Features

The Ru Report #155

"Roots" Run Deep
Acclaimed actor LeVar Burton is making a triumphant return to the small screen.

It's been nearly 30 years since the German-born thespian embodied the essence of the displaced slave warrior Kunta Kinte in the much-lauded ABC mini-series "Roots." And Mr. Burton remains as passionate about the acting craft. Even if it is behind the camera.

For his latest foray into television, the 48-year-old married father of two is sitting in the big chair. The 10-time Emmy Award winner has been selected as one of five celebrated Black directors to helm a segment of the forthcoming mini-series "Miracle's Boy." Adapted from the best-selling novel of the same name by award-winning young adult author Jacqueline Woodson, the three-hour, six-part drama centers around three Black orphaned teenage brothers living in Harlem, NY struggling to hold their family together.

Executive-produced by Tania Lewis Lee, the former lawyer, beloved mother, best-selling author and beautiful wife of Spike Lee, the mini-series will kick off on February 18 on Viacom's kid-friendly network, The N Channel, formerly known as Noggin.

Mr. Burton joins Mr. Lee, Bill Duke, Ernest Dickerson, and Neema Barnett in bringing the compelling story to the small screen, the first time ever for the network. He said he got involved in the project because two of the producers are his longtime friends – an association that spans two decades via the long-running PBS literacy program "Reading Rainbow."

Directing is a natural progression for him, he said. "I don't do being idle well," he explained. "I need to be doing something. And when I was acting for a living, I had a lot of down time and it just made sense to me to develop other skill sets.

"When I discovered directing, it was like I really discovered why I came into this life, why I took a body. It's just I feel like I'm so at home when I'm directing."

Mr. Burton, who also revealed that he's the proud grandfather of a three-year-old girl, admitted that he is a control freak and went on to say, "I feel like with directing you have to really understand, you have to really want to work with people. I believe directing is as much about leadership as it is about vision. And I really enjoy working with people and inspiring them to contribute their best efforts. That's one of the reasons why I like it so much."

Shooting of "Miracle's Boy" took place in Harlem USA--a place that the former actor and director of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" said he loved being in. "I want to invest myself in Harlem. I want buy property there. I want to open a hotel there. I just love it. It's going on uptown."

He laughed off the "living legend" title that I bestowed upon him. "You know what? It's not whether or not I like it, it's whether or not I feel comfortable with it," he explained. "And I don't feel comfortable with it yet."

Looking ahead, Mr. Burton said he has no desire to return to being in front of the camera. Being the host of "Reading Rainbow" since 1983 suffices. "I'm really focusing on my career behind the cameras these days. I got a couple of feature films that I want to develop."

"This is what I do for a living now," the Grammy Award winning narrator of "The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr." continued. "This is how I feed my family."

He's also planning to launch a new business endeavor next year, called LeVar Burton Books. His motivation to focus on literacy comes from having a mother who was an English Teacher. "Reading was reading in our home. You did not read in my mother's house."

"I intend for the company, as we grow, to publish literature of all types and categories," he said. "I want this company to become one of the premiere destinations for quality literature across the board, for children and families worldwide."

And as far as his "Roots" roots are concerned, he doesn't try to shake it. He actually receives it. Some audacious folk even still refer to him "Kunta," he admitted. "I have that etched on my license plate. I embrace it. If I drive down the street and see someone else with Kunta on their license plate, how do you think that would make me feel? I would be highly upset. Highly upset. You feel me?"

Indeed.

The Talented Mr. Burton has been capturing the attention of audiences and peers for over two decades. And if he has it his way, he will continue to do so for many more to come. But on his terms.

"Life is good. I'm very blessed. I have a wonderful family. I have a career that I love. I mean I can make a living doing something that I actually love doing, that I'm really passionate about," he concluded. "It's all good."

Touche!

Video View
There are a deluge of home video products catering to the African American market and being released throughout "Black History Month." But only a few are worthy of giving your gander to. For the next few weeks, we will review some:

Arguably one of the best movies made in the past few years, "Ray" (Universal) is a musical and dramatical tour-de-force that will go down in the annals of Hollywood history. In the title role of musical genius Ray Charles, Jamie Foxx embodies the truest essence of one of soul music's greatest architects. The critically-acclaimed film is directed by Taylor Hackford and stars a who's who of today's brightest and best African American acting talents, including Kerry Washington, Regina King, Clifton Powell, Aunjanue Ellis, Harry Lennix, Larenz Tate, Terrence Dashon Howard, Bokeem Woodbine and featuring Sharon Warren. It's a masterful work of art that continues to keep viewers in awe. And just as the Oscar race gets underway, a stellar home video package arrives in stores. Loaded with in-depth, behind-the-scenes bonus materials and two versions of the film, the "Ray" DVD also includes a 28-page photo journal, extended musical performances and 14 deleted scenes. This is definitely a keeper.

Also In Stores
Emmy Award winning funnyman Bernie Mac takes a crack at a being the romantic lead in a feature film with "Mr. 3000" (Touchstone). Despite the panning of some critics, the Original King Of Comedy doesn't strike out as a retired baseball player on the comeback trail. Angela Bassett spices things up a bit as his former gal pal and a roving sports reporter, while newcomer Brian J. White sizzles on the screen. Chris Noth, Paul Sorvino, and Michael Rispoli round out the cast. While Tom Arnold, John Salley, Stuart Scott and Jay Leno make cameos.

