WSSN Stories

Alvin Crawford (center) and the cast of “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess” by George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin, book adapted by Suzan-Lori Parks and musical score adapted by Diedre L. Murray. Directed by Diane Paulus, “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess” previews at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre April 22 and opens April 23. Performances continue through June 1, 2014. For tickets and information, please visit CenterTheatreGroup.org or call (213) 972-4400.
Photo by Michael J. Lutch

The Tony Award-winning musical “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess” makes its  triumphant debut at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre, opening Wednesday, April 23 at 8 p.m. Performances continue through June 1, 2014. (Preview April 22.)

“The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess” by George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy  Heyward and Ira Gershwin, features one of Broadway’s most accomplished creative teams, led  by Tony Award-winning director Diane Paulus (“Pippin,” “Hair”), Pulitzer Prize-winning
playwright Suzan-Lori Parks (“Topdog/Underdog”), and two-time Obie Award-winning  composer Diedre L. Murray (“Running Man”).

The cast, which includes Nathaniel Stampley and Alicia Hall Moran as Porgy and Bess  (respectively), also features Alvin Crawford as Crown, Kingsley Leggs as Sporting Life, Sumayya Ali as Clara, Denisha Ballew as Serena, Danielle Lee Greaves as Mariah and David  Hughey as Jake.

In addition, the cast includes Dan Barnhill, Vanjah Boikai, Adrianna M. Cleveland, Roosevelt André Credit, Cicily Dainels, Dwelvan David, Nkrumah Gatling, Tamar Greene, Nicole Adell Johnson, James Earl Jones II, Quentin Oliver Lee, Cheryse McLeod Lewis,
Sarita Rachelle Lilly, Kent Overshown, Chauncey Packer, Lindsay Roberts, Fred Rose and  Soara-Joye Ross.

This new adaptation of “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess” was specifically created for Broadway and features a revised book in a musical theatre format and jazz-oriented musical arrangements. The classic story is set in Charleston’s fabled Catfish Row, where the beautiful Bess struggles to break free from her scandalous past, and the only one who can rescue her is the courageous Porgy. Threatened by her formidable former lover Crown, and the seductive enticements of the colorful troublemaker Sporting Life, Porgy and Bess’ relationship evolves into a deep romance that triumphs as one of theatre’s most exhilarating love stories. Based on DuBose Heyward’s novel “Porgy” and the play of the same name, which he co-wrote with his wife, Dorothy Heyward, “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess” includes such legendary songs such as “Summertime,” “It Ain’t Necessarily So” and “I Got Plenty of
Nothing.”

The creative team also includes choreographer Ronald K. Brown, set designer Riccardo Hernandez, costume designer Esosa, lighting designer Christopher Akerlind, sound designer ACME Sound Partners, music supervisor Constantine Kitsopoulous and music director/conductor Dale Rieling.

The revival of “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess” had its world premiere at Harvard University’s American Repertory Theater during its 2011/12 season. The production moved to the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway for a limited engagement with an official opening on January 12, 2012. “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess” closed on September 23, 2012, after 322 performances, making it the longest running production of “Porgy and Bess” to ever play Broadway.

Tickets for “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess” are available by calling (213) 972-4400, online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org or in person at the CTG box office located at the Ahmanson Theatre at the Music Center.

Yolanda Holder at the Boston Marathon

By Yolanda Holder

I grew up watching the Boston Marathon on TV and thought to myself, I will never be able to go to Boston because I’m not a runner and I’m not an athlete. Five years ago for my 50^th birthday I power walked 65 marathons/ultras in 52 weeks which started my journey as a Power Walking Diva. Being a 2x Guinness World Record holder for the “Most Marathons Run in a Calendar Year” has opened up many doors.  I have power walked over 471 marathons which included the LA Marathon, San Francisco , San Diego, Seattle, Honolulu and the New York Marathon just to name a few, but never the Boston Marathon. Losing both my parents to diabetes complications and wanting to honor my mom I founded Extreme Walk 4 Diabetes.  I power walked from Corona to Oakland, 521 miles in 15 days, spreading the word about the benefits of walking and diabetes.  After completing EW4D I was invited to be on a relay team mini “Run for Tomorrow” Ottawa, Canada to New York City Marathon.  Being a member on the R4T team we were invited to run the Boston Marathon.

I had never been to Boston and I was excited for two reasons.  One I’m power walking a marathon in every state and Boston would be state #30 and I’m power walking the Boston Marathon a dream come true!

I arrived at the expo and met for the first time a few of my R4T team members and took lots of pictures with my marathon friends.  What I love about marathoning is that you get to meet people from around the world and you get to travel to places you only dream of and the Boston Marathon was one of my dreams.  The Boston expo had legend runner speakers and I got to hear some of them speak and I met some of my Facebook friends as well.

