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At two hours and forty-five minutes long including intermission, PLEASE be good!  This is the thought that came to my mind when I agreed to attend the Los Angeles premier of the highly anticipated stage play, Zeola Gaye’s MY BROTHER MARVIN, at the Pantages Theatre on Friday. Quite frankly, tagging alongside EURweb publisher, Lee Bailey, I did not want to be the one who, at intermission, suddenly developed a “headache” and had to leave. So glad that scenario didn’t have to play out. When it comes to live theatre, some of us have very little tolerance with imperfection. Probably based on years of personal experience in the discipline; where we have gained an appreciation and respect for the craft because not only have we been behinds the scenes, we have even done the work. So we get peeved easily at a poorly written script, bad acting; and even audience members disrespecting the craft by showing up late or having private cell phone conversations while the actors are speaking their lines. With that said, the above scenario doesn’t describe the play we saw at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles (well, except the last part about audience members showing up late and having private…well, you know what I’m sayin’.) The play we saw was brilliantly written, with a superb cast; who knew exactly what they were doing. The play we saw had a cohesive nature that is only found in a unit; a team working together “ride-or-die” style; Stakeholders with a point to prove. Now for what you came here for. Yes, this is a play about the life and times of Marvin Gaye the “Prince of R&B.” But no, you will not hear his music in it. Is this a problem? Of course it is. Should it be a deal-breaker? No. And don’t think for a moment that the production shy’s away from this pink elephant in the room. You’ll get an earful at the top of the show on why there’s no Marvin Gaye music, and the challenges the show’s producer, Zeola Gaye, endured on this journey – not excluding death threats. The disclosure is tastefully executed, but audience members are left puzzled by the reasons (or lack thereof) for the omission. One audience member who had heard about the “no MG music” policy said she played his music in her car on the way to the theater. Another woman said the production has motivated her to have a Marvin Gaye music-only party. She even invited us! But once you wrap your brain around that, the disappointment fades and you sit back to learn about the man behind the music; the soft-spoken idealist who could not escape his demons, the deep family karma; the toxic relationship he had with his father, and the respect and adoration he had for his mother. You hear about the Marvin Gaye ego, and the arrogance he so effortlessly displayed as he climbed his ladder of success; the temper he unleashed when someone messed with his money, and of course, the drugs. But this story goes deeper than Marvin, Jr. A lot is revealed about his parents, Alberta and Marvin Gay, Sr. and their relationship to each other. Clifton Powell (who also directs) plays the elder Gay to acting perfection. His character speaks poignantly to the audience at one point, asking not to be judged and then delves into a pitiful soliloquy that leaves you spellbound. Powell’s Gay is a sad, delusional man with effeminate ways that go far beyond his fascination with female lingerie; and writer Angela Barrow-Dunlap along with producer Zeola Gaye offers a no-holds-barred script with revelations that takes the audience behind the curtain in the elder Gays sordid relationship with his own mother; and the toll this relationship has taken on his wife. Lynn Whitfield’s “Alberta Gay” is resilient, strong and loyal. She is the glue of the family for sure. To describe Ms. Whitfield’s performance as superb seems too small a word. She flies like an eagle in this role. She knows “her” well, and is not afraid to lighten up and have fun with the role in all the right moments. Her scenes with Keith Washington, who portrays

Cash Money Records DJ's First Visual Project In December, Cash Money Records DJs and production duo, Stafford Brothers, released their first track as Cash Money artists. Finally after months of waiting, the brothers team up with Lil Wayne and Christina Milian for the "Hello" visuals. The party in the above video looks like a crazy one!

Yeezy On Tim Westwood In 2005 Back in '05, when Kanye actually like radio personalities and did interviews, he hit up the Tim Westwood Show. In true Tim fashion, he got Yeezy to spit a pretty long freestlye over a bunch of instrumentals. I miss the Kanye from the video above!

It’s high time Texas grabbed marijuana prohibition by the horns! DFW NORML proudly presents the Texas Regional NORML Conference at the Norris Conference Center (304 Houston St. Fort Worth, Texas 76102-7404) in downtown Fort Worth from June 7 – 9. This historic event includes over a dozen speakers such as Keith Stroup, founder of NORML, Judge Jim [Continue Reading]

By Monterey Bud “Marijuana is the finest anti-nausea medication known to science, and our leaders have lied about this consistently. Arresting people for medical marijuana is the most hideous example of government interference in the private lives of individuals. It’s an outrage within an outrage within an outrage.” - Peter McWilliams Tourette’s Syndrome - a neuropsychiatric illness which affects [Continue Reading]

After coming out in February and retiring from soccer, it was reported Friday night that Rogers will be back and playing for the Los Angeles Galaxy. Robbie Rogers, in black, controls the ball for the Columbus Crew against his new team, the Los Angeles Galaxy, on September 24, 2011 at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Via: Jamie Sabau / Getty Images Robbie Rogers, who came out as gay and retired from professional soccer in February, is back and will be playing play with the Los Angeles Galaxy.USA Today reported the news Friday night, which was later confirmed by several other sources.Rogers will be the first out Major League Soccer player.Yahoo! Sports later Friday night reported: MLS rights to Rogers, who previously played in the league for Columbus Crew from 2007 to 2011, were owned by the Chicago Fire, but Rogers didn't want to play for them. So after casually training with the Galaxy over the last several weeks, a trade was finally worked out, sending midfielder Mike Magee to Chicago in exchange for Rogers, who is now the first openly gay player in MLS.As BuzzFeed reported in early May, Rogers began training with the LA Galaxy on April 30. BuzzFeed's Kevin Lincoln wrote at the time:The MLS season is already in flow, meaning that Rogers could be playing professional soccer as soon as 1) he decides he wants to be playing professional soccer, 2) his contract situation is resolved, and 3) he gets into game shape. Via: instagram.com Because basketball player Jason Collins' season was done this year before he came out on April 29, it is likely that Rogers actually could become the first out male athlete to play a major league sport in the U.S.Back when Rogers came out in February he described, "I have been afraid, afraid to show whom I really was because of fear. Fear that judgment and rejection would hold me back from my dreams and aspirations." Explaining that he is gay, he then wrote, "I realized I could only truly enjoy my life once I was honest. Honesty is a bitch but makes life so simple and clear. My secret is gone, I am a free man, I can move on and live my life as my creator intended." View Entire List ›

EA Games offers up a teaser trailer for the latest installment of the Need For Speed franchise: Rivals. In Rivals, players can choose between the life of a street racer, while dodging the police or play the other side as a cop by attaining higher ranks, faster police cars, and trying to capturing increasingly elusive [...]

do front’ you’ll hit this snow bunny

Will all these wonderfully complicated characters learn to unravel their complications and fears? Probably not. But will they braid them together to form a community? Don't you hope so?

It's as easy as 1, 2, 3.