Two versions of "Shall We Dance" (Miramax) also popped up on store shelves this week. The original version, an International hit, written and directed by Masayuki Suo is in Japanese with English subtitles. It may be more enjoyable than the box-office clunker of the same named that starred Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez and Susan Sarandon and opened in theaters last fall.

Plus: We need to be the first to tell you that Tyra Banks' flourishing television franchise "America's Next Top Model" will make its debut on home video on March 29. The sexiest reality show on television will morph into a 3-disc set showing all the highlights (and a few low ones) from Cycle One of the hit show. What a perfect way to catch up on a guilty pleasure.

Music Notes
Although she scored a huge pop hit in 1990 with the timeless ballad "Get Here," chanteuse Oleta Adams hasn't received her just due. Well at least in my humble opinion. Yet, still she's a draw at venues she performs in around the world. The former Tears For Fears collaborator is ready for her close-up at New York's B.B. King Blues Club & Grill with two shows on Valentine's Day (February 14). Although the Preacher's Daughter is quite fond of recording inspirational soul music nowadays, she always stands and delivers with her rousing repertoire. And she knows how to tickle the ivories too.

Also planning to shake things up at B.B. King's is rootsy rapper Mos Def, who is scheduled to play two late-night shows for two nights on February 9 & 10. It will be the first time that the multi-talented hip-hop entity and host of HBO's "Def Poetry" will play the New York area since the release of his critically acclaimed album "The New Danger." Last October, the set spawned the single "Sex, Love & Money," which has garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. 212-997-4555, bbkingblues.com

It may have been a secret or something, but Alicia Keys has a book out on the market. Sans a few advertisements placed in music magazines, the book "Tears For Water: Songbook of Poems & Lyrics" (G.P. Putnam's Sons, $19.95), has been relatively under the radar. In the hardcover collectible, the multi-platinum, multi-Grammy Award winner presents 27 previously unpublished poems from her private journal, as well as never before published lyrics to the 28 songs from her two chart-topping CDs.

On February 25 & 26, the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music at New York University will team up with Shocklee Entertainment for "The Making Of Public Enemy's 'It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back,'" an in-depth panel discussion event on the making of hip-hop's greatest album. Original Public Enemy band members, producers and engineers will mix it up with members of the original Def Jam executive team and the nation's leading journalists for a series of panel discussions on the making of the landmark album. Produced by Dr. Jason King, confirmed participants for the events include hip-hop media architect Bill Adler, award-winning author and TV producer Nelson George, self proclaimed "media assassin" Harry Allen, film executive Lisa Cortes, record label publicist Biff Dalton Warren and producers Hank Shocklee, and Keith Shocklee. And of course PE front-man Chuck D. All events are free and open to the public. It should be quite colorful. It may be worth it just to catch Mr. Biff in action!

Wonders Working
Soon after went to press last week with our touching story about Baby Jordan urgently needing a heart transplant, he got one. I got a note from his loving parents the next day expressing extreme happiness about the announcement that a donor heart became available on January 26.

"Jordan underwent cardiac transplant surgery on Wednesday evening, beginning at approximately 7:00 p.m. and lasting roughly four and a half hours," Jordan's parents Jeff and Sadaf Trimarchi wrote. "Dr. Quaegebeur, who performed the transplant, appeared at 11:30 p.m. and stated that, the [new] heart is working well. He also cautioned that we are not out of the woods yet, because transplant surgery is very complicated, requiring extensive recovery and constant monitoring. However, he assured us that we're off to a good start"

The couple asked for us all to think about and pray for the baby who passed away and whose parents were generous enough to donate its organs so that Baby Jordan could have a chance to live. They also pledged to not stop their mission of spreading the word about organ donation.

God works wonders. He really does.

Something Special
In commemoration of Black History Month, The RU Report has teamed up with Paramount Home Video to give away copies of the newly released DVD package of the extraordinary documentary "Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise And Fall Of Jack Johnson," which recently aired on PBS just a few weeks ago.

With first-person readings by Samuel L. Jackson, Courtney B. Vance and Billy Bob Thornton, the two-part series chronicles the story of the first African-American boxer to win the most coveted title in all of sports and his struggle -- in and out of the ring -- to live his life as a free man. Narrated by Keith David and features on-camera interviews with James Earl Jones, George Plimpton, Stanley Crouch, Bert Sugar and others, "Unforgivable Blackness…" was made possible by Ken Burns, the celebrated director of Academy Award-nominated films "Brooklyn Bridge" and "Statue of Liberty."

The DVD release of "Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise And Fall Of Jack Johnson," also includes a behind-the-scenes "Making-of" featurette, a special music video featuring Wynton Marsalis, and additional footage not included in the final film

Get this great giveaway while supplies! Only a few entrants, selected at random, will receive a copy of the "Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson" To enter, send your name, contact information and daytime telephone number to: TheRUReport@aol.com.

Notable/Quotable
"If you're darker than a paper bag, you can't get in," Emmy Award-winning funnyman Chris Rock, on why he's not a member of 'The Academy.' He's hosting The 77th Annual Academy Awards on February 27.

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Message Karu F Daniels or email him directly at therureport@aol.com