Month: January 2014

Disney On Ice is celebrating 100 Years of Magic, and the commemorative celebration is coming to Baltimore. The show, which features 65 Disney characters, runs from February 5 through February 9, 2014 at the Baltimore Arena. To date, 100 Years of Magic has entertained more than 135 million guests worldwide.

Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Disney Princesses, Jiminy Cricket and Pinocchio are among the 65 characters from 18 stories spanning multiple generations. Presented by Feld

Entertainment, the show features dazzling choreographed skating, breathtaking production numbers, stunning costumes and memorable Disney songs.

Marsean Oyler is among the skaters in the production, and he portrays a band member in a Mickey Mouse routine, and a soldier in a scene from Mulan.

“The show is amazing,” said Oyler. “We have a large cast of 46 skaters portraying characters from Finding Nemo, The Incredibles and other favorites. The show is a celebration of Disney’s work.” He added, “Getting to play a soldier in the Mulan number takes me back to when I was little. I love doing numbers to that music. It’s unreal. I have always loved Disney and getting to skate and being a part of the company has been really magical.”

The Knoxville, Tennessee native joined Disney in August 2013. “My first skating coach, Adam Blake joined Disney when he was 18 or 19, and told me how much fun he had when he was with Disney. He is a great mentor, and has really been instrumental. He put a lot of work into me. He is also skating on this tour, which is really great.”

According to Oyler, who is 20, he participated in a skating camp as a youngster and really enjoyed it.

“I have been skating ever since,” said Oyler. “Skating with Disney has been tremendous. There’s nothing like getting paid everyday to do what you love, and seeing the satisfaction and enjoyment on people’s faces who come to the shows. I wouldn’t trade it for anything else in the world.”

Oyler said the show has taken him to Chicago, New York, Texas, Tennessee, Missouri, Canada and other places.

“Skating in front of my family and friends in Knoxville, Tennessee was miraculous,” he said. “I got an opportunity to show what I had worked so hard for. It was spectacular.”

The Baltimore engagement marks Oyler’s first visit to the city. “This is my first visit to Baltimore. I am really looking forward to it. People are going to love the show. There is a little something for everybody.”

Oyler offered this advice to aspiring skaters: “Work hard and train every day,” he said. “Also, emulate someone you would like to be like. Adam Blake was such a big role model for me, that I emulated him.”

Feld Entertainment is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting live touring family entertainment, with 30 million people in attendance at its shows each year. Feld Entertainment’s productions have appeared in more than 70 countries on six continents and include Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®, Feld Motor Sports, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!

Tickets are available from Ticketmaster at the Baltimore Arena box office. For more information call 800-745-3000 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.

BALTIMORE — Baltimore City is a town filled with invaluable landmarks including the legendary statue of the late jazz singer Billie Holiday, which sits on Pennsylvania Avenue in West Baltimore.

Though the location of Holiday’s statue is known nationally, there is also another historic landmark nearby— The Arena Players Theatre located at 801 McCulloh Street. It is the oldest continuously operating African American theater in the United States.

Arena Players, a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization was established in 1953 and has served as a venue for African American Theater.

Founding Artistic Director Sam Wilson was instrumental in the success of the performances as well as the popularity of the theater. Wilson’s legacy and presence is still felt by those who had the opportunity to work with him.

Today, as black actors have more opportunities to perform at various venues, the theater is working hard to keep its doors open. Managing Director Rodney Orange who has worked at the theater for over 25 years said, ”It’s important for people to know that we are open, still exist and we have shows as well as programs running throughout the year. Arena Players has been a part of Baltimore for over 60 years and we not only desire for the surrounding communities to support the productions, but for persons who visit this city and want to see a great performance at a historic landmark.”

The theater runs several productions throughout the year as well as jazz and comedy shows, which take place every other month. It also offers programs for both children and adults who wish to perform. The Youth Theatre for children between 4-18 years old, offers performing arts classes such as drama, music and dance as well as theater production. Arena Players also offers its Studio 801 Program, a training and community outreach program for adults who want to perform.

Artistic Director Donald Owens who has been with the theatre since 1976 says that the theater’s stage has been graced by a multitude of dedicated actors throughout the years. “We have seen so many talented individuals come through here that are passionate about their craft and interestingly there have been a number of casts who travel from other cities to perform at this theatre,” he said. “Everyone on board is dedicated with the mindset that no matter what, it can be done. The key, however, is to give them something they can believe in.”

The next production to take place at the Arena Players is “Black Diamonds,” which will run February 14, 15, 16, 21, 22 and 23, 2014. The production is a showcase of dramatic presentations about heroic and noteworthy African Americans who should never be forgotten— a look at everyone from sports figures to scientists and great thinkers.

To purchase tickets, to make a donation, or to volunteer at Arena Players, visit http://arenaplayersinc.com.

Tiffany Boone firmly believes in all the good that Baltimore has to offer. The Charm City-born actress, who stars in the hit Fox television series, “The Following,” certainly has overcome some of the city’s toughest obstacles.

At just three-years-old, Boone’s father was murdered, forcing her mother to raise the reclusive young girl as a single parent.

“Baltimore is a violent place, there are a lot of issues,” she said. “I’ve lost a lot of people that I care about. There’s poverty, drug use. It’s a complicated place.”

