Author Archives: Sonya's Spotlight
← Older posts Newer posts →TV ONE’S NEWS ONE NOW GOES LIVE WITH PRIMETIME SPECIAL DEDICATED TO LEGENDARY MUSICIAN PRINCE
April 22, 2016TV One’s New One Now, the only daily news program targeting Black viewers, went live with a primetime special dedicated to legendary musician Prince, who passed away today, April 21, at the age of 57 in Paisley Park studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Media personalities and celebrity guests joined News One Now host and managing editor Roland S. Martin to celebrate and pay tribute to the singer/songwriter’s life and his contributions to music worldwide. A News One Now Special: Prince Remembered aired Thursday, April 21 from 8-10 p.m. ET. Confirmed Guests Anthony Hamilton Russ Parr L. Londell McMillan Cori Murray, Essence Billboard Magazine Writer Peter Himmelman – Singer/Songwriter and many others… Prince is celebrated around the world as an innovator and was widely known for his eclectic work, colorful stage presence, and wide vocal range. “Prince is such an iconic figure in our community. There is no way we could not do a primetime special on this legendary musician,” said Martin. “I met, admired, and absolutely love his music. There is no better way to pay tribute to his life and legacy than News One Now is currently saluting Prince on its website with a list of his Top 10 Best Songs<http://newsone.com/2741915/salute-to-the-purple-one-top-10-prince-songs/>. And TV One will encore an episode of Unsung featuring Sheila E., Prince’s former protégé, collaborator and ex-fiancée throughout the weekend. Thursday’s special also featured a host of social media interactivity. TV One viewers can join the conversation by connecting via social media on Twitter<http://www.twitter.com/tvonetv>, Instagram<http://www.instagram.com/tvonetv>, Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/tvonetv> and Periscope<https://www.periscope.tv/tvonetv> (@tvonetv) using the hash tag #PrinceGoneTooSoon. The network is honoring the musical genius by sharing top responses from social media on its website (http://www.tvone.tv/) alongside a running list of TV One’s Staff’s favorite Prince songs. TV One’s News One Now continues its commitment to honoring the legacy of notable African Americans with its special show …
Posted in In The Spotlight | Leave a commentCIARA FEATURED ON ESSENCE MAGAZINE’S MAY ANNIVERSARY COVER
April 22, 2016Single motherhood wasn’t on Ciara’s to-do list. As the singer shares in ESSENCE’s May issue article, Secret Garden, when Baby Future came into her life, so did a new focus on what matters most: her son and her faith. And now that she’s found a new love, everything’s coming up roses. With a clear vision, a focus on family and a life firmly rooted in faith, singer Ciara promises that there are even more “goodies” in store for her, her fans and the future. ESSENCE’s May anniversary issue hit newsstands on April 21. “Marriage is something I look forward to. I believe in family, and the beauty of two people committing to spend their lives together. We talk about everything. To me, to both of us, that’s the foundation you need for love to flourish and reach its highest place. I want to live with as much lightness as possible, so I can stay focused on my love of God, and being the best mom, and the best person, I can be…”—Ciara, ESSENCE Magazine
Posted in In The Spotlight | Leave a commentThe Secret She Kept Premieres Sunday, July 10 on TV ONE
April 13, 2016By Kimberly Alsup As the new TV/Film correspondent & Entertainment Blogger for Sonya’s Spotlight, I was pleased to get the opportunity to visit the set of TV ONE’s THE SECRET SHE KEPT, filmed in Atlanta and premiering Sunday, July 10 on TV One. I got a chance to meet and interview a few cast members, as well as the writer. TV ONE ADDRESSES NATIONAL MINORITY MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH WITH THE SECRET SHE KEPT About THE SECRET SHE KEPT – (Content Courtesy of TV One) Based on Best Selling Author ReShonda Tate Billingsley’s Book About A Family Coping With Mental Illness, Network’s Original Movie Starring Kyla Pratt, Gavin Houston, Kellita Smith and Vanessa A. Williams, Premieres Sunday, July 10 at 7 p.m. ET TV One is shedding light on mental health in the Black community during National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month with the premiere of its original movie, The Secret She Kept, this Sunday, July 10 at 7 p.m. ET (encore at 9 p.m. ET). Inspired by the best-selling novel of the same name by NAACP Image Award-winning author ReShonda Tate Billingsley, TV One’s original feature film, The