Fame News!

This month we are looking back to this time last year to the Fame Reunion in Italy. Hard to believe its been a year already. We will be posting MP3s of the songs the cast performed at the Reunion concert.

Debbie Allen's Hot Chocolate Nutcracker is back for it's 7th year at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on December 16th and 17th. Starring Debbie Allen, Carlo Imperato
and Eartha Robinson.

Tickets and more Information

Cynthia Gibb stars in a new Christmas Movie called "Broadcasting Christmas". Here's the trailer for the movie.

Lee Curreri's wife Sherry Dean Curreri (who's also the sister of Fame original movie star Laura Dean) has written a book titled "Poor Little Puppy".

Here's what Lee had to say on Facebook:

"My wife Sherry Dean Curreri and my artist/songstress friend Linda Dalziel wrote a lovely children's book about our rescue pup, and best buddy Herbie. Seems like it would be a wonderful Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa present for the children and the pet-loving parents in your life! Check it out here:"

Buy on Amazon

After the American Presidential Elections last month some of the Fame cast had some inspirational things to say. #uprootingracism

Erica Gimpel Said:

"Hello Beautiful People,

I had to take a few days after this election to regroup. It has been a very emotional time. I am moved to share my thoughts with you:
This is what America looks like to me.
...

This is what makes America great is our diversity… That is our beauty
But we have ignored America’s greatest illness RACISM… And it has been festering for far too long… This is a pushback vote. The last hurrah for an old version of America that I refuse to allow to Brainwash and Whitewash this country… I refuse to allow this to happen.
There have been programs with titles like THE WAR ON DRUGS…
I don’t even like the word war, but we need on WAR ON RACISM. But not a war, we need STRATEGIES to uproot and heal racism at its core. We need to come up with a plan, a clear strategy of creating workshops, and going into the hot beds of society and the states where hatred and racism have been allowed to run rampant, and have a ten-year plan, a twenty-year plan on how we will transform this… I reach out to anyone who has any ideas or can direct me to organizations that are already in this process… But this is the essence of it and we need to uproot it and heal it NOW!

We know inclusion creates more diverse points of views, which generates greater odds for success, and any business knows that because we live in a global market… But I am not only speaking of this for business sake…I am speaking about this for the soul of our country, the soul of America… But it seems our country only listens when it comes down to profit and gain. So I offer this great quote I heard, “WHEN PEACE BECOMES MORE PROFITABLE THAN WAR, THE WORLD WILL KNOW PEACE.”
I pledge be a fighter for INCLUSION, EQUALITY FOR ALL PEOPLE and PEACE for the rest of my life!

I will keep the vision and the picture in my mind of an inclusive and vibrant America as we navigate through these unknown waters ahead… We will transform this. We will heal. And we will WIN!
Peace!"

#uprootingracism

Nia Peeples said:

"Last night after the announcement of Donald Trump as our president elect, a dear 20 something year old relative, let’s call him John, called crying and sent me a copy of a tweet by someone on the ground in NY:

“Am at a Trump rally in Manhattan, and thousands are chanting
‘We hate Muslims, we hate blacks, we want our great country back' ...Disgusting"

He was in tears at the thought of our fellow Americans voting in a President who has undeniably utter the words

“Laziness is a trait in blacks”
…it really doesn’t matter…as long as you’ve got a young, and beautiful, piece of ass.”

"…total and complete shutdown of Muslims"

“The point is, you can never be too greedy.”

"… Grab them in the Pussy. You can do anything.”

John was so disheartened at the thought of being a member of a nation who as a whole, embraces and subscribes to those very same sentiments. I understood his sadness. These statements are inexcusable. They are sentiments of separation, racism, sexism and capitalism at the expense of the masses. The feelings are real and they are warranted.
But I reminded John that the majority who voted Donald Trump in yesterday, voted President Barack Obama in for two terms. We are the same nation of people. And while some who voted for Donald Trump may have those very fearful sentiments as stated in the tweet, there’s simply no way they are the reason Donald Trump was elected. By sheer number, they couldn’t keep president Obama out. How in the world could they have put Trump in? There is something much bigger at play here.

Watching the BBC for the world view, they said something very astute. They called this “the greatest protest vote in history.” Why? Because it’s evident that our system is broken. We, as a nation, voted in President Obama hoping for change. But there was gridlock in Washington. It was the Democrats vs the Republicans. An US against THEM mentality. If one side won, the other lost. Period. There was no respect for the American people as a whole. We weren’t at the top of the agenda. At the top was Red or Blue. And both of them are at the mercy of their funding.

But here’s the beautiful part. Yes our system of government needs to change. The need for change is so unbearably obvious that we swung from a Barack Obama to a Donald Trump in a span of 8 years. But here’s how beautifully it worked: We voted, and it was so. Regardless of the parties preferences, regardless of the fact that an absolutely qualified Democratic candidate (love her or hate her,) was presented with near full support of her party, alongside a Republican candidate who could not even get the endorsement of many republican leaders like Mit Romney, Colin Powel and the Bushes, against all odds, regardless of the system’s limitations, we voted. And WE were able to make the call. This part of our system is working. This is the beauty of America.

So now here we are. On the surface there is tremendous separation. But I urge you to look deep down inside. Are we really so different? Do we all want peace? Do we all want freedom to express and expand? Do we all want abundance and joy? YES! Even those who utter words like, “We hate Muslims and blacks” utter them out of fear, fear that their peace and abundance and joy are being jeopardized. But we know better. We know that love is the only answer. And if we really believe that, then we know these times offer up a very unique opportunity to prove our belief in the power of love, compassion, forgiveness equality, respect and dignity, by standing firmly in that knowing. It’s not time to debate or try to convince anyone of anything. It’s simply time to stand in our knowing. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. The only way to prove it is to be it. Be the love. Be the compassion, the dignity, the equality and the respect…Be the change. And change will be.

In so much love,
Nia"

Have a great month and a wonderful Christmas,

Mark