On the morning of the Marathon, I was  excited and I had been training to set a personal record (PR) at Boston.  My PR for a marathon is 5:26 and my goal was 5:19. I was on pace and feeling good.  I was coming up on mile 20 and I could hear sirens and usually when we hear a siren we say a prayer and hope that the runner is okay, but these sirens didn’t stop and my cell phone started ringing and beeping with texts asking me if I was okay.  I took my brothers call and said, “What do you want? I’m at the Boston Marathon trying to set a PR and you keep calling me!”  My brother said “a bomb went off at the finish line are you near there?”  As I was approaching mile 20 a volunteer approached me and said the race has been cancelled and you need to go inside the medical tent.

There were about 15 of us in the medical tent and we were taken to Newton City Hall.  The Mayor and his staff took very good care of us and kept us safe.  I didn’t know the magnitude of this horrible act of violence until I arrived at my hotel room around 10 p.m. that night and I broke down and cried.  I couldn’t believe that I was that close to the bombing and I felt awful for the families that were affected by this terrible act of terrorism.

I practice what I preach walking 30 minutes a day, but now after the bombing I don’t take my life for granted. Every day is a gift from God and I’m blessed to wake up every morning and able to do what I love, Walking.  I’m headed back to Boston not to set a PR, but to finish with a smile on my face, I’m Boston Strong!

www.yolandaholder.com

By Michael Forbes, MD, FAAP, Director of Clinical Research and Outcomes Analysis, Akron Children’s Hospital, Akron, Ohio

There are an alarming number of preterm births in the U.S., with more than a half million babies born prematurely (before 37 weeks gestation) each year. For reasons unknown, African Americans experience the highest rate of prematurity at 17.1 percent, which is dramatically higher than the national average of 12 percent. In fact, the risk of preterm birth for African-American women is approximately 1.5 times the rate seen in Caucasian women.

Because they were not able to fully develop in their mother’s womb, preemies have unique health needs, often requiring specialized medical attention. Preemies often have underdeveloped lungs and immature immune systems, putting them at increased risk of developing a serious infection from a common respiratory virus known as respiratory syncytial virus (or RSV). RSV is the leading cause of infant hospitalizations for babies during the first year of life, and affects nearly all babies by age two.

Premature infants:

• Are two times as likely to be admitted to the hospital for RSV-related symptoms compared with infants born at full term
• May stay two times longer in the hospital than infants born at full term who are hospitalized for severe RSV disease

Parents of all babies, particularly preemies, should be on the lookout for the signs and symptoms of severe RSV disease:

• Coughing or wheezing that does not stop
• Fast or troubled breathing
• Spread-out nostrils and/or a caved-in chest when trying to breathe
• Bluish color around the mouth or fingernails
• Fever (especially if it is over 100.4°F in infants under 3 months of age)

Parents of babies who may be at high risk for severe RSV disease should talk to their doctor to learn all the ways to help protect their baby.

Visit www.rsvprotection.com for more information.

ONTARIO, CA- Ontario, CA – An amazing 238 youth and their families came to Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park for the annual Trout Derby for Kids on Saturday, March 29. The event was organized by San Bernardino County’s Regional Park Department along with Friends of Regional Parks and Bass Pro Shop in Rancho Cucamonga. This event was a great opportunity for young fishing enthusiast to show off their skills and try to catch the biggest fish in the lake. However this derby also offered a prize for the smallest trout caught.

Just about every participant caught something with over 250 trout getting weighed in. An excited 13 year old Lathan Mallory from Bloomington reeled in the winning trout that came in at an impressive 1.05 pounds. Lathan took home a wagon full of fishing supplies and a trophy for his worthy performance. The smallest trout was rewarded to Raychel Leal of La Quinta who caught a whopping 2 oz. beast. It was a great day of fishing and fun for the families that came out for the derby. Congrats to Lathan and Raychel for their great work! For more information on our other events, visit http://www.sbcounty.gov/parks

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

God has called me to teach His Word, and I have to teach it the way it is. I hear the rest of I Corinthians 13 telling me to love, but how many of you know that love must be exercised within the confines of the truth. God wants to take you to another level, but as long as you keep trying to please people and not Him, you’ll never make it.  I’m afraid most of us spend more time trying to please others than pleasing God.  How different would our lives be and look like if our focus was on pleasing our Heavenly Father and not others?  When we please our Heavenly Father we will give and love others sacrificially. We need to long to hear from God, “Well done my good and faithful servant”, instead of the praise from men and women.  Remember who is living in you and through you.  You love others not through your own strength and power, but through the power of Jesus Christ.

Listen, you don’t have to people-please any more.  You don’t have to live up to anybody’s expectations anymore.  You don’t have to fail any more. Just please God and stop trying to fit in with everybody else.  I just stop by to speak deliverance into your life, to break chains, and break yokes, so that people may be set free!   I dare you to say “After today I will no longer be subject to other people’s expectations.  I’ll no longer be held captive by somebody else’s standards.  No one but God has power over me.  I AM SOMEBODY and I REFUSE to live under a lie and a fantasy anymore just to fulfill someone else standards, I’M FREE!”

