JANUARY 2021 If you would like to unsubscribe The BAVPA Beacon newsletter, please contact RON MANGUM ( [email protected] ) or RUSSELL LINK at ([email protected]). This letter is a great way to keep everyone informed about what’s happening in our lives; please help us to keep it going. LATEST BAVPA ALUMNI NEWS AND UPDATES E Educator,C Saxophonist and Composer JAMES BRANDON LEWIS (2001) album Live in Willasau with Chad Taylor was named one of Downbeat Magazine’s Top Album of 2020:http://www.jblewis.com/. ArrowsmithPress.comE article, Grocery Store Chronicles written by Lewis: https://www.arrowsmithpress.com/grocery- store?utm_source=Saxophonist+%7Ccomposer+++James+Brandon+Lewis+++News+%21&utm_campaign=eadd300624- EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_12_08_02_45&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a536d5a51c-eadd300624-212759441 M ChicagoReader.com article, Brooklyn saxophonist James Brandon Lewis finds inspiration in DNA on Molecular: https://www.chicagoreB ader.com/chicago/brooklyn-saxophonist-james-brandon-lewis-finds-inspiration-in-dna-on- molecular/Content?oid=84057365. E R 2 0 Check out Lewis’ CD, Molecular on Intakt Records ( http://www.intaktrec.ch/342.htm ), the recording features Brad Jones, Chad Taylor, and Aruan Ortiz. Lewis’ CD, Live at Willisau (https://jamesbrandonlewis.bandcamp.com/album/live-in-willisau ) is on sale now. Check out Orientation of We’s new album, Emergence with ( https://stilll-off.bandcamp.com/album/emergence ) with Max Johnson, Michael Irwin , Joe Hertenstein and JBL. VICTORIA PEREZ (1997) is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Raices Theatre Company (www.raicestheatrecompany.com), SMIRNA MERCEDES-PEREZ (1992) and LISETTE DEJESUS are RTC members. SCOTT “GUS” POITRAS (1992) is the advanced carpenter in the San Francisco, CA staging of J.K. Rowling’s stage play, Harry Potter and The Cursed Child at Curran Theatre in San Francisco, CA:https://www.harrypottertheplay.com/san-francisco/. SMH.com article, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’s return to the stage is a true litmus test: https://www.smh.com.au/culture/theatre/harry- potter-and-the-cursed-child-s-return-to-the-stage-is-a-true-litmus-test-20201218-p56os3.html. WinterisComing.com article, Universal: We’re “not done” building the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: https://winteriscoming.net/2020/11/17/universal-exec-not-done-building-wizarding-world-harry-potter/. Poitras was production carpenter in the Broadway musical comedy The Prom ( https://theprommusical.com/ ) closed August 18, 2019. The Prom related article, Celebrate Theatre With These 25 Lego Broadway Recreations: https://www.playbill.com/article/celebrate-theatre- with-these-25-lego-broadway-recreations. Playbill.com article, The musical, directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, opened at the Longacre Theatre November 15, 2018. https://www.playbill.com/article/celebrate-the-prom-with-a-look-back-at-its-journey-to-broadway. The Prom’s Netflix official website, https://www.netflix.com/title/81079914. Poitras was the Advance Flyman on Sara Bareilles’ penned musical Waitress on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theater ( https://waitressthemusical.com/), the production closed January 5, 2020 after 1544 performances. Playbill.com article, Waitress Will Now Launch U.K. and Ireland Tour in Spring 2021:https://www.playbill.com/article/waitress-will-now-launch- uk-and-ireland-tour-in-spring-2021. GABRIEL ROBERE’ (2005), JON CESAR ( 1989 ) and WGRZ-TV Channel 2’s CLAUDINE EWING (1988) appeared in the 2018 action/sci-fi horror film, The First Purge, ( https://www.uphe.com/movies/the-first-purge ) starring Frank Grillo, Elizabeth Mitchell, Oscar winner Marisa Tomei and Patch Dorragh. JON CESAR (1989) will portray legendary recording artist, national lounge singer, radio personality and WNY icon, Lance Diamond biopic, Diamond in the Buff now in pre-production. Author/Dancer/African Drum Instructor and Educator KRISTIN CRAGE’s (1988) publication, Woman to Woman-The Conversation, Part I is available for purchase: https://www.amazon.com/ Woman-Conversation-Part-I/dp/0692164618. Woman to Woman-The Conversation, Part I Book Overview This series is about the conversations we never had, need to have, and still can have. It’s about growing from girl to woman - living, loving and learning while finding self-worth and dignity in the face of serious setbacks and major challenges. This is the journey of releasing pain and anger, no judgment and no-holds-barred and finding the way to love. The Woman to Woman series is for every woman. Woman to Woman-Part II Book Overview Woman to Woman-Part II is the continuing series about the conversations |we never had, need to have, and still can have. It's about growing from girl to woman; living, loving and learning while finding self-worth and dignity in the face of serious setbacks and major challenges. This is the journey of all that is unspoken to find the way to love." To order copies of the Woman to Woman books and her first publication,Between Humans And Animals, go to https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Kristin+A.