News
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September 3, 2010
Comic David Alan Grier: Why Stand-Up Makes Me Feel Closer to the Crowd
Comic David Alan Grier, who took the stage at Miami Improv last night, told Niteside that stand-up allows him to reconnect with his audience in a way the Broadway stage can't.
"In theater, someone else writes the words, and someone else directs you and guides you through the process," said the "In Living Color" alum, who has also rediscovered his stage roots on Broadway.
"Stand-up is really a chance to be on my own on stage. I write all my own material, and what I like about it is that it's a chance to reconnect with my audience directly. And I play poker by day and tell jokes at night. ... It's awesome."
Grier just wrapped shooting scenes on "Bones" last week and is gearing up to play a lawyer on "Law and Order" opposite Paula Patton. Next, he is taking his acting chops back to the silver screen. He recently signed onto a new movie alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Kerry Washington.
Source: NBC Miami
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August 19, 2010
Bones Exclusive: David Alan Grier to Woo Brennan?
David Alan Grier has been tapped to guest-star as a Bill Nye the Science Guy type on Bones, TVGuide.com has learned exclusively.
Grier will play Professor Bunsen Jude the Science Dude, a quirky host of a children's TV program. As we first reported, he comes to the Jeffersonian Institute hoping to get Brennan (Emily Deschanel) on his show as a guest scientist.
When Brennan scoffs at Jude's offer because she doesn't consider him a serious scientist, Jude volunteers to work with the "squinterns" to help solve a murder case. Brennan agrees to appear on Jude's show if he is successful.
Grier is best known for his work on the Fox variety show In Living Color and the short-lived NBC sitcom DAG. He also recently competed on the eighth season of Dancing with the Stars.
Bones returns Thursday, Sept. 23 at 8/7c on Fox. Grier's appearance is scheduled to air in mid-October.Source: TV Guide
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August 7, 2010
DAG on DVD: Something Like a Business (2010)
The game will never be the same in this outrageous spoof comedy about a young man named JoJo (Kevin Hart) who finds himself in over his head as he struggles to take over his uncle’s “escort” business. JoJo’s up against toughSexy Silk (Clifton Powell), who has already cornered the market, and has to dealJay Anthony Brown, Kym Whitley, Earthquake, Donnell Rawlings and David Alan Grier, is guaranteed to keep you laughing from start to finish. competition from with the local police, who just want a piece of action. This hilarious comedy, also featuring Tarsha Smith,
Genre: Comedy
IMDB rating: N/A
Directed by: Russ Parr
Starring: Kevin Hart, David Alan Grier, Tasha SmithAvailable at Amazon - Click Here
Source: Amazon
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July 21, 2010
David Alan Grier Longs for a $35 Chicken Burger
Photo: Patrick McMullan
Name: David Alan Grier
Age: 54
Neighborhood: Upper West Side
Occupation: Actor, comedian, writer, producer, raconteur, gentleman of leisure. You can catch him performing two nights of comedy, this Friday and Saturday (July 23 and 24), at Comix.Who's your favorite New Yorker, living or dead, real or fictional?
Andy Warhol.What's the best meal you've eaten in New York?
A chicken burger at the St. Regis hotel. It cost $35.00. I used to go at tea time and order it. It was amazing! The chef even gave me the recipe, and then they took it off the menu and I haven't gone back since.In one sentence, what do you actually do all day in your job?
Sleep, watch TV, answer e-mails, work out, sleep, talk on the phone, and sleep.What was your first job in New York?
Starring in a Broadway musical The First in 1981.What's the last thing you saw on Broadway?
American Idiot.Do you give money to panhandlers?
Never, and they always tell me that they are my biggest fans.What's your drink?
Depending on my mood, a good glass of wine, or if things are looking dire, a Grey Goose dirty martini, shaken, served straight up with two olives.How often do you prepare your own meals?
Every day! I love to cook. I have a food blog on WordPress called Chocolate Glutton.What's your favorite medication?
Ibuprofen. It's non-addictive, over-the-counter, and always makes me feel like I'm being proactive in my pain management. But if I want to really have a party nothing beats a Vodka Vici (Vodka on ice with two crushed Vicodin stirred gently with the pinky finger). It tastes like shit, but oh what a feeling!What's hanging above your sofa?
A Jean-Michel Basquiat.How much is too much to spend on a haircut?
Nothing, 'cause I'm bald and I love to shave my own head. In fact, I have invested hundreds of dollars on pre-shave and post-shave ointments, liniments, and scented preparations.When's bedtime?
When I say so.Which do you prefer, the old Times Square or the new Times Square?
Old Times Square, hands down. Dollar kung fu movies, pimps, whores, runaways, drug dealers ... lovely! I would never willingly go to the new Times Square: It is filled with spotty, overweight high-school seniors with cheap point-and-shoot cameras. I love walking through carefully posed group shots on the streets in Times Square and ruining them.What do you think of Donald Trump?
I did a radio show with Mr. Trump and two of his oldest kids — Ivanka, and Shrilanka I think their names were — and I thought he's done a very good job raising them. They were attractive, courteous, thoughtful, and funny, and they never hung out with Lindsay Lohan.What do you hate most about living in New York?
Riding on the subway during the H1N1 flu scare. It was like riding in a giant used condom. I have never used more Purell in my life. Also, rude cab drivers. I hailed a cab once, and the cabbie stopped and asked me where I was going. I said "JFK." He looked me up and down and said, "I'll take you to La Guardia." Like I was looking to make a fucking deal!Who is your mortal enemy?
Myself.When's the last time you drove a car?
Two days ago, a rental. Brand-new Cadillac ... it was awesome.How has the Wall Street crash affected you?
It has given me a feeling of latent despair. You smell it on people's breath, and see it hanging in the air all along Madison Avenue.Times, Post, or Daily News?
Times for news, Post for gossip, and Daily News for cleaning my windows.Where do you go to be alone?
My bathroom.What makes someone a New Yorker?
There is usually a small birthmark found behind the left ear ... a mole in the shape of the twin towers.Source: New York Magazine
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July 19, 2010
DAG at Comix New York July 23/24 - $5 discount promo
Enter promo code "DAG" and get a $5 discount!
Dates & Showtimes
Dates:
Times:
David Alan Grier
Star of "Chocolate News" & "In Living Color" and named one of Comedy Central's "100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time"
ADVANCE TICKETS: $30
Advance Ticket Price is applicable through July 18.
DINNER PACKAGE - $83
- Inner Circle seating for the show
- Three-course Prix Fixe Dinner (See Below)
- 18% Gratuity included
IN ADDITION TO OUR DINNER PACKAGE, A FULL DINNER MENU IS SERVED DURING EACH SHOW FOR A LA CARTE DINING.
*Drink Specials in the Main Bar 5:30p-7:30p - $3 draft & $5 well drinks!*
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Theater, television and film dot David Alan Grier’s career to date and his ability to excel in all three mediums is a testament to the man’s inherent sense of comic timing. Trained in Shakespeare at Yale where he received an MFA from the Yale School of Drama, the multi talented Grier was subsequently named Comedy Central’s “100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time”.
Grier began his professional career on Broadway as Jackie Robinson in The First, for which he earned a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical and won the Theatre World Award (1981). He then joined the cast of Dreamgirls, went on to star opposite Denzel Washington in A Soldier’s Play, and both actors continued their roles in the film version, A Soldier’s Story. He appeared in Robert Altman’s Streamers and won the Golden Lion for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival (1983).
His television work is highlighted by a turn as principle cast member on “the Emmy Award winning In Living Color (1990–1994) where he helped to create some of that show’s most memorable characters, DAG (2000–2001) and Life with Bonnie (2003) which earned an Image and Golden Satellite nomination. David created, wrote and executive produced a show for Comedy Central called Chocolate News (2008). Grier won America’s votes as a smooth, debonair, and outrageously irreverent contestant on ABC’s smash hit Dancing with the Stars (2009). And Grier hasn’t hung up his dance shoes just yet and recently appeared in the Wayans Brothers’ spoof movie Dance Flick which hit theatres May 2009. In Grier’s first book, BARACK LIKE ME: The Chocolate Covered Truth (Touchstone / Simon & Schuster; October 6, 2009) the acclaimed comedian expounds on politics, culture, and race while recounting his own life story in this edgy, timely, timeless, and hilarious memoir and look at all things
Barack.
Grier has recently returned to his theatrical roots; he is currently starring in David Mamet’s acclaimed play, RACE, opposite James Spader and Kerry Washington, and the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway.
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THREE COURSE PRIX FIXE DINNER INCLUDES
- Glass of House Red (OR) White (OR) Rose Wine
- Roasted Pecan & Pear Salad (OR) Comix House Salad
- Pan Seared Chicken Breast (OR) Three Cheese Ravioli (OR) Cedar Plank Salmon
- Molten Chocolate Cake (OR) Roasted Pear Creme Brulee
- Cup of Coffee (OR) Tea with Dessert
DINNER PACKAGE SEATING
- For the 8:00PM Show please arrive at 6:45
- For the 10:30PM Show please arrive at 9:45Source: Comix New York
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July 6, 2010
David Alan Grier - 2010 WSOP Ante-Up for Africa Charity Event
The fourth annual "Ante-Up For Africa" charity tournament was held Saturday at the 2010 WSOP. 84 players turned out to battle for charity and a top prize of $130,641.
Among the celebrities in the field were Matt Damon, Montel Williams, Evander Holyfield, Don Cheadle, David Alan Grier, Jerome Bettis, and Shannon Elizabeth. Howard Lederer, Annie Duke, Phil Ivey, Rafe Furst, Erik Seidel, and Joe Hachem were among the pros in the event.
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July 3, 2010
DAG on Jimmy Kimmel Live - "Undercover Boss"
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July 2, 2010
David Alan Grier at Mandalay Bay
David Alan Grier, or DAGs as his buddy Adam Carolla likes to call him, will be performing live at Mandalay Bay. His outrageous performances on In Living Color, Life with Bonnie and Thank God You’re Here have cemented him in the comedic cannon.
When: Friday, July 2, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Where: Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, 3950 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas
Cost: $30 - $45
Source: Las Vegas Sun
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July 2, 2010
Shakespeare, dancing, comedy all in a day's work for David Alan Grier
By Robin Leach
David Alan Grier.
Photo: Courtesy
Audiences know him as the outrageously irreverent contestant from Dancing With the Stars. His face gave away every one of his inner feelings when the judges handed out their votes.
Audiences know him from four years of memorable characters on the Emmy Award-winning In Living Color. But people might not know that he trained in Shakespeare at Yale University and earned an MFA from the School of Drama. That was long before Comedy Central named him one of the 100 Greatest Stand-Up Comics of All Time.
Having just completed a Broadway run in David Mamet’s acclaimed play Race, David Alan Grier now brings his comedic brilliance to Mandalay Bay Theater tomorrow. We chatted candidly and comfortably before he left L.A.