Secret She Kept, immerses viewers in the story of a prominent family that lets shame, confusion and misunderstandings about mental illness send them down a tragic path. Kyla Pratt (Recovery Road, One on One, The Proud Family, Dr. Doolittle) stars as beautiful, high-powered attorney Tia Jiles, who has just married the man of her dreams, successful magazine executive Lance Kingston (Gavin Houston, The Haves and the Have Nots, Guiding Light), and is on the brink of launching a major political campaign when a pattern of erratic behavior uncovers her secret: she suffers from mental illness. “So often, we trivialize that someone is just ‘crazy’ and we don’t recognize that mental illness is real and relevant. I wanted to show not only was this something that deserved our attention, but that …
Posted in TV | Leave a commentThe Jungle Book in theaters April 15th – Atlanta VIP Pre-Screening Photos
April 11, 2016Disney hosted a private, VIP advance screening of their highly anticipated new movie, THE JUNGLE BOOK, on Saturday, April 9th at 11:00 AM at Regal Atlantic Station in Atlanta, hosted by Ferrari Simmons from V-103. The screening was well attended by local celebrities and influencers including Chilli (R&B Group TLC), Tameka Foster-Raymond (VH1’s Atlanta Exes, Rock City (Rap Duo), Lisa Nicole Cloud (Bravo’s Married to Medicine), Aydin Huq (Bravo’s Married to Medicine), Eugene Harris (Bravo’s Married to Medicine), Kay J (Block Entertainment R&B Artist), Sarah ViVan (W233BF-FM), Ryan Cameron (WVEE-FM), Ferrari Simmons (WVEE-FM), Sonya Jenkins (Sonya’s Spotlight Web Mag, Author of SHAYLA’S CATCH), to name a few attendees. Check out a few photos below: Photos – Paras Griffin for Getty for Disney Photos – Sonya Jenkins About THE JUNGLE BOOK SYNOPSIS: Raised by a family of wolves since birth, Mowgli (Neel Sethi) must leave the only home he’s ever known when the fearsome tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba) unleashes his mighty roar. Guided by a stern panther (Ben Kingsley) and a free-spirited bear (Bill Murray), the young boy meets an array of jungle animals, including a slithery python (Scarlett Johansson) and a smooth-talking ape. Along the way, Mowgli learns valuable life lessons as his epic journey of self-discovery leads to fun and adventure. #Jungle Book in theaters April 15th
Posted in Cinema | Leave a commentGAME OF SILENCE Private Red Carpet & Party with Larenz Tate
April 11, 2016On behalf of NBC’s new show, GAME OF SILENCE, Sonya’s Spotlight was invited to a private mix and mingle party with actor LARENZ TATE, on Thursday, April 7th at STK Atlanta. Larenz greeted guests, posed for photos and gave interviews to bloggers. Rapper and actor Ludacris and actress Vanessa A. Williams were also on hand to celebrate with Larenz. GAME OF SILENCE premieres Tuesday, April 12/ Thursday, April 14 – 10/9c. Photos courtesy of Allied M – Prince Williams ATLPics.net. Check out a few of the evening’s highlights via Sonya Jenkins’ YouTube video below: About GAME OF SILENCE: Five best friends have a dark secret they thought was buried 25 years ago, but they soon discover that you can’t hide your past forever. From the executive producers of “CSI” and “Friday Night Lights” comes a gripping new drama about friendship, love, revenge and the moral dilemma of how far one will go in the pursuit of justice. Jackson Brooks (David Lyons, “Revolution”) is a successful attorney who seems to have it all. He’s engaged to his boss, Marina (Claire van der Boom, “Hawaii Five-O”), and he’s on the fast track to becoming partner at his firm, but his world is turned upside down when his long-lost childhood friends unexpectedly reappear after 25 years. Jackson, Gil Harris (Michael Raymond-James, “True Blood”), Shawn Polk (Larenz Tate, “Rush”) and Boots (Derek Phillips, “Friday Night Lights”) always stuck together, like brothers. They spent their boyhood summers in the small town of Dalton, Texas, swimming in the quarry, shooting bottle rockets and doing everything they could to mine the fun out of small-town life. But their idyllic world turned chaotic one fateful summer afternoon when a well-intentioned and heroic attempt to save their friend Jessie (Bre Blair, “Last Vegas”) from her alcoholic mother ultimately cost the 13-year-old boys nine …
Posted in Coachella Highlight, MOTIVATION | Leave a commentSpotlight on Actress Dana Gourrier from The Hateful Eight
