ATSBC Wrap-Up: July 4th Festivities + "Shug" Avery Visits the RFC

July 4th was a rockin' good time! (don't laugh, I was trying to be witty lol).

Fireworks filled the skies Friday night at KSLA's River Blast (and at Harrah's LA Downs). Lots of families came out to enjoy the fun:

There was a candy-apple eating contest. I hear a beauty queen (not the girl in the picture) won the contest (see, pretty girls do eat bad things!) ...

I'm kinda upset they posted this pic, but hey ... looks like she had a real good time LOL .. Check out all the pictures from the 4th of July festivites by going HERE.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Margaret "Shug" Avery returned to the SBC for a special screening of "The Color Purple" at the Robinson Film Center.

Before you get mad, I didn't tell you because I didn't know about it until I went up to BPCC Friday afternoon and heard she was coming.

The event was held Sunday for a cost of $25 per person. With little publicity, of course the crowd was mostly vanilla, but hey, at least they came right?

Avery participated in a Q&A session after the show and discussed her anxiety over the kiss between she and Celie (Whoopi Goldberg) and how the movie impacted her life. (Check out the Times' story on avery's visit HERE).

What you won't read in the newspaper is what an classy woman Avery is and how long she's been in the business (over 3 decades).

I had the joy of meeting (and actually eating with) her when I was a crew member on Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins last summer (she played Mama Jenkins).

It was crazy to be sitting right across from "Shug" Avery. I had to stop myself from calling her SHUG (lol).

She told me I looked like one of her cousin's that lived in Atlanta (Avery is an Oklahoma native herself), and would say "Hey cousin!" every time she saw me after that.

She is the gentlest soul, just like the man who played her husband, Papa Jenkins, James Earl Jones.

Avery has been acting since the early 70s. She was over a decade into the business when she played the infamous Shug.

Actually, she was a last minute casting decision. Phyllis Hyman was the original choice, then Tina Turner (who turned it down). Even Patti LaBelle auditioned for the role! The producers wanted a singer. But Steven Spielberg overrode them and cast Avery.

And he couldn't have made a better choice. She is a class act(ress).

Learn more little-known tidbits about The Color Purple by going HERE ... and view the picture gallery from the RFC event HERE

And this won't be this last time you see Avery on stage in the SBC. She'll be a part of the cast of the River City Reperatory Theatre's "The Member of the Wedding," opening Wednesday, July 16th (and running through July 20th).

The production will take place at the Scottish Rite Cathedral at 725 Cotton Street.

Learn more about the production including times, ticket information (and Avery's role in it) by going HERE.

And learn more about Avery's life and upcoming roles by going to www.margaretavery.com

(All pictures posted in this entry were taken by Val Horvath of the Times)