Robin Leach: Is playing Las Vegas different than playing in any other city? Do you tailor the comedy for a Las Vegas audience?
David Alan Grier: It’s different in one sense. You’re not playing for a hometown crowd. If I go anywhere else, if I go to Detroit, New York, Miami, your audience is going to be comprised of people who are in and around that city. Vegas is a resort and destination city, meaning you have people from all over the country, and to entertain themselves, they come to see me and all kinds of other people like me. So in that sense of no local references, it is different than playing anywhere else. That doesn’t make it difficult for me because I don’t do that kind of act. Most of the stuff that I talk about can be shared.
Tom Bergeron, Samantha Harris, Kym Johnson and David Alan Grier.
RL: Comedy is like art. It can be modern, it can be historical, it can be classical, and art is different for one painter and the next. Is comedy the same way, and if it is a field of many forms, what is the form you think you take to best?
DAG: I do agree that comedy takes many forms, from a guy like Frank Caliendo, who does an act that is really about impressions and impersonating people, to another kind of comic like Carrot Top, who has a bag full of props. I don’t do any of that. I tell jokes and stories. It’s a version of my life on relationships, religion, politics and sports, and everything that is happening now. Recently, I went out with some friends, three of us were comics who had performed that night. There was a woman there who asked me rather innocently, “So was everything that you guys talked about onstage true?” We all burst out laughing! I said it’s about my life, but is it true? No. Is it a documentary? No. Are a lot of things I talk about exaggerated? Yes, but that’s the style of comedy I use. That’s the style that is more in the vein of a traditional stand-up comic like George Carlin or Richard Pryor.
RL: Is the man who trained in Shakespeare at Yale the same guy who was a little bit humor-ridden on Dancing With the Stars?
DAG: That was the problem. I was overqualified for that position. Frankly, Robin, you’re the only one who has uncovered that. It was like hiring a PhD student to fix your drain. I’m not really cut out for the reality television world. It was fun; it was fun to be on the show and dance, and some of the hardest work I have ever done. But was I glad it was over? Oh, yeah!
RL: Your face is a dead giveaway -- sort of reads like an open book.
David Alan Grier.
DAG: We have the Internet now, even things that I tweet, that I blog, people come to their own conclusion, no matter what you write. It’s a new and different world, especially on Dancing With the Stars. Everybody reads everything into something. But for the most part, I had a wonderful time, and I got along really great with my partner Kym Johnson. It was all pretty physical. The hardest work I’ve done is a musical on Broadway. That’s eight shows a week where you have to sing and dance. That to date still is probably the hardest work ever.
But Dancing With the Stars was still pretty hard! I went in there like “anyone could do this.” I had no respect for the show, and the dancers, the discipline, and I knew nothing about Broadway dancing. Yeah, I dance, I took dance classes in college, 800 years ago, and I mean after five minutes, I was absolutely drenched thinking, “Uh, oh!” That was hard work, your nerves are shot, the judges, it was hard.
RL: While studying at the Yale School of Drama, did you ever think you would become one of the greatest stand-ups of all time?
DAG: I never thought I would be in that 100. That was the farthest thing from my mind. I remember the first time I ever performed at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. I couldn’t believe I was actually sitting backstage about to go on and do stand up. Life is amazing, life is strange, life is wonderful. I never could have predicted it, or my career, my career path and the things that I’ve done and been able to do -- never in a million years.
RL: Did you come to the conclusion that there was not a lot of money in the Shakespearean business, but there was more in comedy?
David Alan Grier at Blush.
DAG: Yes, very quickly! I remember I was on In Living Color, and Damon Wayans comes to me and says, “Yeah, I just played, I don’t know, Ho Ho’s Comedy Hut in New Hampshire,” and I was, like, why would you prostitute yourself like that? I thought people told smart-aleck jokes to get on television. He said, “Well, I just made about $25,000 in two days.” And it was like a week later I was doing stand-up. However, I’ve continued to do the stagecraft. I mix it in when I have the time, when I can schedule it into my whole performance schedule. It’s very simple; it’s something I love.
RL: Does one help the other? Comedy helps the acting, and acting helps the comedy?
DAG: Yeah, absolutely. I remember one time when I was in college, I saw Richard Pryor in Ann Arbor, Mich. He was doing this skit where he pretends to be a drunk. He pulls this bottle out of his back pocket and takes a sip from it. Where we were sitting, it looked real, but I snuck all the way down to the front just to verify if he had mimed it or if it was real. He had mimed it. That’s all acting. To this day, I remember being totally mesmerized by it.
RL: Are you looking forward to Vegas this weekend?
David Alan Grier at The Comedy Festival 2008 at Caesar's Palace.
DAG: Oh, yeah! The food gets better and better. It never used to be good food and great wine! I remember I did a show in 1984; we stayed downtown and ate nothing but shrimp cocktail, burgers and fries. There was no Nobu. Now I do what everybody else does when they come to Vegas. I love shopping in Vegas because the clothes are bigger because everybody who comes to visit is overweight. So elsewhere you get a 34 waist, but in Vegas bad boy is a 38, and everybody feels good. For years, I would buy these shirts in Vegas that were size large. Then I would go back to L.A. and try to buy the same shirt, and they would say, “Sir, that is an XXL, not a large.”
“We’re going to have a great show and a great weekend in Las Vegas. Where better to spend the Fourth of July holiday?”
Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.
Source: Las Vegas Weekly
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July 1, 2010
DAG on childhood memories of nearly lethal fireworks.
Las Vegans have Nye County. David Alan Grier had Canada.
Some holiday traditions are universal, such as long, covert drives to buy outlaw bottle rockets and cherry bombs.
"I bought contraband fireworks like drugs for most of my youth," says Grier, whose stand-up date today at Mandalay Bay leads off a bombastic July 4 weekend on the Strip. Growing up in Detroit, "You could buy anything. It was through some dude with the crazy uncle, who drove all the boys up to Canada in the station wagon."
Grier, who turned 55 on Wednesday, is part of the generation with all-American memories of unwrapping dense layers of mysterious Asian newsprint in a Black Cat, to get to the gunpowder at the core.
"For hours, my brother and I, we took every bit of gunpowder out of boxes of fireworks and stuffed them in bottles. Basically, you're making a bomb then. I would probably be on the terrorist watch list now," he says.
But there were casualties. "My brother almost blew his hand off with a cherry bomb. They were throwing them out the attic window. Of course it drops, he picks it up -- boom! It blows up, his hand was smoking and bloody." He tried to tell their mother he cut himself with a pen knife. "We heard about that for years."
Safer distractions await Las Vegas this Independence Day weekend. Grier goes back to being the funny guy Adam Carolla and others know as "DAG" after a dramatic, Tony-nominated turn on Broadway, playing a lawyer in David Mamet's "Race."
"It was weird trying to do stand-up while I was in New York," Grier says, because his goal in the play was to "strip away all those elements of me and my persona that people come to expect, think they know, or have seen me do as a comic or as a funny actor."
Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal
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June 30, 2010
Don't Miss DAG Live in Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay July 2
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June 29, 2010
David Alan Grier Discusses Kids' Names That Sound Like Drugs (VIDEO)
Comedian David Alan Grier is the guest on the latest 'The Kilborn File' (weeknights, 7PM ET on Fox). While he's on the show, host Craig Kilborn asks Grier his patented '5 Questions' on odd topics. And one of the questions is this -- "Give us 3 prescription drugs that sound like kids' names when shouted."
Grier skillfully (and funnily) answers the question, giving three names that sound like drugs: Levitra, Motrin and Ephedrine. He then explains that the names have to sound like they're being shouted "by an African-American."
The comedian then goes on to demonstrate: "Levitra! Levitra -- get in the house!" And also: "Motrin! Motrin -- where's my BB gun?!"Source: TV Squad
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June 26, 2010
Carrie Mae Weems & David Alan Grier: In Conversation
June 25th, 2010Carrie Mae Weems and David Alan Grier have an intimate discussion on a range of topics including childhood idols, the definition of blackness, race and politics during Obama’s presidency, and a desire to make work that addresses not only personal identity but also the broader human condition.
With the pitch and timbre of an accomplished storyteller, Carrie Mae Weems uses colloquial forms-jokes, songs, rebukes-in photographic series that scrutinize subjectivity and expose pernicious stereotypes. Weems’s vibrant explorations of photography, video, and verse breathe new life into traditional narrative forms-social documentary, tableaux, self-portrait, and oral history. Eliciting epic contexts from individually framed moments, Weems debunks racist and sexist labels, examines the relationship between power and aesthetics, and uses personal biography to articulate broader truths. Whether adapting or appropriating archival images, restaging famous news photographs, or creating altogether new scenes, she traces an indirect history of the depiction of African Americans for more than a century. Carrie Mae Weems is featured in the Season 5 (2009) episode Compassion of the Art in the Twenty-First Century television series on PBS. Download-to-own the full episode from iTunes.
David Alan Grier started his career in New York, on Broadway in the production of “The First” playing the role of Jackie Robinson for which he was nominated for a Tony Award. Grier has appeared in many productions on the New York stage, including “Soldiers Play”, and Shakespeare In The Park. On Broadway he has been seen in “Dream Girls”, “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum”, and starred in “Race”, written and directed by David Mamet, for which he received a Tony nomination. Grier has appeared in over 30 films, most recently “Dance Flick”, “The Woodsman”, “Bewitched”, and “The Poker House”. Grier won the Golden Lion award for best actor for the film “Streamers” directed by Robert Altman at the Venice film festival. On television he has appeared in “The Chocolate News” and for four seasons in the Emmy award winning series “In Living Color”. Grier is the author of the book “Barack Like Me: The Chocolate Covered Truth”. Grier has been an avid collector of art, and has collaborated on a performance piece “The Alchemy Of Comedy, Stupid” with the artist Edgar Arceneaux which was included in the 2008 Whitney Biennial.
Source: Art21.org
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June 22, 2010
David Alan Grier & More Set For Comix Through July
The Comix Theatre is an elegant space with comfortable seating, unobstructed stage views and the purest acoustics. In addition to featuring the best of cutting edge alternative comedy with everything from improv and sketch comedy to music and variety programming, headlining acts have included The Flight of the Conchords, Aziz Ansari, RoseAnne Barr, Craig Ferguson, Janeane Garofalo, JB Smoove and Richard Lewis. Our distinctive menu and VIP dinner packages will delight even the most discriminating diner, so come on an empty stomach and enjoy a meal with your laughs.
Fri & Sat, July 23RD & 24TH @ 8:00 & 10:30 PM
Nominated for a Tony Award for his first Broadway performance, David Alan Grier is a performer through and through. Though his most recent work includes David Mamet's acclaimed Broadway play "Race," Grier's acting credits span decades with shows like "In Living Color," "Martin," and "Chocolate News."
