Disney's upcoming black princess movie. Heard of it? Anika Noni Rose will play for Princess Tiana in the New Orleans-based The Princess and the Frog, but who on earth will voice her mother's character, Eudora? Disney just announced that none other than Oprah Winfrey will lend her oh-so-recognizable voice to the project. [BV]

'Twas the opening of director Debbie Allen's production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof last night. As you surely know, this show and its all-black cast have been points of interest for Stereohyped for weeks now, and the crowd that buzzed and twittered in last evening's "Will Call" line assured us others have been equally as interested.

The press area, staged in a row along the sidewalk and facing the theater, was sweaty and cramped, and cameramen towered over the whole affair on risers placed behind the interviewers. "Jesus Christ," Allen exclaimed to her entourage as she made her way into the gauntlet. We agreed. And then the flashbulbs were blinding.

After the jump, the celebrity attendants, our favorite of whom is Eartha Kitt.

CONTINUED »

I'm a musical girl. Give me a song and dance number, and I'm quite content. As a result of this, though, I miss out on a lot of good Broadway drama. A quick search through the archives will show you that I was more than willing to make Debbie Allen's production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof a notable exception. I caught a preview (more like a formal dress rehearsal) of the show Sunday night, and I didn't long for a song or a dance break. Not even once.

Tennessee Williams' play was not written with an all-black cast in mind, but someone who hadn't known that going in probably wouldn't guess it. The play covers one night in the life of a rich Southern family, the members of whom are in conflict over the sorts of things rich people are often in conflict over — power, sex, money, and mendacity, to name three. The action centers around Big Daddy's (James Earl Jones) 65th birthday and the entire play takes place in the bedroom of Brick (Terrence Howard) an alcoholic ex-football player with a broken ankle who won't have sex with his wife Maggie (Anika Noni Rose), who desperately wants to have sex with her husband. The two of them do an amazing job capturing the sexual tension, resentment, and hatred that poisons their relationship and keeps it alive at the same time.

CONTINUED »

I've had many unprofessional moments in my years as a working woman. There was the time during my (brief) newspaper career that I fainted (I had forgotten to eat breakfast) while conducting an interview at the modest home of a just-returned-from-Iraq soldier and awoke reclining in the family's threadbare La-Z-Boy, where I was force fed a couple of pieces of Wonder bread and a glass of orange juice. Then there was the time, when I was an intern at Jane, that I got rained on so severely during my lunch break that my tank top — which, when dry, was totally safe to wear without a bra — became completely see-through. Completely. And for some reason, it took about 4 hours to become opaque again. I had no jacket, and the size-zero samples in the fashion closet wouldn't even fit over my head. Luckily, they liked that sort of thing at Jane (R.I.P.).

Yesterday was one of those unprofessional days. Why? Well, yesterday, Jossip Initiatives boss-man David Hauslaib and I went to a press event for Debbie Allen's all-black production of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Terrence Howard was there (whatevs — he had on a hat and a man-purse the whole time), as was Anika Noni Rose (very cute and pleasantly sassy), James Earl Jones (!), Giancarlo Esposito, Mr. Gaines, Debbie Allen, and…Phylicia Rashad.

Phylicia Rashad was where the unprofessional bit came in.

CONTINUED »

• Let's face it, Will Smith saves the world like nobody's business. [AMC]

• The displaced half of Floetry is moving on. [SR]

• Anika Noni Rose won the coveted female lead in Debbie Allen's all-black production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. [CM]

• Pharmaceutical companies are working on more than 700 medications designed to combat diseases that disproportionately affect blacks. Bittersweet. [MNT]

• Target throws a few bucks in the direction of some Midwesterners who say the company uses racial discrimination in hiring. [KCI]

Debbie Allen's all-black, Broadway production of the Tennessee Williams play (turned classic Paul Newman/Elizabeth Taylor movie), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, finally has a cast. LL Cool J was mentioned months ago as a contender for the role of Brick, an injured ex-football player who won't have sex with his wife, but, thankfully, that's not happening.

Terrence "T.P." Howard has been given the roll (ha! get it?). Although I'm not his biggest fan, at least he has Broadway-caliber acting chops. Other confirmed cast members are Phylicia Rashad, Giancarlo Esposito and James Earl Jones. The lead female role will either go to Anika Noni Rose or Kerry Washington. I'm sure you know who I'm rooting for. [NYDN]

This weird couple is everywhere. I can't tell if I will eventually get used to Tameka and Usher, the duo, or if I will be forever mystified by their seemingly happy union. They brought their big, mismatched smiles to the Tony Awards last night, where Usher presented and Fantasia performed. Check out some more pictures from the awards below.