However, Boone makes it clear that she is not throwing her favorite city under the proverbial bus, nor has she given up on it.

“There’s a great soul to the city and I was lucky enough to have the arts in a community where I could flourish because of the arts,” said Boone, a graduate of the Baltimore School of the Arts, which also boasts such alumni as Jada Pinkett-Smith and the late Tupac Shakur.

“I love my childhood. I have mixed feelings, but I’m always thinking about how I can give back to my city.”

Boone has already given back in a large way: she has licked adversity to become a successful Hollywood actress.

One of many to have made it out of Baltimore, she has been dubbed, “a star in the making,” and “a rising star,” by several Hollywood insiders.

The online Hollywood magazine, “Hello Beautiful,” said Boone is the next, “it girl.”

Writer Abiola Abrams said Boone has the smarts, looks and the acting chops to take Hollywood by storm.

Her acting career kicked-off with an appearance in the 2006 film, “Hamilton.”

A couple of other productions followed before Boone landed the role of “Crystal,” on the TNT drama, “Southland,” which starred Regina King and Michael Cudlitz. Boone then tackled one of her defining roles as “Savannah Snow” in, “Beautiful Creatures,” where she starred alongside two-time Academy Award nominee, Viola Davis.

“Savannah Snow is a member of the group of popular girls in school and is best friends with Emily Asher, Ethan’s [the main character] ex-girlfriend,” Boone said. “She is part of the campaign to make Lena’s life in Gatlin unbearable.”

While she doesn’t mind talking about her own roles, Boone expresses a sincere reverence for Davis, who has starred in such films as, “The Help,” and “Doubt.”

“To me, Viola Davis has this presence when she walks in a room you could feel her aura and she has this quiet strength that makes you feel so comfortable,” Boone said. “To watch her, she can just sit there and do nothing; she doesn’t have to say a word. That’s what I love about her. Lord knows I’m not there yet, but I really look up to her ability.”

Boone says that she is enjoying her latest role alongside Kevin Bacon, James Purefoy, Natalie Zea and others in, “The Following.” She plays the character of Mandy Lang in the series about a brilliant but psychotic serial killer who communicates with other serial killers and activates a cult of believers who follow his every command.

“This has been my favorite series so far,” Boone said. “What drew me to Mandy is the real innocence she has and that father and daughter relationship she has with Joe Carroll [Purefoy]. I was drawn to that need to have a father figure.”

Boone says that she hopes that her character wises up before something bad happens to her on the show.

“She does have a bit of darkness to her, trying to figure out who she is and right from wrong,” she said. “At the same time, she’s impressionable and makes you want to sit down and ask her why is she doing certain things. Why is she making bad decisions?”

“The Following” airs on Mondays at 9 p.m. on Fox.

Statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health reveal that the majority of Americans struggle with all sorts of fears, including that of public speaking and death.

Creflo Dollar, the famous founder and senior pastor at World Changers International Church in College Park, Georgia says that such fears are just as rampant among Christians as they are in the public at large.

“Millions of people live under the stronghold of fear,” said Dollar, whose church serves more than 30,000 members and whose fame matches that of other prolific ministers such as Billy Graham, Joel Osteen, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. “Their lives are stunted, limited and even controlled by it. I’ve experienced what can happen when Satan and his spirit of fear gain a foothold in our lives. But there is victory, and I’m eager to tell my story, and the story of how God can bring us victory over this debilitating condition.”

In his new book, “Overcoming Fear: Eliminating the Bondage of Fear,” Dollar’s goal is to teach his worshippers and others that fear is not a normal part of life and shouldn’t be tolerated as such.

Naturally, Dollar talks of how God can bring victory to those paralyzed by fear.

Dollar also uses his own experiences and stories, including his battle with cancer, to prove his theory that fears can ultimately be overcome.

“When we learn, or remind ourselves, about God’s covenant and His promises to us, we can begin to escape the bondage of fear in our lives,” he said. “It’s truly amazing what our lives can look like when we embrace these promises. We move from taking tepid steps to launching ourselves into all the possibilities that life and God have in store for us.”

Dollar says he hopes to reach those who have accepted fear as part of their lives with the new book. He says that he has had to overcome other issues, including his very public arrest in 2012 for allegedly hitting and choking his 15-year-old daughter during an argument. The charges of battery were eventually dropped after the pastor completed an anger management program.

“I should have never been arrested,” he said, following his release. “The truth is she was not choked, she was not punched. There were not any scratches on her neck. The reports were an exaggeration.”

Still, the seeds of Dollar’s latest book were planted long before that incident. He says a tragic death in his family resulted in fear being planted in his soul, which surfaced when he married his wife, Taffi.

Dollar said that fear wasn’t removed until he began trusting more in his creator. Recently, he announced that he had prostate cancer, but the evangelist no longer lives in fear.

In “Overcoming Fear,” Dollar also speaks of phobias, the fear of failure, the fear of abandonment and the fear of intimacy, all problems faced by many whom he said have not fully trusted God.

“Most people yield to fear because they don’t know what else to yield to,” Dollar said. “To believe with your heart is to believe against your body— against what you feel.”

“Overcoming Fear: Eliminating the Bondage of Fear,” retails for $14.99 and is available on Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com and other booksellers.