Ever the comedian, however, David Alan Grier also boasts a spot on Comedy Central's "100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time" and finished his first book of humorous essays Barack Like Me: The Chocolate Covered Truth in 2009.
Tickets are $30 until July 19th; $35 afterwards, plus a two drink minimum in the showroom.Source: Broadway World
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June 16, 2010
David Alan Grier returns to the Irvine Improv
The veteran entertainer was up for best featured actor last Sunday during Broadway’s 64th annual big night at Radio City Music Hall, for his role in David Mamet’s latest play, Race. Nabbing the award would have been a huge victory, one years in the making, since Grier had been nominated in the same category nearly three decades ago at the start of his career, for portraying baseball great Jackie Robinson in the 1982 production The First.
The 54-year-old comedian and actor finished up work on Race last weekend, just before attending the award ceremony and then hopping on a flight for the West Coast, where he’ll switch hats and perform his stand-up act instead. He headlines Thursday through Sunday at the Irvine Improv.
“If I win,” Grier promised just days before losing to Eddie Redmayne (for Red) at the Tonys, “I’m going to bring the award and put it on a little stool next to me on the stage at the Improv. “Kind of like Shirley MacLaine when she won the Oscar, then did a one-woman show on Broadway -- she put it on the piano. I don’t know what the handicap on me winning is right now … I got a lot of heat on me after 27 years.”
After graduating from the Yale School of Drama with his MFA (he earned his bachelor’s degree from University of Michigan), Grier instantly landed his first major role with The First. But, though he insists such success didn’t go to his head, he immediately craved that same sort of rush again.
“What I thought was: ‘This is easy, I’m going to do another play and get another Tony nomination.’ But it took years and years” -- during which time Grier appeared in Dreamgirls and a revival of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum before moving on to movies (making his debut in Robert Altman’s 1983 adaptation of David Rabe’s tense Vietnam-era drama Streamers) and then television.
“I realize now that all of the stars have to align just right,” he says of garnering honors like a Tony Award. “People don’t realize that when you see an actor who has a string of magical projects -- just one hit after another after another -- that takes a lot of luck, planning, talent, perseverance, hard work … all of that stuff.”
Grier joined the cast of In Living Color, the sketch comedy show created by brothers Keenen Ivory Wayans and Damon Wayans, when the program debuted on Fox in April 1990. But he hadn’t considered performing stand-up until universities and clubs began calling him to book appearances after seeing his bits on TV.“I was talking to Damon Wayans and I was like, ‘Why would anyone ever lower themselves to go on a stage at a saloon and tell d*** jokes?’ He said to me: ‘Well, last week I made like $37,000.’ And I was like: ‘Helloooooo, Virginia! How ya’ll doin?’
“Seriously, though, it’s a good way for me to connect with my audience. I do all of my own stuff, no one writes for me and no one ever has. It’s also a way for me to actually get to see the people and have them see a different part of me. Obviously, the people who may know me from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum might come and see me do stand-up and be disappointed because I don’t sing show tunes or anything, but at this point people know me and they know what to expect.”
In 2008 Grier landed his own Comedy Central show, Chocolate News, a satirical skewering of current events from an African American perspective. Unfortunately, the show was axed after just two months.
Facebook fans might have been able to rally to land Betty White a hosting gig on Saturday Night Live, but Grier doesn’t think even the hardest push could get Chocolate News back on the air.
“I don’t think it’s possible and I’ll tell you why … Comedy Central canceled Sarah Silverman’s show,” he points out. “I don’t know what their formula for success is any longer as a network. They can always blame it on ratings, but Sarah’s show especially … they should have just been honored that she was even on their network.”
Grier wasn’t out of the spotlight for long, however. A year later he signed on for the eighth season of Dancing with the Stars, for which he was partnered with Kym Johnson. He was the fifth star to get booted from the show that year, but he did manage to get into shape in the process -- he brags about dropping 25 pounds.
However, “I gained back 37 pounds after that,” he jokes.
He also shared a story about a costume fitting for Race, and how it left him feeling very much as if he were in a scene from A Star Is Born.
“I was standing in the dressing room in my underwear and I could hear them talking like, ‘If we broaden the shoulders … if we take the lapels and make them wider it will slim his torso.’ I was like, ‘Really? I can’t go out there like Al Roker.’ So I went on a diet and lost 25 pounds again -- in a much more sane way then dancing.”
Author is another title Grier can put in front of his name now, as his first book, Barack Like Me: The Chocolate-Covered Truth, hit shelves last year. Originally the book was to be told through the persona he had created for Chocolate News, but Grier says he changed his approach after watching Barack Obama become the first African American president.
“It was basically going to be told in that sort of blowhard persona,” he says, “and it was going to be politically and socially sketchy. Then the show was going off the air, and Barack Obama was being elected, and I really wanted to talk about living through and witnessing that whole event.
“The book kind of became the story about my life, because I felt it was necessary in telling how I perceived the event of watching the very first African American president as an African American man. I talk about how I grew up, how I was taught and how all of that evolved into today. That was the story I wanted to tell.”
David Alan Grier performs Thursday at 8 p.m., Friday at 8 and 10 p.m., Saturday at 7 and 9 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Irvine Improv, 71 Fortune Drive. Tickets are $25. Call 949-854-5455 or check the Improv's website for more details.
Source: OC Register
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June 14, 2010
Grier Sees Tonys as Origin of Other Award Shows
David Alan Grier doesn't think the Tonys are the outsider of other award shows, but the origin of all others.
Says Grier: "The Tonys are the frozen sperm of all the other award shows. I have a dog that's a Greater Swiss Mountain dog. From that dog came other breeds. That's the Tonys."
The actor adds: "The Tony is not the Oscars of the theater, it is the Oscar with another name."
Grier was nominated for featured actor in a play for his performance as attorney Henry Brown in "Race."
He says the biggest obstacle Sunday was getting through the matinee so he could get to New York's Radio City Music Hall for the Tony Awards show.
Grier says that during the performance, he was thinking: "Hurry up, there's someplace I need to be."
Source: ABC News
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June 6, 2010
Vegas' Mandalay Bay to Present Performances by David Alan Grier, Rihanna & More
The Mandalay Bay Events Center at Mandalay Bay will present Lilith Fair on Friday, July 9. It has been nearly 11 years since the last tour and Lilith is back. The tour will feature a rotating list of more than 80 eclectic and notable female acts. Much like the original Lilith Fair, there will be 11 artists on each date with only two consistencies per show - the Lilith Local Talent Search ourstage.com winner, who will kick off the show, and headliner Sarah McLachlan. Additional artists scheduled to perform include Elizaveta, Miranda Lambert, Susan Justice, Queen Latifah, The Bangles, A Fine Frenzy, Emmylou Harris and Marina & the Diamonds.
Multi-platinum and Grammy Award-winning superstar Rihanna is bringing her "Last Girl On Earth" tour to the Mandalay Bay Events Center Saturday, July 17. A dynamic performer renowned for her cutting-edge stage looks and designs, Rihanna promises to create a visual spectacle on a scale unlike anything she has accomplished in her already legendary career. Rihanna is in the midst of her fourth critically acclaimed album "Rated R" and is the only female artist of the past decade to have six No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. She will be joined on stage by rising star Ke$ha.
Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter and record producer Shakira, one of the most exciting and successful global artists in recent history with more than 214 award nominations and more than 50 million albums sold worldwide, has announced her 2010 global tour which includes a performance at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Saturday, Oct. 16. Shakira has toured the United States only twice in her career, once in 2002 for the "Tour of the Mongoose", and the second time in 2006 for her "Oral Fixation" tour which grossed more than $100 million.
The multi-talented actor, singer and comedian David Alan Grier will take the stage at Mandalay Bay performing his hilarious routine for one-night only Friday, July 2. Grier, known for his work on the stage and screen, will perform at 9 p.m. The classically trained Grier received an MFA from the Yale School of Drama and began his career on Broadway in the role of Jackie Robinson in "The First," where he earned a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Grier's television work includes the Emmy winning show "In Living Color," as well as "DAG" and "Life with Bonnie." He also was a fan favorite on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars." Grier recently returned to his theatrical roots starring opposite James Spader and Kerry Washington in David Mamet's acclaimed play RACE.
There will also be a number of concerts at Mandalay Bay Beach as a part of the "Concerts on the Beach" Series. Performers include Rick Springfield (June 19), The Backstreet Boys (July 2), One Republic (July 3), The Wailers (July 10), Gipsy Kings (July 16), Ziggy Marley (July 17), Jimmy Cliff (July 24), Sublime with Rome (July 25), Adam Lambert with Orianthi (July 31), Blondie and the B-52s (August 7), The Lost 80s Live Tour (August 14), and Michael Franti & Spearhead (August 21).Tickets are now on sale at any Mandalay Bay box office outlet and all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith's Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Mandalay Bay Box Office at (702) 632-7580 or Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.
Source: Broadway World
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June 2, 2010
2010 Tony Awards Preview - Featured Actor - David Alan Grier
Playbill.com offers a look at the nominees for the 64th annual Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards in the categories of Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play and Musical. 
Source: Playbill
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May 30, 2010
David Alan Grier's Prosciutto Sandwich
This simple and delicious recipe for a prosciutto sandwich comes courtesy of actor David Alan Grier.
Ingredients
Makes 1 sandwich
- 1 6-inch piece baguette, halved horizontally
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Thinly sliced Prosciutto de Parma
- Cured olives, for serving
Directions
- Drizzle olive oil over cut sides of the baguette. Place a few slices prosciutto on cut side of one-half of baguette; cover with the remaining half to make a sandwich. Serve with cured olives.
Source: MarthaStewart.com
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May 29, 2010
Mamet's Race Plays 200th Performance on Broadway
By Adam Hetrick
29 May 2010
Race star Kerry Washington photo by Robert J. Saferstein David Mamet's Race, featuring original cast members David Alan Grier, James Spader, Kerry Washington and Richard Thomas, celebrates its 200th performance May 29 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.
Mamet directed his tense, racially-charged drama, which began previews Nov. 17, 2009, and officially opened Dec. 6, 2009. Race recouped its entire $2.5 million investment in late April and has extended through Aug. 21.
As previously reported, original Broadway cast members Grier and Washington will depart June 13, while Spader will make his exit June 20. Grier received a 2010 Best Actor Tony Award nomination for his performance.
The trio will be replaced by Dennis Haysbert, Eddie Izzard and Afton C. Williamson, respectively. Williamson will begin performances June 15, and Haysbert and Izzard will join the cast June 21. Richard Thomas will be the only original cast member to remain with the production.
Mamet elaborated on the plot in an interview with the New York Times. "In my play a firm made up of three lawyers, two black and one white, is offered the chance to defend a white man charged with a crime against a black young woman. It is a play about lies. All drama is about lies. When the lie is exposed, the play is over."
The design team for Race includes Santo Loquasto (sets), Brian Macdevitt (lighting) and Tom Broecker (costumes).