March 29, 2016Dana Gourrier, a native to New Orleans, has created quite a remarkable name for herself joining forces with some of the industry’s elite directors and actors including: Quentin Tarantino, Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson and Jessica Lange. Currently Dana co-stars alongside Samuel Jackson, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Kurt Russell in Quentin Tarantino’s Western film The Hateful Eight. The story is set some years after the Civil War in Wyoming and revolves around eight westerners who seek refuge in Minnie’s Haberdashery, a stagecoach stopover on a mountain pass during a horrendous blizzard. Dana’s character, Minnie, was created by Tarantino specifically for her. After working together on Django Unchained, he called her personally and asked her to work alongside him again. Next up for Dana includes the film Same Kind of Different as Me alongside Greg Kinnear and Renee Zellweger with a spring 2016 release, The Runner alongside Nicholas Cage, Midnight Special beside Kirsten Dunst and Adam Driver and Kidnap starring Halle Berry; all premiering later this year. The Dana was just seen as Antoinette Gibbs on ABC’s hit series The Astronaut Wives Club. Her resume hosts a list of other exemplary works including a heavily recurring role on the American Crime Drama True Detective starring Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey and the bone chilling series American Horror Story: Coven alongside Jessica Lange and Sarah Paulson. She also landed credible supporting roles in Lee Daniel’s The Butler and starred as Cora in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained. Together, Tarantino and Gourrier developed Cora’s character into a more prominent role. Since the age of 12, her true love has been acting, singing and dancing. She received her BFA in Performance Art from UL Lafayette and immediately headed to Big Apple in higher pursuits. She continued her studies in method acting while settling …
Posted in Celebrity Profile, R&B Pop Culture | Leave a commentDisney’s The Jungle Book – Cast Photos of Idris Elba, Scarlett Johansson, Lupita Nyong’o and More
March 23, 2016Check out these brand new special shoot images featuring the cast of Disney’s THE JUNGLE BOOK featuring Idris Elba, Scarlett Johansson, Lupita Nyong’o, Sir Ben Kingsley, Christopher Walken and Giancarlo Esposito. Each image pairs the actor with their onscreen character, as well as quotes. Idris Elba / Shere Khan Voiced by Idris Elba, Shere Khan bears the scars of man, which fuel his hatred of humans. Convinced that Mowgli poses a threat, the bengal tiger is determined to rid the jungle of the man-cub. “Shere Khan reigns with fear,” says Elba. “He terrorizes everyone he encounters because he comes from a place of fear.” Lupita Nyong’o / Raksha Lupita Nyong’o voices Raksha, a mother wolf who cares deeply for all of her pups–including man-cub Mowgli, whom she adopts as one of her own when he’s abandoned in the jungle as an infant. “She is the protector, the eternal mother,” says Nyong’o. “The word Raksha actually means protection in Hindi. I felt really connected to that, wanting to protect a son that isn’t originally hers but one she’s taken for her own.” Scarlett Johansson / Kaa Kaa is a massive python who uses her voice and hypnotic gaze to entrance Mowgli. The man-cub can’t resist her captivating embrace. “Kaa seduces and entraps Mowgli with her storytelling,” says Scarlett Johansson. “She’s the mirror into Mowgli’s past. The way she moves is very alluring, almost coquettish.” Christopher Walken / King Louie King Louie is a formidable ape who desperately wants the secret of Man’s deadly “red flower”–fire. He’s convinced Mowgli has the information he seeks. “King Louie is huge–12 feet tall,” says Christopher Walken, who voices the character. “But he’s as charming as he is intimidating when he wants to be.” Giancarlo Esposito / Akela Akela is the strong …
Posted in Photos, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentSaints & Sinners’ Jasmine Burke and Keith Robinson talk Viewership Increase & More
March 20, 2016A Chat with Actors Jasmine Burke and Keith Robinson from Saints & Sinners The second episode premiere telecasts of Bounce TV’s new original drama series Saints & Sinners reached 1.5 Million Viewers in the Second Episode Premiere Telecast, a 15% increase over the series debut, and set a new Bounce record for viewership Sunday, March 13. Sonya’s Spotlight publisher, Sonya Jenkins, spoke with Jasmine Burke, who plays Dr. Christie Johnson, (the daughter and only living child of Pastor and Mrs. Johnson, who tends to local patients but has her own private issues) and Keith Robinson, who plays Miles Calloway (a former R&B star, one hit wonder, now serving as the minister of music at Greater Hope) after the cast-mates heard the news of record-breaking viewership. “I am