There are two great deliverances that you can experience in life. One is from people, the other is from you.  Can I help somebody right now? Listen, God wants to take you to another level, but as long as you keep trying to please people and not God, you’ll never make it!  However, I believe that after today somebody is going to be delivered from people pleasing.  Somebody is going to be released from the bondage of others.  Somebody is going to have a new outlook on life, and the things that used to matter just won’t matter no more.  Somebody is going to be delivered from them.  I dare you to bless the Lord right now. You’re free and whom the Son sets free is free indeed!

Lou Coleman has been ordained as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ since 2001, and she has a degree in Psychology/Counseling, amongst under doctrine certifications.

President, Annette Wealthington graciously receives the certificate of recognition on behalf of the Eta Nu Omega Chapter.

RIVERSIDE, CA- On Sunday, April 6, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Eta Nu Omega Chapter of the Inland Empire was among several organizations recognized and honored with a certificate of recognition by Rev. Marrix D. Seymore, Pastor at Amos Temple Methodist Episcopal Church in Riverside. The sorority was acknowledged during morning worship for providing excellent community service for those in need. Members of organization are known for serving beyond themselves as they provide service to all mankind. Women of A.K.A. addressed concerns of people in need through various community service projects recognizing that people would live better if they could. For upcoming community service events, please visit www.etanuomega.org.

Youth attendees shared educational aspirations during the Wells Fargo and First Generation Films Go College! red carpet community screening of the award-winning documentary, First Generation at LA Live in Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES, CA- Wells Fargo Education Financial Services and First Generation Films recently  kicked-off the “Go College!” tour, a national education initiative launching in Los Angeles with screenings of the award-winning documentary First Generation at six Los Angeles Unified School District high schools and culminated with a red-carpet screening at L.A. Live. Go College! Los Angeles was the first of 70 film screenings and a 10-city tour bringing together filmmakers, educators, subject matter experts, civic and community leaders for panel discussions to encourage a national conversation on how students and parents can make attending college a reality.

Filmed over the course of three years, the First Generation documentary is narrated by two-time Golden Globe Award nominee Blair Underwood and explores the problem of college access faced by first generation and low income students. The documentary profiles the journey of four students attempting to break the cycle of poverty and bring hope to their communities as they pursue their college dreams.

The Go College! tour features free screenings for students and educators at local high schools and other locations in select cities. At each screening attendees will have the opportunity to engage the filmmaking team of Adam and Jaye Fenderson, cast members, Wells Fargo private student lending experts and local educational leaders in a dialogue focused on how to make attending college a reality. Free information packets on college application processes, scholarship opportunities, tips to estimate college costs, and how to capitalize on various funding sources to pay for college will be provided at all screenings.

Go College! next tour stops include Las Vegas, Phoenix, Oakland and Washington DC in Spring 2014. In Fall 2014, the campaign will visit the cities of Atlanta, Miami, Minneapolis, Houston, and Dallas. For tour information, please visit www.FirstGenerationFilm.com/gocollege.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- During a 2013 mission trip to West Africa, local non-profit, Women’s Resurrection Ministry (WRM), helped bring electricity to a remote village in Ghana for the first time. Having rallied with government and city officials for over 17 years to bring power to poor communities in West Africa, WRM founder Cassandra Walker was excited to finally see their persistence pay off. In addition to expanding access to electricity in remote villages in Ghana, proceeds from the fundraising breakfast will benefit additional humanitarian efforts such as feeding programs for children and elderly, church planting and transportation in the village.

The 19th Annual Women’s Resurrection Breakfast, will be held Saturday, April 5, 2014 at the Hilton Hotel, 285 E. Hospitality Lane, San Bernardino. Registration begins at 8am. Advanced tickets are $30 for single admission, or two for $55 through March 17th. Groups may reserve a table of 10 for $250. Program features guest speaker, Evangelist Marie “Mom” Brewington, Dr. Reginald Woods of Life Changing Ministries, and gospel singer Leon Hawley. Enjoy special performances, experiences and stories from missionary travelers and learn how the local community can become involved in international humanitarian projects.

To register for the Women’s Resurrection Breakfast, or make a donation to the organization, please visit www.womensresurrectionministry.org, or call 909-965-7878 or (909) 547-5572.

Halle Berry is one of the host of the event

LOS ANGELES, CA- Revlon, The Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) and Lilly Tartikoff are proud to announce the 21^st annual EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women.  Revlon Brand Ambassador Emma Stone will host the 2014 event in New York on Saturday, May 3 and Revlon Brand Ambassador Halle Berry, along with Christina Applegate will host in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 10.

Stone will be returning for her third year to host the New York Run/Walk, while Berry is celebrating her eighth year participating in the EIF Revlon Run/Walk, and hosting the Los Angeles event with Christina Applegate.  The Run/Walk was launched in Los Angeles in 1994 through the combined efforts of Lilly Tartikoff, Ronald O. Perelman, Chairman of Revlon, Inc., and EIF with a second event in New York City added shortly after. To date, nearly one million people have participated in the EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women and the Run/Walks have distributed more than $70 million to support women’s cancer research, counseling and outreach programs.

The Los Angeles race will take place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at Exposition Park. Early registration is encouraged and can be done by visiting http://www.revlonrunwalk.org or by calling the event hotline at (855) 434-3779. Registration is also available on site the day of the event.