Race is produced by on Broadway by Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Jam Theatricals, JK Productions, Peggy Hill & Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz, Scott M. Delman, Terry Allen Kramer/James L. Nederlander, Swinsky Deitch, Bat-Barry Productions, Ronald Frankel, James Fuld Jr., Kathleen K. Johnson, Terry Schnuck, The Weinstein Company, Jay & Cindy Gutterman/Stewart Mercer and Marc Frankel.
Mamet's plays also include Glengarry Glen Ross (1984 Pulitzer Prize and New York Drama Critics Circle Award, 2005 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play), American Buffalo, Boston Marriage, November, Speed-the-Plow and The Cryptogram. He has penned the screenplays for such films as "The Verdict," "The Untouchables," "Wag the Dog" and his own adaptation of "Oleanna." He has twice been nominated for an Academy Award. He has written and directed ten films including "Homicide," "The Spanish Prisoner," "State and Main," "House of Games," "Spartan" and "Redbelt." His tense 1992 drama Oleanna made its Broadway debut last fall.
The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is located at 243 West 47th Street. For more information, visit RaceOnBroadway.com.
Tickets are available by visiting Telecharge.com or by calling (212) 239-6200.
James Spader, David Alan Grier and Richard Thomas in Race. photo by Robert J. Saferstein Source: Playbill
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May 27, 2010
Promoters for Broadway's Race
The cast of Race with red sequined dress ladies who promote the play
(© Andy S. Drachenberg)The current cast of Broadway's Race -- James Spader, David Alan Grier, Kerry Washington, and Richard Thomas -- posed with several of the red sequined dress ladies who promote Race in Times Square.
Written and directed by David Mamet, the play, at the Barrymore Theatre, is about three attorneys, two black and one white, who are offered a chance to defend a white man charged with a crime against a black woman.
For TheaterMania's review of Race, click here.
For more information, visit www.raceonbroadway.com.
Source: Theater Mania
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May 22, 2010
DAG at the 76th Annual Drama League Awards
David Alan Grier attends the 76th Annual Drama League Awards ceremony and luncheon at the Marriot Marquis on May 21, 2010 in New York City.
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May 19, 2010
61st Annual New Dramatist's Benefit Luncheon
Actor/Comedian David Alan Grier and director Julie Taymor attend the 61st Annual New Dramatist's Benefit Luncheon at the Marriot Marquis on May 18, 2010 in New York City.Source: Life
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May 10, 2010
David Alan Grier Gets Someone Fired?
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May 9, 2010
DAG at the 2010 Tony Awards Meet the Nominees Press Reception
David Alan Grier attends the 2010 Tony Awards Meet the Nominees Press Reception
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May 5, 2010
DAG Nominated for a Tony Award for Race
Nominations for the 2010 American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards, announced Tuesday.
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY: David Alan Grier, Race; Stephen McKinley Henderson, Fences; Jon Michael Hill, Superior Donuts; Stephen Kunken, Enron; Eddie Redmayne, Red.
David Alan Grier, who received his second Tony nomination for best featured actor, for the David Mamet play Race, said the nominating committee's love was even sweeter the second time around.
"The first time was my first professional job," said Grier, who didn't win then (in 1982, for a musical called, fittingly, The First). "When you're really young and unsure of yourself, you think, 'Well, maybe this is a fluke.' But at this point in my career, for this work, it feels great."
Source: USA Today
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April 30, 2010
Mamet's Hit Race Extended to August; Cast Remains
The Broadway run of David Mamet's Race, starring James Spader, David Alan Grier, Kerry Washington and Richard Thomas, has been extended to Aug. 23 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.
The playwright directed the world-premiere production that opened on Broadway Dec. 6 and was originally scheduled to close June 13. Producers announced April 21 that the production had recouped its entire $2.5 million investment.
According to producers, "three attorneys, two black and one white, are offered a chance to defend a white man charged with a crime against a black woman."
Mamet elaborated on the plot in an interview with the New York Times. "In my play a firm made up of three lawyers, two black and one white, is offered the chance to defend a white man charged with a crime against a black young woman. It is a play about lies. All drama is about lies. When the lie is exposed, the play is over."
The design team for Race includes Santo Loquasto (sets), Brian Macdevitt (lighting) and Tom Broecker (costumes).
Race is produced by on Broadway by Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Jam Theatricals, JK Productions, Peggy Hill & Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz, Scott M. Delman, Terry Allen Kramer/James L. Nederlander, Swinsky Deitch, Bat-Barry Productions, Ronald Frankel, James Fuld Jr., Kathleen K. Johnson, Terry Schnuck, The Weinstein Company, Jay & Cindy Gutterman/Stewart Mercer and Marc Frankel.
The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is located at 243 West 47th Street. For more information, visit RaceOnBroadway.com.
Tickets are available by visiting Telecharge.com or by calling (212) 239-6200.
David Alan Grier, James Spader, Kerry Washington and Richard Thomas photo by Robert J. Saferstein Source: Playbill
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April 25, 2010
RACE Stars Receive Sardi's Portraits
RACE stars James Spader, David Alan Grier and Kerry Washington received portraits on the famed Sardi's wall (co-star Richard Thomas has previously been inducted for a prior performance but was on hand to celebrate).
Source: Broadway World
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April 18, 2010
Performing At The Mandalay Bay Theatre 7/2
The multi-talented actor, singer and comedian David Alan Grier will take the stage at Mandalay Bay performing his hilarious routine for one-night only. Grier, known for his work on the stage and screen, will appear Friday, July 2 at 9 p.m. in the Mandalay Bay Theatre.
Tickets are priced at $30 and $45, inclusive of tax and fees, and go on sale Saturday, April 17 at noon at the Mandalay Bay Theatre Box Office and at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call the Mandalay Bay Box Office at (702) 632-7580 or Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
The classically trained Grier received an MFA from the Yale School of Drama and began his career on Broadway in the role of Jackie Robinson in "The First," where he earned a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Following his Tony-nominated role, Grier joined the cast of "Dreamgirls" and then went on to star opposite Denzel Washington in "A Soldier's Play." He continued his role in the film version, "A Soldier's Story." In 2004, he was recognized on Comedy Central's list of "100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time."
Grier's television work included a turn on the Emmy winning show, "In Living Color" as well as "DAG" and "Life with Bonnie." He also created, wrote and executive produced Comedy Central's show "Chocolate News" and was a fan favorite on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars." Grier's first book, "BARACK LIKE ME: The Chocolate Covered Truth," was published in 2009 and he recently returned to his theatrical roots starring opposite James Spader and Kerry Washington in David Mamet's acclaimed play, "RACE."
Source: Broadway World
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April 15, 2010
'In Living Color': A Look Back After 20 Years at Favorite Sketches
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the debut of “In Living Color,” the sketch comedy show that ran for five seasons on Fox as an edgier, more multi-cultural answer to “Saturday Night Live.” It’s hard to overstate the show’s influence on the last two decades of pop culture; among its cast were Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Lopez (as a fly girl), Chris Rock (for a few episodes) and David Alan Grier, not to mention the brotherly tandem of Keenan, Damon, Marlon and Sean Wayans.
To mark the show’s anniversary, Web site The Root has assembled a cast then-and-now as well as a speculative look at what the show might be like if it aired today. All of this early-’90s nostalgia got Speakeasy recalling our favorite “In Living Color” sketches, from overly literal bluesman Calhoun Tubbs to the racially-charged version of “Who’s On First?”
What are your favorite “In Living Color” sketches?
David Alan Grier as bluesman Calhoun Tubbs.
“The Al Sharpton and Lou Farrakhan Comedy Hour” version of “Who’s On First?”
Keenen Ivory Wayans as Arsenio Hall interviewing former Washington D.C. Mayor Marion Barry.
Source: Speakeasy
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April 13, 2010
David Alan Grier Et. Al Set For Bay Street Harbor's Comedy Club Series 7/19
Bay Street Theatre has announced its scheduled performers for its summer Comedy Club series. Among others, David Alan Grier is set to appear on July 19.
Other performers who will take part in the series are Jake Johansen (July 12), Jim Breuer (July 26), David Brenner (August 7), Ralphie May (August 16), Joe Piscopo and Bobby Slaton (August 23), and Jamie Kennedy (August 30).
For more information, visit http://www.baystreet.org/.
Although David Alan Grier has been known for his ability to create comedy and humor, the graduate of the Yale School of Drama has successfully made the diverse jump from theatre to television to film and still alternates between all three. Trained in Shakespeare at Yale, Grier began his professional career on Broadway as Jackie Robinson in "The First," for which he earned a Tony nomination in 1981. He then joined the cast of Dreamgirls, went on to star opposite Denzel Washington in A Soldier's Play, and both actors continued their roles in the film version, "A Soldier's Story." Grier's extraordinary performance in the role attracted the attention of Robert Altman, who cast him into a lead role in his film adaptation of David Rabe's "Streamers." The ensemble cast of "Streamers" won the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival in 1983. Grier has gained recognition for many additional feature film roles, including "Baadasssss!" for director Mario Van Peebles, "The Woodsman" opposite Kevin Bacon and Mos Def, "15 Minutes," "Boomerang," "Bewitched," and "Jumanji." David also co-wrote, produced and appeared in the independent film "Poker House," Lori Petty's directorial debut. Grier's other theatre credits include the lead role of Pseudolus in the Broadway revival of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and well as the New York Shakespeare Festival productions of Richard III and The Merry Wives of Windsor at Central Park. In 2006, David joined the La Jolla Playhouse's staging of The Wiz for Des McAnuff. David Alan Grier is currently appearing in David Mamet's Race on Broadway.
Bay Street Theatre is a not-for-profit 299-seat professional regional theatre situated on Long Wharf, in Sag Harbor, NY, and founded in 1991 by Sybil Christopher, Stephen Hamilton and Emma Walton.
Operating from March through December, Bay Street is dedicated to presenting new, classic and contemporary works, which challenge as well as entertain, speak to our diverse community and champion the human spirit. It is our mission to create an artistic haven, where an extended family of established and emerging artists may flourish in an atmosphere free from commercial pressures. It is our commitment to exercise fiscal responsibility so that our work might be defined by our imagination as well as our resources. We believe in providing a gathering place for artists and audiences to share a collective theatrical experience that resonates beyond our walls. Our commitment extends to educational programs for all ages to foster the continued value of theatre as a vital art form for future generations.
Many of the productions that premiered or were developed at Bay Street have moved to Broadway, Off-Broadway, regionally and abroad, including NOBODY DON'T LIKE YOGI, HEDDA GABLER, LOVE JANIS, IF LOVE WERE ALL, FULL GALLOP, SWINGTIME CANTEEN and THREE HOTELS. Now in its 18th Season, Bay Street is considered " ...one of the Country's pre-eminent regional theatres" ( CBS Sunday Morning ) and "...in the same league with the best major regional and Off-Broadway theatres." ( Newsday )
In addition to the Mainstage productions, the variety of year-round programs at Bay Street include The Comedy Club, KidStreet, Developmental play workshops, Special Events, and Educational Outreach Initiatives including The Young Playwrights Program, a Summer College Internship Program, Theatre Workshops and Kids Theatre Camps.
