Spectacular Magazine - April 2014 April 2014 | Page 38

ENTERTAINMENT

DID U KNOW?...
OPRAH WINFREY TO SELL HARPO STUDIOS IN CHICAGO

CHICAGO, IL (AP)
- Oprah Winfrey
has entered into
a purchasing
agreement with
Sterling Bay for the
four-building Harpo
Studios campus
in Chicago’s West
Loop. The property
will be leased
back to Harpo for
two years and
the studio will
continue to produce
programming for
OWN.” Winfrey
filmed “The Oprah Winfrey Show” at the studio from 1990 to 2011, when she
ended the talk show to start the Oprah Winfrey Network on cable. About 200
people work at the 3.5-acre campus, which will sell for about $32 million.
Harpo said it expects to close the transaction in 30 days. Winfrey moved
to Harpo Studios in 1990 and is credited with transforming the once-gritty
industrial area to a neighborhood filled with families and trendy restaurants.
In 2011, then-Chicago Mayor Richard Daley named the street outside Harpo
Studios “Oprah Winfrey Way.”
ZOE SALDANA IN TALKS TO STAR AS EARTHA KITT IN BIOPIC
HOLLYWOOD, CA - Hollywood starlet, Zoe Saldana is in talks to play barrierbreaking black entertainer, Eartha Kitt. No stranger to playing real-life people
– her upcoming biopic about Nina Simone‘s life and career is without a release
date. In fact, she’s been heavily criticized for garnering the role as Simone in
the upcoming biopic, “Nina,” for not being black enough. She has also taken
on the legendary role of Rosemary (made famous by Mia Farrow) in a NBC
four-hour miniseries, the re-imaging of “Rosemary’s Baby.” She has proven
herself a very versatile actress of color — just like Eartha Kitt. Kitt reached her
peak years in the late 1960s when she took on her famous role as Catwoman
in the campy ”Batman” TV series, but then unfortunately experienced a decline
in popularity due to her honest views on the Vietnam war. She died from colon
cancer on Christmas Day in 2008 and of course she’s also known for her 1950s
Christmas hit, “Santa Baby.” Although it’s unofficial Saldana will play Kitt, she
closely resembles who legendary actor Orson Welles once called ”the most
exciting woman in the world!” (www.blackamericaweb.com)
ARETHA FRANKLIN CELEBRATES
72ND BIRTHDAY WITH DENZEL
WASHINGTON
NEW YORK, NY (AP) - Denzel
Washington helped the Queen of
Soul celebrate her 72nd birthday
in style, and Andre 3000 and
Babyface are working on new
music for the icon. Franklin held
an exclusive and small party
March 22nd in New York City for
her birthday, which is on March
25th. Washington entered the Ritz-Carlton Hotel quietly, though the crowd got

38

excited after realizing it was the Oscar winner under a baseball cap. Franklin
thanked the actor for attending. Just hours earlier, she saw him onstage in the
Broadway play, “A Raisin In the Sun.” Her longtime musical collaborator, Clive
Davis, also attended. The singer was all smiles at the event. She said in an
interview that she’s working on new music with rapper Andre 3000 and singersongwriter Babyface.
When asked what she wants for her birthday, Franklin said. “I’m looking for
a record deal for my granddaughter Victorie, and my son Kecalf.” They both
performed recently at the BET Honors special, which paid tribute to Franklin.
Earlier in March, Franklin performed at the White House alongside Patti LaBelle,
Jill Scott and other soul singers.
THE QUEEN LATIFAH SHOW HEADS TO BET
Queen Latifah has joined the BET family.
Starting March 31, 2014, BET began airing
episodes of The Queen Latifah Show —
featuring chart-topping musical guests,
celebrity interviews and everyday heroes
who are changing lives in their local
communities — exclusively o