who comes bearing INFORMATION and LOTS OF FREE TICKETS for Broadway and Off-Broadway care of BLACK THEATRE ONLINE and WALK TALL GIRL PRODUCTIONS! She brought giveaways for:

a. August Wilson's Jitney on Broadway directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson (presented by the Manhattan Theatre Club)

b. Party People featuring Universes; developed and directed by Liesl Tommy (Eclipsed) (Public Theater)

c. Marcia introduced everyone to a new property that will run Monday through Saturday, December 5 through 17th at The Poet’s Den Theatre, 309 East 108th Street in NYC. “FOR ALL MY GIRLS” stars #ALL STAR KARAOKE’s beloved Monifah, April Nixon, and @Virginia Woodruff who joined us at ALL STAR KARAOKE along with Tmapp who wrote the book, music, lyrics (in addition to being a producer) for “FOR ALL MY GIRLS”. Marishka S. Phillips directs.

Curtain: 8p. Tickets $18.

FOR ALL MY GIRLS: A Musical Celebrating the "Everyday Diva"

The Poet's Den Theatre, 309 East 108th Street, NYC

Monday, December 5 @ 8pm

Tuesday, December 6 @ 8pm

Wednesday, December 7 @ 8pm

Thursday, December 8 @ 8pm

Friday, December 9 @ 8pm

Saturday, December 10 @ 8pm

Monday, December 12 @ 8pm

Tuesday, December 13 @ 8pm

Wednesday, December 14 @ 8pm

Thursday, December 15 @ 8pm

Friday, December 16 @ 8pm

Saturday, December 17 @ 8pm

Tickets: $18

www.brownpapertickets.com

800.838.3006

6. ALL STAR KARAOKE’s Artist in Residence SHENNA VAUGHN was in the

house with things to show and share.

She was SO GENEROUS to raffle off an original piece of her fine art: CITY LIGHTS which one of our #ALLSTARKARAOKE guests got take home!

7. SOCIAL MEDIA: Please INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK and SNAP CHAT and FACEBOOK LIVE out there for:

1. #ALLSTARKARAOKE

2. #MISTHARLEM

3. #TeamWTGP

FB /walktallgirlproductions

Twitter @blktheatronline

Instagram @walktallgirl

8. And find all of our SPONSORS out there…and LIKE them and TAG them and THANK THEM: #MISSJESSIES #MISSJESSIESBOOK #MIKOBRANCH

9. We always say: WE NEVER KNOW who will come by ALL STAR KARAOKE, but my NYC family and friends truly showed up and out for me as we celebrated my birthday. I’ll name just a few:

Good Morning America Correspondent Mara Schiavocampo;

Broadway singer/actress Virginia Woodruff;

French Canadian painter/artist Josee Nadeau;

celebrity/cinema makeup artist Therese Flaherty; Drums Along the Hudson Producer Carl Nelson;

Musa Jackson Productions’ Musa Jackson; Harlem Haberdashary’s Louis Johnson;

TV personality and Bevelations host (on Sirius XM's Andy Cohen channel) Bevy Smith; Apollo Theater’s Nina Flowers;

Sweet Honey & The Rock Founder Carol Maillard; Southern Chefs EP Adrianne C. Smith;

Ed Gordon Productions Executive Producer Carol Johnson Green;

favorite nephew Herman L. Riley III (cast-mate on ASPiRE TV’s “The Graduates NYC”);

Anthony Bodden (filmmaker/media expert/screenwriter, "Belly"); etc.

And of course, all the BFFs and dearests were in the house: Ernest; Tata; Tati;

Mario; Michael K. Watts; Dawn; David; Bernice; Naiika; Erin Stanley; Ebonee; our #ALLSTARKARAOKE faithfuls and favorites Ephraim and Darius Booker; and many many more! It was a PACKED HOUSE!

10.

So the reps for Brazilian HEART-THROB Alex Cypriano let me know they

were bringing him to town and he wanted to say HI to #LIFEOFRILEY –

aware that we have introduced some amazing talent from the world of

ears.

Alex wanted me to tell you HI but also wanted to give me a wonderful

BIRTHDAY gift of VERSACE gear! THANK YOU, ALEX! Here are his stats so

far: Currently in LA; 20 years old; Actor/Model; 2015 "Mr. Teen Tampa";

Represented By MC2 Miami; ETC. Stay tuned for the rest! #LIFEOFRILEY

is watching…and will keep you posted!#AlexCypriano is a BEAUTIFUL

LOOK OUT FOR HIS BRIGHT FUTURE! Bring

your SUNGLASSES! It’s BLINDING! Thanks for the Versace head to toe! Perfect for my birthday!

man - inside and out!

11. Hi folks! You know how much I LOVE Spirited Actor’s own Tracey Moore who

– over the years - has breathed life into the world through a powerful testimonial

in action of acting, casting, producing, directing, hosting...and now hosting this

project alongside everything else.

I even audited her Spirited Actor course when she started it in 1995…

and I continue to remain close to Tracey and her family who ARE my

family. In a nutshell, Tracey Moore ROCKS…and SHARES – so I was

too elated that she welcomed ACTORS to be in her Studio Audience

for her PILOT: “Inside the Black Box with Tracey Moore”. She shot

it at The Sheen Center in The Village.

Her guests for the pilot included awesome actors Malik Yoba and Joe Morton

with whom I got to share that I always had an “identification” with him (even

as a child when he played Fred Sanford’s BFF Grady’s son-in-law). We connected

that our mutual, international military “brat” history may be what I saw! This show

is lively and fun! Tracey is the best HOST and ACTING COACH. The guests inspired

and motivated ALL!

12.. Ant and I will celebrate 11 years at "The Color Purple" - the very show we were

attending when we met December 1, 2005.

This time, we'll see Jennifer Holliday as Shug Avery!

So excited! Hope you've had the chance to see my NBCBLK interview

with Miss Holliday:

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/broadway-queen-jennifer-holliday-s-next-act-color-purple-n662641

13. President Obama Names Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom…

and among them is someone I hoped silently would get it now (vs. later):

MISS ROSS! Today, President Barack Obama named 21 recipients of the

Presidential Medal of Freedom – including Diana Ross – encapsulated in

bio via the White House release as follows: “Diana Ross has had an iconic

career spanning more than 50 years within the entertainment industry in

music, film, television, theater, and fashion.

Diana Ross is an Academy Award nominee, inductee into the

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and recipient of the Grammy Awards

highest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award. Ross was a

recipient of the 2007 Kennedy Center Honors. Diana Ross's

greatest legacy is her five wonderful children.” The Presidential

Medal of Freedom is the Nation's highest civilian honor, presented

to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions

to the security or national interests of the United States, to world

peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.

The awards will be presented at the White House on November 22nd.

President Obama said, "The Presidential Medal of Freedom is not just our nation's highest civilian honor - it's a tribute to the idea that all of us, no matter where we come from, have the opportunity to change this country for the better. From scientists, philanthropists, and public servants to activists, athletes, and artists, these 21 individuals have helped push America forward, inspiring millions of people around the world along the way."