Photo Credit: Peter James Zielinski
Source: Broadway World
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March 2, 2010
David Mamet's RACE to Play Its 100th Performance March 3
RACE, the critically acclaimed new play, written and directed by David Mamet, starring James Spader, David Alan Grier, Kerry Washington and Richard Thomas, will play its 100th performance on Wednesday, March 3rd at 8:00.
RACE is Pulitzer Prize winner David Mamet's (Glengarry GLen Ross, The Untouchables, Speed-the-Plow) most explosive four-letter word yet and proves that nothing is as simple as black-and white. Three-time Emmy® Award winner James Spader ("Boston Legal"), David Alan Grier ("In Living Color"), Kerry Washington (Ray) and Emmy® Award winner Richard Thomas (Democracy) star in this incendiary story about the perceptions and realities that color our world - and the subtle shades between being a victim and being victimized.
RACE is currently the longest-running play of this Broadway season.
Tickets for RACE may be purchased by visiting www.Telecharge.com or calling (212) 239-6200.
Here's what critics have said about RACE:
"SCALPEL-EDGED INTELLIGENCE! An examination of cultural conscience and paranoia and a topical detective story, RACE raises issues, particularly on the ethnic varieties of shame and the universal nature of guilt, that should offer ample nutrition for many a post-theater dinner conversation."
- Ben Brantley, The New York Times
"A HIGH-VOLTAGE MELODRAMA! RACE is unafraid to raise painful questions while dispensing prickly ideas and provocative dialogue amid steady suspense. Author/director David Mamet adroitly mixes comic darts with tragic arrows, and the play is full of wry jokes, epigrammatic jolts, and acrid, even cheeky provocations."
- John Simon, Bloomberg News
"FASCINATING AND DRAMATICALLY CHARGED! David Mamet's provocative hot-topic new play is anything but simple. The questions it poses and answers its characters supply add up to an intriguing study of perception. ."
- Michael Kuchwara, AP
"BITINGLY FUNNY AND BRISKLY ENTERTAINING! James Spader offers a pitch perfect combination of wit, weariness and cool brutality.."
- Elysa Gardner, USA Today
"TASTY DIALOGUE, SPIKY CONFRONTATIONS, AND MORE THAN OCCASIONALLY BITING OBSERVATIONS! Race riffs artfully on the subtleties of discrimination and guilt, resentment and shame, and its ambiguities appear designed to stir audiences into testy debates." - David Rooney, Variety
RACE made its world premiere at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre (located at 243 West 47th St.). The show began performances on Monday, November 16, 2009 and officially opened on Sunday, December 6, 2009.
RACE features design by Santo Loquasto (set), Brian MacDevitt (lighting) and Tom Broecker (costumes).RACE is produced by: Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Jam Theatricals, JK Productions, Peggy Hill & Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz, Scott M. Delman, Terry Allen Kramer/James L. Nederlander, Swinsky Deitch, Bat-Barry Productions, Ronald Frankel, James Fuld Jr., Kathleen K. Johnson, Terry Schnuck, The Weinstein Company, Jay & Cindy Gutterman/Stewart Mercer and Marc Frankel.
For more information on RACE, visit http://www.raceonbroadway.com/
Source: Broadway World
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February 26, 2010
Grier, Thomas, DiVita and More to Take Part in Light for Haiti Benefit Concert Feb. 28 in NYC
David Alan Grier Artists from the Broadway, music and poetry worlds will come together for the special benefit concert, Light for Haiti, Feb. 28 at 8 PM at the Canal Room in Manhattan.
The event will be hosted by David Alan Grier and Richard Thomas, who are currently starring in David Mamet's Race on Broadway. Performers scheduled to take part include Janine DaVita (Grease), Michael Lanning (The Civil War), singer-songwriter Scott Alan and Leigh Taylor-Smith (2008's Miss New York).
According to press notes, "the music and voices of Broadway, the passion of spoken word and slam poetry, the rhythm of indie rock, R&B and reggae will all come together in one night" for the event.
Proceeds from the event will go to GHESKIO Medical Center, the medical relief organization in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The funds will be sent to GHESKIO via Weill Cornell Medical College.
The Canal Room is located at 285 West Broadway at Canal Street. For tickets, visit canalroom.com. For more information on the concert, visit lightforhaiti.net.
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GHESKIO Medical Center is located in Port-au-Prince at the center of the devastation of the recent earthquake in Haiti, and is committed to giving medical assistance to the earthquake's survivors in addition to continuing its regular work with HIV and tuberculosis patients.
Source: Playbill
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February 9, 2010
David Alan Grier mixes comedy with drama
A lot of people see comedy as an escape from the drama of everyday life, and David Alan Grier is no exception.
Grier, perhaps best known for his work on the sketch comedy show "In Living Color," is now starring on Broadway in the intense David Mamet drama "Race," opposite James Spader, Richard Thomas and Kerry Washington.
The play deals with such hot-button topics as sexual assault, gender politics and, of course, race. Given the intensity of his day job, Grier is relishing an opportunity to unleash the funny in an upcoming stand-up appearance Sunday at the Peppermill Ballroom in the Ramada Inn, Stratford.
The actor/comedian -- who has also appeared in a wide array of movies, including "The Woodsman," "Boomerang," and "Jumanji" -- said he's looking at the one-night-only gig as a "welcome respite" from his work in the Mamet play.
"I love doing stand-up," Grier said during a recent phone interview. "This is one of the few times I have to sneak out and do some stand-up while I'm here."
Grier is closely identified with comedy, and created some of "In Living Color's" most memorable characters, including flamboyant critic Antoine Merriwether and blues singer Calhoun Tubbs. Other TV credits include co-starring on the ABC comedy "Life with Bonnie" and starring in the satiric Comedy Central program "The Chocolate News."
However, the Yale School of Drama graduate started out as a serious actor. He began his career on Broadway as Jackie Robinson in "The First," earning a Tony nomination in 1981. He later went on to star with Denzel Washington in "A Soldier's Play," and both actors recreated their roles in the play's film adaptation, "A Soldier's Story."
Grier said he likes bouncing between funny and serious work, and each has its merits. When he's onstage in "Race," he said, he can let go of his persona and become someone completely different.
"There's a freedom in that," he said. "These are not my words. These are not my beliefs and I can sort of leave myself at the door."
But there's freedom in comedy,as well.
"I can say what I want, when I want and where I want," Grier said. As far as Sunday's performance, Grier promised it will be filled with "hilariosity." Aside from that, he made only one other guarantee -- "No props."
One of the great things about stand-up, and comedy in general, is that it connects with people in a way that drama seldom does, Grier said. He recalled an encounter he had with a pet shop employee in Los Angeles, who said something that cast Grier's comedic work in a new light.
"He said, `You make my life easier,' " Grier said. "I also heard that from soldiers when I went to Iraq (to perform). I don't think Robert De Niro gets that a lot."
The Peppermill Ballroom of the Ramada Inn is at 225 Lordship Blvd., Stratford. Sunday. Doors open at 7 p.m. and showtime is at 8. $25. 203-545-1347, dagshow.eventbrite.com.
Source: CT Post
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January 23, 2010
REVIEW: Mamet's Compelling 'Race' Makes Explosive Case Against Political Correctness
The first thing you need to know about “Race,” the new play by David Mamet currently running at the Barrymore Theatre on Broadway, is that it isn’t really about race. Well, not entirely about race.
The setting is a conference room of a law firm. Henry Brown (David Alan Grier) and his white partner Jack Lawson (James Spader) are interviewing a prospective client (Richard Thomas). The client, a wealthy white man, is standing trial for the rape of a black woman.
Two expert attorneys interviewing a prospective client is the perfect device for Mamet to not only inform the audience of the facts at hand and the idiosyncratic personalities of the characters we will spend the next hour and a half of our lives with, but it also serves as a perfect showcase for the playwright’s legendary use of dialogue, timing, over-lapping speech patterns and no-holds-barred language. For a Mamet addict, this is heroin.
It is a chance to watch a conversation that anyone outside that room was never meant to hear. And the language the characters use reflect the comfortable and brazen style reminiscent of Glengarry Glen Ross and Speed-the-Plow, the unique vernacular often referred to as “Mamet-Speak.”
Also present but silent in the play’s opening scene is Susan (Kerry Washington), an associate at the firm. She stays on a platform that stretches the length of the stage, upstage of the action. She is always seen, observing but remaining silent. We notice her, but we don’t focus on her. Her mere presence (as well as the fact that she is a beautiful black woman and the plot centers on the rape of a young black woman) is a clear indication that she will play a pivotal role in the scenes that follow, and she does.
Source: Big Hollywood
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January 19, 2010
MSNBC.TV: Relieving Racial Tension Through Humor
One things comedians are good at it is making fun of things that are very serious. MSNBC spoke with three comedians, including David Alan Grier, about race relations, current events and whether the presidency of President Obama makes for good punch lines.
"Everyone wants to be black, but like Barack Obama black. Like, beige." - DAGVisit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Source: MSNBC. TV
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January 4, 2010
Gayle King Talks to DAG About "Race"
Oprah Radio host Gayle King talks to DAG about his role in the new Broadway play "Race" by David Mamet.
Click here to listen to the interview at Oprah.com!
Source: Oprah Radio
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December 16, 2009
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
David Alan Grier talks to Jimmy about his book and his role on Broadway in "Race."
Watch the video!
Source: Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
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December 7, 2009
Funnyman David Alan Grier Gets Serious in Race
David Alan Grier in 'Race'
About the Show
David Alan Grier is widely known for being a funnyman on such TV shows as In Living Color and Comedy Central’s Chocolate News, but the Yale-trained actor is also a stage vet. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his debut in The First and has appeared on Broadway in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Dreamgirls. He also boasts a long list of film credits, both comedic and dramatic, not to mention a stint on Dancing with the Stars. Now the actor is part of the four-person cast of David Mamet’s provocatively titled Race, directed by the author. The amiable Grier—who is not one to mince words on stage or off—chatted with Broadway.com about playing a “truthsayer,” working with the Pulitzer-winning playwright and growing up during the upheaval of the 1960s.
Were you intimidated to work with David Mamet?
Yeah, because I read his book about actors when it was first released, and I was all appalled. [Actors] were like, “What?! How dare he!” I’m older now, and if I wrote a book about directors and playwrights, it would basically be the same thing: “Just write me good shit to say! Get out of my way! Give me more lines. Don’t tell me where to stand. Don’t have other people talking to me unless it makes me look better!” He is a great writer, so that makes it easy to come to work and easy to do the play. I know this character, I have a beat and a take on the character. The character is not me and that’s freeing. It’s not my political agenda; it’s not what I believe in. It’s the playwright’s world that I’m trying to bring and breathe life into.
