Debbie Allen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Debbie Allen | |
| Born | Deborrah Kaye Allen January 16, 1950 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Actress, choreographer, television director, television producer, singer, dancer |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Spouse(s) | Norm Nixon (1984-present) Win Wilford (1975-1983) |
| Official website | |
Deborrah Kaye “Debbie” Allen (born January 16, 1950) is an American actress, choreographer, television director, television producer, and a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities.[1][2] She is probably best known for her role as Lydia Grant in the hit 1982 TV series Fame.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early years
Allen was born in Houston, Texas, the youngest of three children to orthodontist Andrew Arthur Allen Sr. (a Louisiana Creole who died in 1984), and African American Vivian (née Ayers) Allen, a poet (Spice of Dawns and other books) and museum art director.[3]
She went on to earn a B.A. degree in classical Greek literature, speech, and theater from Howard University. She holds honoris causa Doctors from Howard and the North Carolina School for the Arts. She currently teaches young dancers. She also taught choreography to former L.A. Laker dancer-turned-singer, Paula Abdul. Her daughter, Vivian Nixon, played Kalimba in the Broadway production of Hot Feet. She graduated from Jack Yates Senior high school.
[edit] Career
She first began receiving critical attention in 1980, when Debbie appeared in the role of Anita in the Broadway revival of West Side Story which earned her a Tony Award nomination and a Drama Desk Award. One of her earlier television appearances was in the TV sitcom Good Times in a memorable 2-part episode titled "J.J's Fiancee'." Allen portrayed J.J's drug-addicted fiancee, Diana.
Debbie Allen was first introduced as Lydia Grant in the 1980 film Fame. Although her role in the film was relatively small, Lydia would become a central figure in the highly popular television adaptation, which ran from 1982 to 1987. During the opening montage of each episode, Ms. Grant told her students: "You've got big dreams? You want fame? Well, fame costs. And right here is where you start paying ... in sweat." Allen was also lead choreographer for the film and television series, winning two Emmy Awards and one Golden Globe Award. She then spun-off the Fame franchise into a reality show in 2003 but it was met only with limited success. It was revealed that she would be playing the school principal in the 2009 adaption of the film. Debbie also released two solo albums, 1986's Sweet Charity and 1989's Special Look which also had several singles off the album.
In an article from the Museum of Broadcast Communications, the Hollywood Reporter commented on Debbie Allen's impact as the producer-director of the popular television series, A Different World. The show dealt with the life of students at the fictional historically black college, Hillman, and ran for six seasons on NBC.[4]
Debbie Allen was also selected to debut in the critically acclaimed Roots by Alex Haley where she plays the wife of Alex Haley in this film.
In 2008 she directed the all-African-American Broadway production of Tennessee Williams's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, starring stage veterans James Earl Jones (Big Daddy), her sister Phylicia Rashād (Big Mama) and Anika Noni Rose (Maggie, the Cat), as well as film actor Terrence Howard, who will make his Broadway debut as Brick.
She also appears on So You Think You Can Dance as a judge.
She is the only actress to have appeared in all three incarnations of Fame, playing Lydia Grant in both the 1980 film and 1982 television series and playing the school principal Angela in the 2009 remake.
[edit] Awards and honors
In 2001, Debbie Allen was appointed by President George W. Bush as a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities.[5]
For contributions to the television industry, Debbie Allen was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[6]
Allen was presented with the George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement, at the 1992 UCLA Spring Sing.[7]
[edit] Personal life
Debbie Allen is married to former NBA player Norm Nixon,[8] and they are the parents of dancer Vivian Nichole Nixon, and basketball player Norman Ellard Nixon Jr. (Wofford College & Southern University).[9][10][11]
She is the sister of actress Phylicia Rashād, and Tex Allen (Andrew Arthur Allen Jr, born 1945), noted jazz composer.[3]
[edit] Work
[edit] Film
[edit] Television
[edit] Choreographer
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[edit] Director
[edit] Producer
"[Soldiers of Change]" with Michael Armand Hammer [edit] Writer
[edit] DanceDancing in the Wings and Brothers of the Night |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Members". President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. 2008. http://www.pcah.gov/members.htm. Retrieved on 2008-08-13.
- ^ "Debbie Allen, Culver City, California". President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. 2008. http://www.pcah.gov/bios/debbie_allen.html. Retrieved on 2008-08-13.
- ^ a b Lawrence, Muhammad. - "One-woman dynamo". - The Courier-Journal. - September 12, 1999.
- ^ Darnell Hunt. "A Different World- U.S. Situation Comedy". Museum.tv. http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/D/htmlD/differentwor/differentwor.htm. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
- ^ Transcript: Debbie Allen. - Tavis Smiley. PBS. - March 21, 2008. - Retrieved: 2008-06-13.
- ^ Debbie Allen. - "Hollywood Walk of Fame database". - Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
- ^ "Calendar & Events: Spring Sing: Gershwin Award". UCLA. http://www.uclalumni.net/CalendarEvents/springsing/Gershwin/winners.cfm.
- ^ Peter Vecsey (2007-03-13). "BASN's Hometown Hero". blackathlete.net. http://www.blackathlete.net/artman/publish/article_03035.shtml. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
- ^ PEOPLE: "AND BABY MAKES FOUR". - The Dallas Morning News. - September 2, 1987.
- ^ Mackall, Dave. - "Nixon fondly remembers Duquesne". - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. - May 31, 2007.
- ^ Schiefelbein, Joseph. - "Spivery, Jaguars to begin practice". - The Advocate. - October 17, 2008.
[edit] External links
- Debbie Allen at the Internet Broadway Database
- Debbie Allen at the Internet Movie Database
- Debbie Allen at Allmovie
- Museum of Broadcast Communications
- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof All African-American production website
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