floating on Cloud 9,” Jasmine said. “I love the script, I love the writing and I’m excited to be a part of something that’s a first for Bounce Television.” Keith Robinson was just as enthused. “It is most rewarding that people are watching Saints & Sinners and that it is well received.” Both Jasmine and Keith, Georgia natives, gave me a little tea about the Saints & Sinners series during our chat, but wouldn’t tell me all the twists and turns for the upcoming episodes. Jasmine says the plot is like a crazy tornado and she even asked me, “Who killed my father [the pastor]? I want to know.” If she doesn’t know, I definitely don’t know. Keith, who says he’s vey similar to the character he plays on Saints & Sinners (except for the cheating portion), said that we all have a little saint and a little sinner in us, but admitted that he is surprised by some of the twists and turns in the script, just like Jasmine is. Guess we’ll have to watch the next episodes of Saints & Sinners, since Jasmine and Keith …
Posted in Coachella Highlight | Leave a commentTHE DIVERGENT SERIES: ALLEGIANT IN THEATERS MARCH 18
March 15, 2016THE DIVERGENT SERIES: ALLEGIANT (Lionsgate) Synopsis: The third installment of the blockbuster Divergent series franchise, ALLEGIANT takes Tris [Shailene Woodley] and Four [Theo James] into a new world, far more dangerous than ever before. After the earth-shattering revelations of INSURGENT, Tris must escape with Four and go beyond the wall enclosing Chicago. For the first time ever, they will leave the only city and family they have ever known. Once outside, old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless with the revelation of shocking new truths. Tris and Four must quickly decide who they can trust as a ruthless battle ignites beyond the walls of Chicago which threatens all of humanity. In order to survive, Tris will be forced to make impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice and love. Official Website: https://TheDivergentSeries.movie Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vzn4MJdaabw Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDivergent Twitter: https://twitter.com/Divergent Instagram: https://instagram.com/thedivergentseries Hashtag: #Allegiant Follow ‘DivergentSeries’ on Snapchat
Posted in Cinema | Leave a commentWGN America’s “Underground” World Premiere
March 3, 2016WGN America hosted the world premiere of its highly anticipated escape thriller, “Underground” at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles, March 2. The red carpet event included a screening at The Theatre, which was immediately followed by an after-party with the cast, crew and VIP attendees on the hotel’s upstairs rooftop lounge. “Underground” premieres on Wednesday, March 9 at 10pm ET/PT on WGN America. The provocative and compelling series focuses on a group of courageous men and women who band together for the fight of their lives – for their families, their future and their freedom. Cast members in attendance included Jurnee Smollett-Bell; Aldis Hodge; Christopher Meloni; Alano Miller; Jessica de Gouw; Marc Blucas; Theodus Crane; Christopher Backus; Andrea Frankle; James Lafferty; PJ Marshall; Toby Nichols; Adina Porter; Renwick Scott; Maceo Smedley; Mykelti Williamson; Amirah Vann; Johnny Ray Gill; Reed Diamond; Darielle Stewart and more. Producers in attendance included Academy Award-winner/Executive Producer John Legend; Executive Producer/Creator Misha Green; Executive Producer/Creator Joe Pokaski; Academy Award-winning writer/Executive Producer Akiva Goldsman; Executive Producers Tory Tunnell, Joby Harold, Mike Jackson, Ty Stiklorius; Executive Producer/Director Anthony Hemingway and Composers Raphael Saadiq and Laura Karpman. Executives in attendance included Matt Cherniss (President/GM, WGN America and Tribune Studios); Steve Mosko (Chairman, Sony Pictures Television); Zack Van Amburg (President, U.S. Programming and Production, Sony Pictures Television), and Jamie Erlicht (President, U.S. Programming and Production, Sony Pictures Television). Celebrity guests included Angela Bassett (American Horror Story); Mehcad Brooks (Supergirl); Sterling K. Brown (American Crime Story); Neil Brown Jr. (Straight Outta Compton); Vanesa Bell Calloway (Actress); Tommy Davidson (Black Dynamite); Megalyn E.K. (Spyder Games); Michael Ealy (Secrets and Lies); Tory Kittles (Actor); Jazsmin Lewis (Actress); Omar Miller (Ballers); Pat Monahan (Recording Artist); Sheryl Lee Ralph (Instant Mom); Salli Richardson-Whitfield (Stitchers, NCIS); Amber Riley (Glee); Craig Robinson (Brooklyn …
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