There hasn’t been a big explanation about the plot of this play. The producers basically said that the title speaks for itself. Do you agree with that?
Yes, the first lines, which are spoken by my character, set everything out philosophically. It’s called Race, and we will get down and dirty right now. What’s deceptive is how it plays out. Race is involved in the basic plot, which Dave talked about in The New York Times: A white man is accused of a sexual impropriety with a woman of color. It’s good old-fashioned storytelling.
I think it’s fair to say that traditionally David Mamet does not have a very diverse audience. Do you think this play is changing that for him?
I hope so. Look at it this way: If I wrote a play called Jews, I’m sure there would be a lot of Jewish people who would see it—even if it were written by me, an African American. I’m serious. [People are] like, “Wow, what the fuck is this?” I know there’s that is the position of some African Americans because I had [that opinion] before I read the play. Like, “What can this white man tell me?” It’s called Race and it doesn’t let you down—just like if you had a play called Sex, but it’s about two people eating ice cream, you’d be severely disappointed. He has to mix it up, and he does. He talks about things that have rarely been discussed on stage with honesty and rawness. Also, I think it is interesting to do this play right after Barack Obama’s been elected. There’s that feeling of, “Oh, look how far we’ve come.”
The idea of being “post-racial.”
Right, and we’re not. Not yet. We’ve come a long way, but the conversation continues and for some of us, it’s more difficult than others. So there we go.
Despite its jokey cover and title, your book Barack Like Me: The Chocolate-Covered Truth is intelligently written. It reveals a lot about your upbringing.
Thank you. I didn’t necessarily know that it would come out more like a memoir and talking about the things I did. When I pitched the book, The Chocolate News [Grier’s short-lived show on Comedy Central] was on the air. Once we got canceled, I didn’t want to be stuck in that character’s voice; I wanted my own voice. So the tone of the book and the writing and what I was trying to say changed. It’s all about the world I grew up in, the family I grew up in and the beliefs I was taught. I had to tell that story, so people understood how I perceived and lived through the inauguration, the election period and all of that stuff with Barack Obama. That’s really the heart of the book.
You grew up in a politically conscious family—your father is a famous author [who wrote the seminal Black Rage], and now you’re in a play called Race.
Yes, it was all a plan [laughs].
People may walk into the theater knowing you as a comedian, but they might not know all of these other layers.
They have to learn, you know. It’s nothing I’ve hidden—it’s always been a part of me. My whole career, I’ve wanted to do a straight dramatic play on Broadway. Most people know me from In Living Color or Comedy Rules, but I’m a classically trained actor. I wish I could tell you it was some master plan, but it all kind of fell into place.
Let’s talk about your childhood a little bit. You really got to experience a lot of historical milestones as a young person.
My dad is retired now; he’s a psychiatrist. My mom was a school teacher. We grew up like real ‘60s kids. I was born in ’56, so I’m 53 years old. As a really young child, I got to experience a lot of important events—marching with Martin Luther King Jr. as a really young child. I remember seeing President Kennedy on the way to school as a really small child.
That’s a very moving section in your book.
It was so awesome as a little kid. For the book, I had to try and describe it so the reader could visualize Detroit with all these little box houses and the motorcade going down Woodward Avenue, which was a main strip. My mom was speeding down the side streets and every time we pass between houses, we would see a part of the motorcade. She finally got in front of it, put us on top of the roof and said, “When I say wave, wave!” We waited and the motorcade came, we saw the president. Then she was like, “All right, get in the car. You saw the President of the United States of America, now you can tell all of the kids at school.”
You got bragging rights.
Absolutely. For a long time, I thought I was too young to experience the ‘60s, and then I started thinking back and talking to my older brother and going, “Holy crap, do you remember when we went to the Black Panther headquarters?”
You really tried to join?
Oh, yeah! I was 15 years old. Of course, it was more about being sexy and cool than anything else. Any black dude who was yelling and screaming, that’s who I wanted to be. We went there, and they were like, “You young brothers, you’re too young. Come back when you’re 16.” We were like scared to death. We ran all the way home. We laughed about it later, but we actually went there.
What did your family think of your decision to become an actor?
My mom was really worried. She was like, “I want you to be a doctor, lawyer, Indian chief.” That’s what all the kids I grew up with did. Even when I got into Yale Drama School, she was really worried. She describes telling her friends—all these proper Negro ladies—“David was admitted into Yale,” and they’re like, “Oh, really! Med school, law school or dental school?” And she said, “Acting school,” and they all just went, “Oh, poor Aretas!” She got sympathy in her bridge club.
Well, now you’re playing a lawyer.
Yes! And she’s coming to the opening. She’s very excited. I even wear a power suit.
Is it freeing to play Henry Brown? He’s a man that seems to say what he thinks.
Absolutely. You need that. Within the structure of the play, I think you need that one truthsayer. Somebody has to be there to say, “No, that’s not what’s happening. I’m going to tell you what’s happening, I can’t stop you, but I’m going to tell you.” We’ve all met that person. You know, you say, “Oh, I met a great new girl. She may smoke a little crack, other than that, she’s great.” And that person is like, “Dude, good luck, but I don’t think it’s going to work out.” He tells it like it is. That guy.
What are people asking you about this play?
People want to know what it’s about, and I say very simply it’s about a rich white guy who’s been accused of a sexual impropriety with a woman of color. James [Spader] and I are partners in a law firm, Kerry [Washington] is a young lawyer we’ve hired. So we’re presented with this case. That’s basically what the play is about. Most people of color ask me if it’s down and dirty. Yes, absolutely! Does it deserve the title Race? Yes.
Well, this play certainly elicits a lot of discussion. Even the poster is provocative.
I love that. When we started previews, one woman was like, “Nobody wore the red dress!”See David Alan Grier in Race at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.
Source: Broadway.com
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December 5, 2009
Race Meets Broadway
Watch the video of opening night red carpet interviews.
"There is nothing that a white person can say to a black person about race which is not both incorrect and offensive. Nothing," says James Spader's lawyer character in the new Broadway production of Race. Written and directed by Broadway titan David Mamet, Race has kept a secret profile until opening night. Broadway.tv and Broadway Magazine were there on the red carpet on opening night to capture some of the enthusiasm for the new Mamet production.
"I'm very, very excited," says celebrated actress Judith Light, "I've been talking to several people who have seen it and they think it's just an amazing piece of work."
"I know of them. I am fans of them, but that's about it," offers Edie Falco when talking about the cast of Race. Stars Richard Thomas, David Alan Grier, James Spader and Kerry Washington form the quartet for the production. Other stars on the red carpet had close connections to the cast, including Mark-Paul Goesselaar, who has ridden motorcycles to Monterey with comedian turned Broadway star David Alan Greir, who is earning praise for his work in the production. Legend Michael Feinstein, who is preparing for his upcoming Broadway production with Dame Edna, is also close friends with Race star Richard Thomas.
"This particular show, I know a few things about it, through advance word," says Michael Feinstein, "its something that typically of Mamet is something that really is so perfectly appropriate for what's going on in our country now."
"I just got done with my matinee over at Memphis," grins Chad Kimball, who has earned critical praise for his role as DJ Huey Calhoun in Memphis on Broadway, "I got back to my place. Put my clothes on and raced over here. No pun intended."
"It's a new David Mamet. The actors are extraordinary… so what's not to be excited about," smiles Julie White, who is currently earning raves for her work in The Understudy.
"It's a subject matter that is always going to be current, no matter what is going on," shares Tim DeKay, star of the new hit television series White Collar, "...it looks like it's going to be intriguing." Judging by the reaction of the crowd on opening night, Race delivers both the intrigue and insight that are hallmarks of David Mamet's work. Catch video of the show and the entire Broadway red carpet video feature right here on Broadway.tv.
Source: Broadway.tv
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October 5, 2009
"Barack Like Me" - On Sale Now!
"Barack Like Me; The Chocolate Covered Truth," is available now! Order it here.
Want to hear an excerpt? Click here.
Description
FROM GROWING UP IN DETROIT, where he marched as a ten-year-old with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to attending the inauguration of President Barack Obama, where he narrowly avoided the Purple Tunnel of Doom but still saw nothing, David Alan Grier examines how he -- and America -- have changed for the better and the funnier.
Within these pages, Grier imagines being called to serve in President Obama's cabinet as the "secretary of mirth"; takes you to a wild and emotional election night party he hosted that didn't go as planned; explains the true meaning of the "magical Negro"; recalls the formative episodes from his life -- including being rejected by the Black Panthers at their headquarters door and turning down the initial offer to work on In Living Color -- and for the first time ever sneaks you backstage at Dancing with the Stars, where he exposes the inner workings of the show -- the camaraderie between dancers and stars, the excruciatingly painful rehearsals, the outrageous preparations, and each hysterical moment of his four-episode appearance and subsequent public meltdown.
Grier unabashedly muses on politics, culture, and race while recounting his own life story in this edgy, timeless, hilarious, and revelatory memoir and look at all things Barack.
Barack Like Me is David Alan Grier at his best -- the man, comic, and twenty-first-century thinker -- funny, brilliant, and original.Source: Simon and Schuster
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October 4, 2009
David Alan Grier is His Own Biggest Fan
by Matt Tobey
Barack Like Me: The Chocolate-Covered Truth, the new book from the great David Alan Grier, hits stores tomorrow, and DAG himself was nice enough to answer my dumb questions about future Presidents, other Davids Alan Grier and next year's 20th anniversary of In Living Color.
Who would you like to play you in the movie version of Barack Like Me?I would want me to play me in the movie version of "Barack Like Me" because I am my biggest fan.
Source: Comedy Central Insider
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September 16, 2009
Jimmy Kimmel Live - DAG Talks About His Book - September 17, 2009
David talks about becoming an author and performing on Broadway this fall. David shares hysterical stories from the book with Jimmy and describes his experience at the Inauguration.
Source: Jimmy Kimmel Live
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September 7, 2009
"Barack Like Me; The Chocolate Covered Truth" - Read an Excerpt
DAG's a published author! Read or listen to an excerpt from "Barack Like Me; The Chocolate Covered Truth":
Chapter 1Secretary of Mirth
Yes, we can!
And yes, we did.
We won!
January 2009. Going on two and a half months now and they haven't taken it back.
I still don't trust it. Every morning when I wake up I check and double-check. I need confirmation.
First thing I do is blink a couple of times to make sure I'm not dreaming. I lean over and kiss my wife, Christine, kiss and nuzzle my daughter, Luisa, check myself, see if I'm alive, yep, got all my parts, turn on CNN and NPR at the same time, even fl ip to Fox News, and yes -- confi rm -- it's still true.
Barack Obama is president of the United States.
It really happened.
Elected in a landslide, too. Over 69 million people voted for him, poked that chad, popped that cherry. Sixty- nine million people.