+Crage?_requestid=2212812. Singer, Multi-instrumentalist, Poet, Songwriter, Activist and Businesswoman ANI DIFRANCO (1987) to perform at the Peter Mulvey with SistaStrings in Minneapolis, MN March 9, 2021. For tickets and more information, go to https://www.righteousbabe.com/. NoDepression.com article, Ani DiFranco on ‘Revolutionary Love’ and Tending to Wounds: https://www.nodepression.com/ani-difranco-on- revolutionary-love-and-tending-to-wounds/. DiFranco’s new album, Revolutionary Love will be released January 29, 2021:https://righteousbabe.ffm.to/revlove-preorder.ofp. DiFranco is an advocate for The Breathe Act ( https://breatheact.org ), a legislation that would radically transform the nation's criminal justice system by eliminating life sentences, retroactively expunging drug crimes, shutting down multiple federal agencies and permanently closing prisons and immigration detention centers, among other agenda items. For more information about the bill, go to link. DifFranco portrayed the character of Persephone on the Anaïs Mitchell’s Hadestown concept album ( available now on Righteous Babe’s record label:https://www.righteousbabe.com/. Scotscoop.com article, ‘Hadestown’ is a breathtaking journey to the underworld: https://scotscoop.com/hadestown-is-a-breathtaking-journey- to-the-underworld/. Hadestown related article, Celebrate Theatre With These 25 Lego Broadway Recreations:https://www.playbill.com/article/celebrate-theatre- with-these-25-lego-broadway-recreations. DiFranco’s memoir, No Walls and the Recurring Dream and audio recording are available for purchase: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/558143/no-walls-and-the-recurring-dream-by-ani-difranco/9780735225176/. THE FLASH, RENT, LAW & ORDER, SEXUAL HEALING FILM AND TICK TICK…BOOM! NEWS JESSE L. MARTIN (1987) pictured with actor Grant Gustin, portrays Central City Police Department’s Captain Joe West on the CW-TV ( http://www.cwtv.com/) superhero series, The Flash. SpolierTV.com article, The Flash - Season 7 - First 5 Episode Titles Revealed:https://www.spoilertv.com/2020/11/the-flash-season-7-first-5- episodes.html?m=1. SyFy.com article, FROM CRISIS TO FLASHPOINT: CELEBRATING 80 YEARS OF THE FLASH: https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/from-crisis-to- flashpoint-celebrating-80-years-of-the-flash ScrenRant.com article, The Flash Season 7 Will See the Return of Fan-Favorite Villains: https://screenrant.com/flash-season-7-villains-return- danielle-nicolet-tease/. PopSugar.com-Rent related article, Vanessa Hudgens's New Tattoo Is a Sweet Tribute to a Late Playwright: https://www.popsugar.com/beauty/vanessa-hudgens-tick-tick-boom-tattoo-47977510. Playbill.com-Rent’s Jonathan Larson related article, In the News: Tick, Tick...BOOM! Movie Wraps Filming, a Sneak Peek at Matthew Morrison's Grinch, More: https://www.playbill.com/article/in-the-news-tick-tickboom-movie-wraps-filming-a-sneak-peek-at-matthew- morrisons-grinch-more. BAVPA ALUMNI (GRADUATION YEARS UNKNOWN) and MISCELLANEOUS NEWS Griselda Record’s First Lady ARMANI CAESAR stars in the record company’s first motion picture, Conflicted; the film’s scheduled for a January 15 release on Pay-Per-View: https://conflicted.uscreen.io/ . TheSource.com article, GRISELDA RECORDS ANNOUNCE DEBUT FEATURE FILM ‘CONFLICTED’ STARRING WESTSIDE GUNN, BENNY THE BUTCHER, MICHAEL RAPAPORT AND MORE:https://thesource.com/2020/12/11/griselda-records-announce-debut-feature-film-conflicted- starring-westside-gunn-benny-the-butcher-michael-rapaport-and-more/. Children’s book illustrator/Educator and Musician SHANE W. EVANS’ artwork is featured in Li’l Rabbit’s Kwanzaa written by Donna L. Washington. Spokesman.com article, Water Cooler: Holiday kids reads: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/dec/15/water-cooler-holiday-kids-reads/. BuffaloRising.com interview featuring Drummer DAVID JONATHAN, https://www.buffalorising.com/2020/12/interview-david-jonathan-playing- through-transitions/ . Author A.A. LEWIS wrote the Buffalo-Based 90’s urban novels, The 716 Back to Business, The 716 Love & Consequences and The 716 Ladies First are available for purchase: https://dspublishing.net/. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DR. SILVIA LLOYD wrote two publications, Pandemic Preparedness Guide for School Administrators: Policies, Practices, and Lessons Learned From the COVID-19 Pandemic (Coronavirus Crisis in Our Schools) and The 21st-Century Black Librarian in America: Issues and Challenges Kindle Edition: