The Cosby Show played a pretty big role in the life of most people who were alive and watched television during the 80s. It's hard to believe that there are 16-year-old kids out there who have never seen a first-run episode, but it gets easier to believe when you see how old/grown the cast is now.

'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.

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The television movie based on Lorraine Hansberry's play, A Raisin in the Sun, attracted 12 million viewers when it aired on ABC Monday, giving the network its best Monday numbers since November. The Kenny Leon-directed telefilm was the first of its kind to screen at the Sundance Film Festival, and starred, as I'm sure you are more than aware, Phylicia Rashad, Audra McDonald, Sanaa Lathan, and Mr. Sean "Diddy" Combs. I confess it's on my DVR, but I haven't had a chance to watch it yet. If you saw it, what did you think?

Sanaa Lathan and friends celebrated the LA premiere of the soon-to-be televised production of A Raisin in the Sun, which also stars Phylicia Rashad and Diddy. The show airs on Feb. 25th at 8pm on ABC. More pics from the premiere after the jump.

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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.

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That cast of the on-screen version of Lorraine Hansberry's famous play, A Raisin in the Sun is at the Sundance film festival this week and posed for cast portraits. Phylicia Rashad (sigh), Audra McDonald, Sanaa Lathan, John Stamos, and Diddy (excuse me, Sean Combs) all flew to Utah to show the film. Mr. Combs has a lot to say about his role as Walter Lee.

"I drew on my humble beginnings," said Combs about portraying Walter Lee. Both grew up without a father - Combs' father was gunned down when Combs was only 3 years old.
Combs said his Broadway debut was one of the biggest struggles of his life, and to get prepared he was "blessed" to have lunch with Sidney Poitier and talk about who Walter Lee was.
Once it came time to film the movie, Combs felt confident, so confident that he said it was like jumping from a 100-story building and expecting to land on his feet.

Puffy? Confident? Who knew! The film airs Feb. 25th on ABC. More cast pics after the jump.

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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.

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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]

Ahmad Rashad, former husband of Claire Huxtable, I mean Phylicia Rashad, got married to Sale Johnson, the ex-wife of Johnson & Johnson heir and NY Jets owner Woody Johnson, in a glitzy NYC ceremony yesterday.

[The two wed] in front of a crowd of friends including Princess Yasmin Aga Khan, NBA Commissioner David Stern, Donald Trump, Martha and Carl Lindner and Derek Jeter. "It was going to be a birthday party for him," Sale told us. "Then it turned into a party to celebrate his being inducted into the Football Hall of Fame, and finally he said, 'Let's just get married.'

Clearly I'm having trouble separating The Cosby Show from reality, but I doubt this woman holds a candle to Phylicia Rashad. On the other hand, as much money as I'm sure Phylicia has, this woman probably has more.

Or maybe they're just really in love.[PS]

Broadway just got a little blacker. Well, maybe not black enough. As further proof that entertainers have a definite affinity for the Illinois senator, some of NYC's famous stage actors will be on hand for a special performance called "Barack On Broadway." Seriously.

From the press release:

During this special evening, billed BARACK ON BROADWAY, Obama will speak and a constellation of Broadway stars will perform, including Christine Ebersole, Marcia Gay Harden, Ruben Santiago Hudson, Kristen Johnson, Phylicia Rashad, Jeffrey Wright, and the Broadway Inspirational Voices. The event will be Directed by multi-Tony Award winner, George C. Wolfe, and feature readings from the works of some of America's greatest playwrights, compiled by John Lahr, Marsha Norman and Jack Viertel. Senator Obama's words will, of course, be his own.

Barack Obama now has the approval of both Oprah Winfrey and Claire Huxtable. Could a black man really ask for anything more?

Oh, right. The presidential nomination.

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.

Claire Huxtable is definitely not the type of person to show up late to awards dinners or not show at all.
The woman who played her? A different story. According to Page Six, Phylicia Rashad is getting a reputation for untimely entrances in NYC. My opinion? She's Phylicia Rashad, she's allowed to operate on her own clock.

In other Cosby Show news, Tempestt Bledsoe is back on the saddle with a supporting role in an Oxygen romantic comedy called Husband For Hire. Hey, you've got to (re)start somewhere!

[NYP, EUR]