Incredible. Amazing. Historic.
True.
And here we are, Christine and I, invited guests to the Purple Ball on Inauguration Day, slammed up against the stage in this hangar- sized ballroom, purple neon strobe light stabbing our eyes, a throng of people mashed up against us, waiting for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle to arrive.
I admit it. I am in awe of this man. Today he will speak and dance at ten inaugural balls. Ten. Tomorrow he'll be up at 5:00 a.m. to start his presidency. He promises to hit the ground running. Are you serious? I wouldn't have gotten out of bed for three days.
A black president. Can you get your head around that? We've had black presidents before, but only on television and in the movies. And the moment a black guy becomes president, the world is about to end. Like in the movie Deep Impact, President Morgan Freeman doesn't merely inherit the worst economic crisis in a century. No. That would be too easy. He inherits an asteroid fl ying through space about to blow up the earth.
In the back of my mind, I worry that Barack Obama's presidency is doomed to fail. A young guy I spoke to on the street in New York said it best: "It's obviously a plot. It's rigged."
Source: Simon & Schuster
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July 28, 2009
David Alan Grier Joins Broadway's 'Race'
The NY Times announces; "The coming Broadway production of the David Mamet play “Race” has added a cast member who knows a thing or two about the subject. David Alan Grier, the actor and comedian, will star in the play, its producers announced Tuesday, alongside previously announced cast members James Spader, Kerry Washington and Richard Thomas. Though Mr. Grier is perhaps best known for satirizing issues of race on the comedy series “In Living Color” and “Chocolate News,” he is also a graduate of the Yale School of Drama and has appeared in the Broadway musicals “The First” (in which he earned a Tony nomination for portraying Jackie Robinson), “Dreamgirls” and “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” “Race,” which will mark Mr. Mamet’s Broadway debut as a director, is to begin previews at the Ethel Barrymore Theater on Nov. 16 and open on Dec. 6."
Source: NY Times
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July 6, 2009
Q&A with DAG at Rams Head Lounge
Check out this Q & A with David Alan Grier from Rams Head Tavern where DAG will be performing this Friday night, July 10th:
"RHL: You have a book coming out this October, called “Barack Like Me”. If you could spend the day with our 44th president what would you guys be doing?
DAG: We would play No limit Texas Hold’em all day long.
RHL: Have you ever been to Baltimore Before?
DAG: Yeah…been there many times. A friend of mine took me to this underground club years ago in a Sushi Restaurant. These two guys were making music with one turntable and portable key board…I had the best time!
RHL: You got your start in the theater. What would a Broadway show written and cast by you be called?
DAG: It would be called “Everything’s Coming Up David!” The poster would be a pic of me in a field of giant sunflowers…With my face in every flower
RHL: Who would you really like to get stuck in an elevator with?
DAG: Myself as a very young child.Source: Rams Head Tavern
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June 23, 2009
Grier: Just For Laughs
The Chicago Tribune met with David Alan Grier moments before the taping of TBS special at the Chicago Just for Laughs Festival and airing on TBS Sunday, June 28 on TBS. As host, his job is to open the show and then introduce the seven comedians taking part in the special.
Each time someone enters his dressing room at the Vic Theatre, the comedic actor gets into character and jokingly snaps at the person.
"What is it?" he yells at one woman. "I don't even have my wig on! I'm under a lot of pressure," Grier whines to the woman. "I'm going to be performing for two minutes."
Now 53-years old, Grier isn't as slim as he used to be and his hair is completely gray, which may explain why he has a woman cut his hair close to the scalp before the show.
"She's smelling me," he says in a frightened tone when her face nears his head.
Grier announces that he is hot and sweaty and apologizes to the woman. He then jokingly flirts with her and blames her for his sweating.Source: Chicago Tribune
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June 22, 2009
Nike Basketball Videos - Who Is Kobe?!
Figured out yet who the voice of Kobe is in those awesome Nike video (hint hint) is? Guess who?! Watch all the Nike videos here.
Source: Nike
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June 22, 2009
Dance Flick - "I'm Telling You I'm Not Living Without Food"
Check out this audio of David Alan Grier singing "I'm Telling You" parody from "Dance Flick." Funny stuff!
And I Am Tellin You Im Not Goin - David Alan GrierSource: www.davidalangrier.net
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June 9, 2009
DAG at The Wilbur Theatre
David Alan Grier just announced a stand-up performance at The Wilbur Theatre in Boston, MA on Saturday, August 22nd at 9:45pm. Pre-sale runs right now until tomorrow ending at 11:59pm EST. Enter Password: WT10.
Pre-order tickets at ticketmaster now!
Source: Ticketmaster
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June 9, 2009
David Alan Grier: Comedy He Can Believe In
BlackAtlanta.com interviewed David Alan Grier about his upcoming TBS special “Comedy You Can Believe In” being filmed at the Chicago Just for Laughs Festival and airing on TBS Sunday, June 28 on TBS as well as what you can expect from him in the future. Here is an excerpt:
Why did you decide to work with TBS on 'Comedy You Can Believe In?'
"I performed at this comedy conference in Vegas last fall, and TBS was involved with that, so I was really excited when they decided to do the festival and bring it to Chicago. It's a night of comedy, where [there's] a chance for me to do something more interesting than just being the host. What we try to do is get more creative in terms of the opening and writing specific material and bits in between to stretch your comedy dollars."
Aside from your constant stand-up touring, do you have anything else you're working on right now?
"I have a book coming out in the fall called 'Barack Like Me,' and it’s about the year and a half leading up to and witnessing the election of Barack Obama. I had a brand-new daughter, and it's really about how this is the world that she is going to grow up in. I'm really proud and happy about it."Source: BlackAtlanta.com
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June 8, 2009
DAG Interview with Chicago Examiner
The Chicago Examiner spoke with David Alan Grier about his upcoming involvement in the Just For Laughs festival coming to Chicago June 17th-21st to also be aired on TBS at a later date.
The Just For Laughs festival is bringing some of the world’s greatest comedians to Chicago including Ellen DeGeneres, Lisa Lampanelli, Martin Short, Jimmy Fallon, Bill Engvall, Louis CK, Andy Dick, Robert Smigel, Bob Odenkirk, and Harold Ramis, to name a few.
David Alan Grier was born in Detroit to a psychiatrist father who wrote “Black Rage.” DAG graduated from Yale Drama with an MBA, has done Broadway (Tony Nominated), Radio, Television, and Movies. When asked what medium he prefers, DAG says he “loves the variety of doing it all” and especially loves writing and would also love to do drama!
Source: Chicago Examiner
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May 31, 2009
DAG on Adam Carolla's Podcast
David Alan Grier is BACK and in top podcasting form with the Aceman! Soooo good.
Click here for the iTunes link.
Source: adamcarolla.com
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May 22, 2009
DAG New Blog and Stand-Up this Weekend
David Alan Grier just posted a new blog about "Dancing with the Stars" and his Stand-Up Comedy Show at the Improv Ft. Lauderdale this weekend. Check it out.
Source: www.davidalangrier.net
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May 22, 2009
NY Times Boasts: DAG a Tour de Force in "Dance Flick"
The NY Times reviewed DAG’s new movie and boasts that “the spectacle of David Alan Grier break-dancing in a fat suit is one of half a dozen uproarious scenes in “Dance Flick,” the Wayans family’s explosively funny spoof. Bouncing on the dance floor like a lead balloon, this heaving blob of a character, known as Sugar Bear, opens a gaping fissure with each collision and ends up squashing a bystander flatter than a pancake.
A loan shark and drug lord with a cuddly name, Sugar Bear spends his days stuffing his face with Krispy Kreme doughnuts and pumpkin pie, a package of sugar by his side. David Alan Grier ultimately steals the movie with a tour-de-force parody of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” from “Dreamgirls,” in which “You’re gonna love me” becomes “You’re gonna feed me.'"
To read the rest of the "Dance Flick" review by the NY Times, click here.Source: NY Times
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May 21, 2009
ET Interview with DAG
ET was on the red carpet for the new movie “Dance Flick” with David Alan Grier to see if he still remembers his "Dancing with the Stars" moves. Watch the ET video here.
David joins the new and old generation of the Wayans family for this movie. Directed by Damien Wayans, written by Keenen Ivory and Shawn Wayans, and starring Damon Wayans Jr., this comedic film was a family affair. "Dance Flick" parodies other dance films that have come out over the years.
Check out the Wayans family's new film as it hits theaters today!
Source: ET Online
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May 20, 2009
David Alan Grier Talks About "Dance Flick"
Watch David Alan Grier talk with Access Hollywood about acting in a fat suit for his role in the new movie "Dance Flick" and what it was like to work with the Wayans Brothers again.
Watch the video below!
Source: Access Hollywood
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May 13, 2009
New DAG Blog and Stand-up this Weekend!
Read the newest blog from David Alan Grier as he rehearses for the finale next week for "Dancing with the Stars" and performs at the West Palm Improv in West Palm Beach, Florida this weekend!
Source: www.davidalangrier.net
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May 8, 2009
DAG on KROQ in Los Angeles
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May 4, 2009
David Alan Grier at Irvine Improv!
Come see David Alan Grier perform stand-up at the Irvine Improv in CA this Thursday through Sunday, May 7th-May 10th! For show schedule and tickets, click here.
Source: www.davidalangrier.net
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April 5, 2009
Watch and Vote for DAG on "Dancing with the Stars" Tonight
Be sure to watch and vote for David Alan Grier on “Dancing with the Stars: Season 8” tonight on ABC.
To read DAG's latest blog talking about his upcoming dance tonight, click here.
And to vote for David Alan Grier and Kym Johnson tonight, click here!
Source: www.davidalangrier.net
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March 23, 2009
DAG's New Blog on Dancing with the Stars Page!
David Alan Grier and Kym Johnson danced their hearts out last night and did really well with a score of 24! Want to read DAG's Dancing with the Stars exclusive blog? Click here!
Source: www.davidalangrier.net
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March 8, 2009
Watch DAG on "Dancing with the Stars" Tonight
Be sure to watch David Alan Grier on the premiere of “Dancing with the Stars: Season 8” tonight on ABC. To vote for DAG and Kym Johnson, click here and register on the ABC DWTS site!
And to watch video of DAG talking about his experience on "Dancing with the Stars," go to his video page or click here.
Source: ABC - Dancing with the Stars
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February 24, 2009
David Alan Grier Hosts "Black to the Future" on VH1
VH1 celebrates Black History Month with David Alan Grier hosting "Black to the Future" starting February 24 until February 27, airing each night at 9pm.
