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PEOPLE & ARTSWednesday 9 September
Vanessa Williams to return to Miss America after 3 decades
WAYNE PARRY In this Aug. 25, 2014 file photo, Vanessa Williams arrives at the 66th Annual Primetime Emmy broadcast Tuesday on
Associated Press “Good Morning America.”
ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey Awards in Los Angeles. Associated Press ‘’That’s one of the prob-
(AP) — Three decades af- lems I’ve had to deal with
ter she gave up the crown sion, music and Broadway. ica, who is really kind of was the polar opposite of in my career, not only be-
amid a nude photo scan- “It was two drastically dif- untouched and not real- purity, and I was a normal ing a Miss America, but
dal, Vanessa Williams is re- ferent images — that was ity, and then there was this kid in the middle,” Wil- being a scandalous Miss
turning to the Miss America the issue. It was Miss Amer- woman in the picture that liams said in an interview America.”
pageant. Sam Haskell, executive
The Miss America Organi- chairman and CEO of
zation, Dick Clark Produc- the Miss America Organi-
tions and the ABC televi- zation, said his friendship
sion network announced withWilliams predated the
Tuesday they are bringing turmoil caused by the re-
back the award-winning lease of the photos.
actress and singer to serve “I have been friends
as head judge for the 2016 with Vanessa for 32 years,”
competition. It begins he told The Associated
Tuesday and culminates Press. “When the pho-
in the crowning of the next tos were published, there
Miss America on Sunday. were people urging her to
Williams, the first African- fight, but close supporters
American Miss America, knew if she lost that fight
won the title in 1984 but that she would be com-
resigned after Penthouse pletely removed from the
magazine published sexu- history books.”
ally explicit photographs Haskell has been trying
of her taken several years for a decade to bring Wil-
earlier. liams back to the Miss
She went on to have a suc- America stage, but this
cessful career in film, televi- was the first year the logis-
tics could be arranged.
Eisenberg embraces misfits in ‘Bream Gives Me Hiccups’ “Vanessa’s career speaks
for itself, with all the suc-
LINCEE RAY This photo provided by Grove/Atlantic shows the cover of the reviews of the fancy res- cess that she has had,”
Associated Press taurants that his divorced Haskell said. “Her return as
Jesse Eisenberg may be book, “Bream Gives Me Hiccups,” by Jesse Eisenberg. “Bream mother insists on experienc- a huge success is a way for
known for his starring role in ing. Through an elaborate us all to move forward and
"The Social Network," but his Gives Me Hiccups” is a fascinating look into the minds of mis- 2,000-star rating system, put the past behind us. It’s
writing resume is equally no- Eisenberg's wit jumps off the truly an honor to welcome
table. He has written three fits. Associated Press page. Yet the emotional her back to the Miss Amer-
plays and a myriad of short pull of a boy reeling with the ica Pageant.”
stories that have been fea- reality of his broken home is Since her 1988 debut al-
tured in The New Yorker. It equally engaging. bum, “The Right Stuff,” Wil-
makes perfect sense that The same can be said for liams has sold more than 7
Eisenberg's next project a young man's email ex- million records worldwide
would be writing a compel- change with his girlfriend and has scored No. 1 and
ling work of fiction to add to that's quickly comman- Top 10 hits on various Bill-
his long list of accomplish- deered by his overbear- board album and singles
ments. ing sister. Only Eisenberg charts, including pop,
"Bream Gives Me Hiccups" could take an entire open- dance, R&B, adult con-
is a fascinating look into the ing paragraph detailing temporary, holiday, Latin,
minds of misfits. Eisenberg the drama of high-school Gospel and jazz.
forces his cast of characters teenage angst and morph Her work has been hon-
to tackle an array of social it into a history lesson on ored by 4 Emmy nomina-
situations. They must nego- the Bosnian genocide. tions; 17 Grammy nomi-
tiate the choppy waters of "Bream Gives Me Hiccups" nations (of which 11 were
family dynamics, learn the is a delightful collection of for her individually); a Tony
art of self-help and create awkward scenarios twisted nomination, 3 Screen Ac-
the ultimate pickup line. into humorous, witty and tors Guild award nomi-
Whether it's Alexander Gra- sometimes poignant life nations; 7 NAACP Image
ham Bell bumbling through lessons. It's simultaneously Awards; and a Golden
his first phone calls or Car- smart, clever and creative. Globe, Grammy and an
melo Anthony of the New In one moment, we feel Oscar for Best Original
York Knicks pacifying a fan, sorry for the sad plight of Song for her platinum sin-
Eisenberg's ability to create the outsider. In the next, we gle “Colors of the Wind,”
interesting and entertaining completely relate to the from the Disney film “Poca-
dialogue as if the exchange empathetic scene unfold- hontas.”
actually occurred is impres- ing before us. With each of She also starred on the
sive. This includes an en- these touching moments, it's TV shows “Ugly Bet-
tire section dedicated to a easy to conclude one thing ty” and “Desperate
9-year-old boy who writes — we are all misfits.q Housewives.”q
