Page 14 - aruba-today-20221115

A14 PEOPLE / ARTS
Tuesday 15 November 2022
TV role helps Mayan Lopez heal relationship with dad George

By ALICIA RANCILIO yan who studied sketch
Associated Press comedy and improv and
Mayan Lopez’s co-star in also trained at Second City.
her new NBC sitcom “ Lo- She’s also respectful of her
pez vs Lopez “ happens dad’s talent and showbiz
to be her real-life dad, experience.
George Lopez. “I have a world-class co-
The two play a father and median to be able to learn
daughter who are repairing from,” she said. “I take his
their relationship after years advice and his knowledge
of not getting along. As is and I have my own things
the Lopez way, art imitates that I bring to the table. He
life: George’s previous TV even says we make each
roles in “The George Lopez other better because he’s
Show” and “Lopez” were like, ‘Oh, there’s another
also based on his real life. one of me.’ We bounce
After divorcing her mother, off of each other and col-
Ann, in 2012, Mayan Lopez laborate on set. We’ll write
says she felt resentment to- things and even improvise
ward her dad and the two as we’re performing. It’s
didn’t have much contact been great to work with
until they reconnected dur- him in that way.”
ing the pandemic. Mom is also around too
“Two years ago my dad This image released by NBC shows George Lopez, left, and Mayan Lopez in a scene from “Lopez and “so proud.”
and I weren’t really talking, vs Lopez.” Associated Press “We perform in front of
but family became some- a live audience and my
thing that was really impor- did not get along with. “He pened, you know that my down (against) a wall. Why mom’s there every week,”
tant when the whole world didn’t always know how to dad was unfaithful, about not? I’m a comedian. I’ll go said Lopez. “She was there
was up in flames,” she said. relate to me. I get to kind my parents’ divorce, and for the joke.’” for ‘The George Lopez
“As you grow older, you of have that (perspective) it was getting a lot of likes. Wolfe saw that, plus Ma- Show’ that was based on
start to see your parents as now.” The genesis of “Lo- And I was like, ‘You know yan’s other content, includ- (dad’s) life.
people.” Mayan Lopez rec- pez vs Lopez” came about what? I want to say some- ing videos with her dad and And now we have another
ognizes her dad didn’t al- when TV producer Debby thing about it because even posts of both her par- show. It’s kind of the Lopez
ways know how to relate to Wolfe stumbled upon Ma- some of the facts aren’t ents together, bickering like way of doing things, mak-
her because he was aban- yan’s TikTok account. right.’ And I thought, ‘What they were still married and ing our life art so that peo-
doned by his own parents “Someone was talking will get people’s atten- thought, “This is a show.” ple can enjoy and also be
and raised by his maternal about my dad, the past tion?’ And I thought, ‘Oh, The opportunity was a able to be a representation
grandmother, whom he things that have hap- let me just twerk upside dream come true for Ma- of the Latin community.”q

Roberta Flack has ALS, now ‘impossible to sing,’ rep says

NEW YORK (AP) — A repre- The progressive disease The announcement of the be in competition at the to know that dreams can
sentative for Roberta Flack “has made it impossible amyotrophic lateral scle- festival and available via come true with persistence,
announced Monday that to sing and not easy to rosis diagnosis comes just DOCNYC’s website for a encouragement from fam-
the Grammy-winning mu- speak,” Flack’s manager ahead of the premiere of week after, before airing ily and friends, and most of
sician has ALS, commonly Suzanne Koga said in a re- “Roberta,” a feature-length on television Jan. 24 as part all belief in yourself.”
known as Lou Gehrig’s dis- lease. “But it will take a lot documentary debuting of PBS’ “American Masters” The documentary’s televi-
ease, and can no longer more than ALS to silence Thursday at the DOCNYC series. sion debut and book’s pub-
sing. this icon.” film festival. Flack also plans to publish a lication kick off 2023, which
Flack is known for hits like children’s book co-written also will see the commem-
“Killing Me Softly With His with Tonya Bolden, “The oration of the 50th anniver-
Song” and “The First Time Green Piano: How Little Me sary of her fourth album,
I Ever Saw Your Face,” the Found Music,” that month. “Killing Me Softly,” with a
latter of which catapult- The North Carolina-born, reissue. Her label for the
ed her into stardom after Virginia-raised Flack is the first three decades of her
Clint Eastwood used it as daughter of pianists and career, Atlantic Records, is

the soundtrack for a love classically trained herself also celebrating its 75th an-
scene in his 1971 movie her talent won her a full ride niversary.
“Play Misty for Me.” to Howard University at just Flack had a stroke in 2016
The release says that the 15. and spoke to The Associ-
Grammy-winning singer “I have long dreamed of ated Press a little over two
and pianist, now 85, “plans telling my story to children years later about returning
to stay active in her musi- about that first green piano to performing. When asked
cal and creative pursuits” that my father got for me if she’d sing one of her old
through her eponymous from the junkyard in the hits at a then-upcoming
foundation and other av- hope that they would be event, she quickly retorted:
Singer Roberta Flack poses for a portrait in New York on Oct. 10, enues. inspired to reach for their “There’s no such thing as
2018. The Antonino D’Ambrosio- dreams,” Flack was quoted an old hit,” preferring the
Associated Press directed documentary will in the release. “I want them term “classic” instead.q