"Black to the Future" is a four-part special commemorating African-Americans' contributions to pop culture, taking viewers on a nostalgic ride with reflections and commentary from Nick Cannon, Method Man, Ice-T, Jesse Jackson, Bobby Brown, Sherri Shephard, Salt-N-Pepa, Chilli, Macy Gray and Tommy Davidson, to name a few. -
February 17, 2009
"Dancing with the Stars" Partners Announced
The pairings for the upcoming season of "Dancing with the Stars" were officially announced, and David Alan Grier is paired with last year's runner-up Kym Johnson. Here's the full list of celeb/pro couples:
- Belinda Carlisle & Jonathan Roberts
- David Alan Grier & Kym Johnson
- Jewel & Dmitry Chaplin (a former contestant on "So You Think You Can Dance")
- Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas
- Lil' Kim & Derek Hough (2008 "DWTS" winner)
- Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke
- Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower (a former contestant on "So You Think You Can Dance")
- Steve-O & Lacey Schwimmer (2008 "DWTS" runner-up)
- Nancy O'Dell & Tony Dovolani
- Denise Richards & Maksim Chmerkovskiy
- Lawrence Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska
- Chuck Wicks & Julianne Hough
- Steve Wozniak & Karina SmirnoffRead the full article here.
Posted February 13, 2009
Source: OK Magazine / David Alan Grier
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February 9, 2009
David Alan Grier to be on "Dancing with the Stars"
The cast of the next season of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" was announced today, and comedian David Alan Grier is one of the 13 contestants. The other stars are rapper Lil' Kim, "Jackass" star Steve-O, "Access Hollywood" host Nancy O'Dell, football star Lawrence Taylor, 17-year-old Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson, country star Chuck Wicks, Gilles Marini ("the naked guy from the 'Sex and the City' movie"), actress Denise Richards, singer Belinda Carlisle, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, musician Jewel, and rodeo star (and Jewel's husband) Ty Murray.
Source: TV Guide / David Alan Grier / Dancing with the Stars
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February 5, 2009
David Alan Grier in Time Out Chicago
Time Out Chicago talks to David Alan Grier about his show "Chocolate News," being a new parent, the other David Alan Grier, and drug use. When asked who recently made him ask the "Chocolate News" catchphrase, "Have you lost you damn mind?" DAG replies, "Most recently, O.J. Simpson. He got away with double murder, and, yes, he's now serving life for stealing his own football." DAG also explains the one-year discrepancy in his age: "There's another David Alan Grier who's from Detroit who's a computer scientist born on my same day. His father had the same name my father has. They had offices across the street from each other, but they didn't know each other. Our birthdays are one year apart. Google it. He's a professor. "
When asked how he feels about the sillier roles he's taken, like in "Boomerang" and "Jumanji," he replies: "Oh, I got a better one: I'm in the new Wayans Brothers' movie ["Dance Flick"], and I play a thousand-pound evil dance-flick guy. I really act. I mean, you could think of it like that, or you could think of it like, I could be doing iambic pentameter at the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival. Is that my life? No. My life is a varied artistic endeavor. Much like the country, I'm evolving and constantly changing."
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January 9, 2009
DAG to Appear at the Inaugural Purple Ball on January 20th
David Alan Grier will be in attendance at the Inaugural Purple Ball in Washington D.C., an exclusive formal ball in honor of the inauguration of President-Elect Barack Obama. The event is designed to bring together the most influential and diverse leaders of our nation in honor of bipartisanship and diversity.
Other featured guests include Edward Norton, Sarah Silverman, Bill Bellamy, Ed Harris, Ashley Judd, Angela Bassett, John Cusack, Brendan Fraser, Herbie Hancock, Terrence Howard, and Lisa Marie Presley.
Click here for more information about the Ball.
Posted January 9, 2009
Source: Examiner.com / David Alan Grier
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December 18, 2008
DAG's "Death Is Racist" Analyzed in the Chronicle Review
“Death Is Racist,” DAG's rant on "Chocolate News" that asks why white drug-addled artists like Amy Whitehouse and Artie Lange seem to far outlive black artists such as Bernie Mac, caught the eye of the Chronicle of Higher Education writer John L. Jackson. Due to the election of Barack Obama, many pundits are claiming the beginning of the end of “race talk.” Johnson argues that it is not the case; instead, it is the time to start talking about the subtleties of race. He states, "[DAG's] anthropomorphic rendering of Death as a racist reaper helps to showcase the ridiculous nature of such positions."
Posted December 18, 2008
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November 26, 2008
Will Barack Obama Kill Comedians?
The editors of GQ start a discussion of what Barack Obama’s presidency will mean to the face of comedy. His popularity rating is “somewhere just below ‘messiah’ but above ‘pretty, pretty unicorn.’ He doesn’t offer low-hanging fruit like Bush’s marble-mouthed idiocy or Clinton’s womanizing.” When asked about the difficulty of making fun of “that one” GQ asked DAG. “The old jokes have suddenly become archaic. My white friends say, ‘Ooh, this must be great for you.’ And I’m like, ‘Why? I’m only half happy, because he’s only half black. Give me a real black man, a scary one. Then I’ll be happy.’”
Source: GQ- The Editors
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October 16, 2008
"Chocolate News" Could Win an Emmy
The Emmy nominations may not be until August 2009, but the L.A. Times is already cranking up the buzz on "Chocolate News." Quoting reviews of the show (see below), the Times thinks this could be the first nomination for DAG in his 20-year television career.
Source: The Envelope- LA Times
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October 15, 2008
DAG at "The Hammer" Premiere
DAG showed up to support pal Adam Corrolla at the premiere of “The Hammer.” Also in attendance were Sarah Silverman and Christopher Titus.
Source: Wire Image- David Alan Grier
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October 15, 2008
DAG at the Emmys
DAG recently attended the Emmys and the Comedy Central after party. There was a lot to celebrate that night with wins for the network’s staple series “South Park,” “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” and “The Colbert Report.”
Source: Wire Image- David Alan Grier
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October 15, 2008
David Alan Grier Racks Up Laughs with "Chocolate News"
The Boston Herald proclaims that "Chocolate News" is “smarter than “In Living Color” and more focused than “Chappelle’s Show.”
Click here to read the full article.
Source: Boston Herald
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October 15, 2008
DAG on the USO Tour
DAG joined the USO tour to perform a stand-up act for service members stationed in the Persian Gulf region. He was joined by fellow comedians Kevin Avery and Kristopher Tinkle. DAG earned some of the most important reviews of his life
"It was a great show put on by the USO, David Alan Grier, Kristopher Tinkle and Kevin Avery rocked!" –Sgt. Cody Smith Shain, Wyom.
"Morale is a big thing. I do feel my morale is up and I'm getting ready to go share with the guys who didn't get to see all the funny details from the show. We have to share the [laughs]." -Staff Sgt. Willis Moore, Company B, 5-73 Cav.
Source: Wire Image- David Alan Grier
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October 15, 2008
Dag Pounds the Hammer
DAG attended the Hammer Museum's Gala in the Garden sponsored by Gucci held at the Hammer Museum on October 5, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. How does one get invited to such a swank event? Marrying Christine Kim, the curator, may have helped.
Source: Wire Image- David Alan Grier
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October 15, 2008
GET TICKETS!
Do you want uncircumcised realness from an afrocentric perspective, LIVE? Chocolate News tickets are now available! Click here!
Source: Chocolate News Tickets
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October 15, 2008
DAG Has "Impeccable Timing"
The Hollywood Reporter hails Chocolate News: “Sketch genius David Alan Grier plays the race card shamelessly, perceptively -- and hilariously." They continue to call Chocolate News “a spoof of more sociologically redeeming fare that delivers with irreverent muscle and courage.”
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October 15, 2008
"Chocolate News" a Winner!
“From the opening moments -- with David Alan Grier delivering a brilliantly angry essay on the blanding of rap -- it's clear that this is special…Grier sets the tone up front, with a kind of Lou Dobbsean rant about the decline of rap ('When did Ice Cube go from Kill at Will, he asks in mock horror, to Are We There Yet?'). Although that is perhaps less edgy than it might have been a few years ago, it establishes the show's bona fides: Chocolate News will take on all comers."
Source: Detroit Free Press
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October 15, 2008
"Chocolate News" Channels the Funny
The Washington Post heralds DAG as "a comic of undeniable charm and supple skills" and the sketches as “shockingly honest commentary on racial mores.”
Click here to read the full story.
Source: Washington Post Chocolate News
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October 15, 2008
What Would Obama's Election Mean to "Chocolate News"?
DAG and "Chocolate News" producer Robert Morton spoke about what Barack Obama’s election would mean to the show. “That would be like a monumentous occasion culturally and comedically,” stated DAG. Morty elaborated on plans for the show post-election and said the show is “figuring out how to do some sort of live topical presentation the night after the election. We just have to, it’s too good to miss.”
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October 15, 2008
"Chocolate News" Filling TV's Black Hole
The Wall Street Journal's "TV Decoder" announced “Chocolate News” had received a ten episode order, a full pickup for cable's Comedy Central. WSJ calls the show “hilarious” and singles out the “Fatman” PSA as a highlight as well as DAG’s Maya Angelou poem in celebration of Obama’s election. The show debuts October 15 at 10:30 pm and will continue to run Wednesdays in that time slot.
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October 15, 2008
DAG for President?
A "Chocolate News" advertisement, painted on a wall just across from the Sunset Strip’s Laugh Factory, was photographed by Getty Images. This normally reputable photo agency, which sells their wares to the likes of the Associated Press and Reuters, posted this graphic for sale on their site.
Source: Comedy Central Indecision 2008
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October 15, 2008
Visual Orgies!
The Portland Phoenix has championed "Chocolate News" sketches as “visual orgies with a message.” The Phoenix continues, “The show is part sketch comedy, part socio-political commentary, part awkward racial stereotyping, all served up in Grier’s signature crisp, theatrical delivery, as a series of archetypal character parodies that are unabashedly on point. For the debut episode, Grier offers thespian diatribes about current events and pop culture, asking, of the state of hip-hop, “When did ‘Fight the power’ become ‘Wait till you see my dick?'” In retrospect, every chocolate punch line leading up to that final sketch — no matter how comparatively tame — seems imbued with latent social commentary.”
Source: Portland Phoenix
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October 15, 2008
"Chocolate News": Filthy, Risqué, and Funny
Variety applauds “Chocolate News” as a “fitfully funny half hour” and gives props to DAG’s team of producers including Robert Morton (“Late Night With David Letterman”). The review concedes that “the new program is risqué (it's hard to remember more bleeps in a single half-hour)" and gives accolades to DAG’s characters as well an upcoming sketch about the sole (and poorly treated) white correspondent.
Source: VARIETY: CHOCOLATE NEWS
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October 14, 2008
DAG to Appear at TBS's "Very Funny" Festival
On November 21, DAG will appear at The “Very Funny" Festival: The Comedy Festival at Ceasar’s Palace in Las Vegas. He'll perform alongside Jerry Seinfeld, Ellen Degeneres, and the Kids in the Hall, to name a few. TBS will co-produce with AEG Live and will televise segments later in the year. For tickets to this event, check DAG’s tour page.
