Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/3108
Toback's intimate and moving portrait of a nearly shell-shocked Mike Tyson. Through a deft mixture of original interviews and archival footage and photographs, a startling complex, fully- rounded human being emerges. The film ranges from Mike's earliest memo- ries of growing up on the mean streets of Brooklyn through his entry into the world of boxing, including his roller- coaster ride through the funhouse of worldwide fame and his fortunes won and lost. LEVY'S JAZZ 'STROLL' April is Jazz Appreciation Month and John Levy, the oldest living NEA Jazz Master, is celebrating his 97th birthday with the release of his book, Strollin: A Jazz Life Through John Levy's Personal Lens, by Devra Hall Levy. In the book, Levy takes a "Stroll" back in time to share thoughts and images from his personal jazz journey. Levy, considered the first Black talent manager in jazz and popular music, has been manager to Cannonball Adderley, Nancy Wilson, George Shearing, Roberta Flack, Wes Montgomery, Shirley Horn, Ahmad Jamal, Yusef Lateef, Ramsey Lewis and more. The book is available at snapsizzlebop.com. THE PLAY'S THE THING Signature Theatre's new Off-Broadway production of Charles Fuller's 1980 drama, Zooman and the Sign, is the final pro- duction of Signature's season-long tribute to the Negro Ensemble Company. Performances continue through April 26 at Signature's home, The Peter Norton Space, 555 West 42nd St., New York. For information: (212) 244-PLAY (7529). The revival of August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone will open April 16 at the Belasco Theatre in New York. Directed by Bartlett Sher, the play is part of Wilson's 10-play cycle depicting the African-American experience in each decade of the 20th century. The play is set in 1911 and tells the story of Herald Loomis who, after serving seven years hard labor, has journeyed to the North with his young daughter and arrives at a Pittsburgh boarding house filled with memorable characters who aid him in his search for his inner freedom. Belasco Theatre, 111 W. 44th St., New York. For information: (212) 239-6200 or www.shubertorganization.com. JACKSON AUCTION Michael Jackson is scheduled to auction off more than 2,000 personal belongings from Neverland Ranch estate at the Julien's Auctions sale in Beverly Hills. Items on the auction block include a glittering white glove covered in Swarovski crys- tals that Jackson wore for a stage performance of Billie Jean – estimated to sell for as much as $15,000; and the gates to the 120-acre ranch, which are expected to go for at least $20,000. Jackson's 1999 Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph limo, decorated in 24- karat gold, is expected to fetch another $140,000. Jackson plans to donate a portion of the proceeds from the auction to MusiCares, a charity that aims to help musicians in need. The sale takes place April 22-25, at the Hard Rock Café in New York's Times Square. The auction will be televised. FEELING "BLUE" Author Lynne Forde's novel, Lies of Blue is a story about a young woman who tries to reach her dream by making sacri- fices. Somewhere along the line, the wrong sacrifices get made. When the woman gets tired of her dead end job in the City Courts, she embarks on a career in the belly of the beast. With a degree in tow and a little bit of street sense, she decides to try her hand working in River's Edge Jail Complex. The "rookie" quickly learns the ropes. Lies of Blue teaches you that there are so many people you may come across in life, you never know who is real and who is fake, but that the journey can become a battle of life or death. For information: www.liesofblue.com. Black Meetings & Tourism April/May 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 19 Jamie Foxx & Robert Downey Jr. in "The Soloist"