LOL postponed

The organisers of the monthly LOL Comedy Show, OMI Entertainment, have cancelled its April 29 staging as a mark of respect to retiring stand-up comic Owen 'Blakka' Ellis, who has his final stand-up engagement on the same date at Backyaad, Constant Spring Road. The series resumes on May 27.

The LOL show, which showcases some of Jamaica's and the Caribbean's finest stand-up acts, as well as a special musical guest on the last Wednesday of each month at the intimate venue of Heather's Garden Restaurant on Haining Road in Kingston, is rapidly growing as a venue for comedy of the highest quality touching on contemporary life, social commentary and slices of international affairs.

Mr Lexx at Jordu

Mr Lexx

Mr Lexx gave an impromptu performance at the Jordu Live Showcase last Saturday night at Jordu fashion store, 7th Avenue Plaza. Mr Lexx, who was there to watch up-and-coming talents compete, entertained the small audience as the judges deliberated.

"Just goes to show you never know who you may see at Jordu Live and Jordu Live Showcase," said Princess Ellis of IPC Entertainment, organisers of the event.

Five fledgling artistes impressed the judges on Saturday and will get the chance to perform on the same stage as Etana this Saturday at the same venue.

Highershine won Saturday's contest. Also included in the top five are Bang Diddy, Classical Eska, Shadow Blacks and Mahai and Gary.

V-Day finale

The grand finale of V-Day Kingston 2009 will be a performance of Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues on Friday, April 24, at 8 p.m. at the Sagicor Centre Auditorium.

Based on over 200 interviews with women conducted by Ensler, which she reshaped into a a highly acclaimed Broadway production and an even more popular HBO special, V-Day Kingston's presentation of The Vagina Monologues will feature Rishille Bellamy-Pelicie, Hilary Nicholson, Makeda Solomon, Nyanda Cammock, Noelle Kerr, Nadean Rawlins, Rushae Watson, Rosamond Brown and Claudette Powell, who will be joined by special guests Leonie Forbes, Jacqui Fisher-Smith and Teneile Warren. Part proceeds from The Vagina Monologues performance are to benefit Sisters to Sisters.

Last year, more than 4,000 V-Day benefits took place around the world raising funds and awareness towards ending violence against women. Since 1998, V-Day and these highly successful events have raised over $60 million for local beneficiaries working to end violence against women and girls. Hot on the heels of their success, Kingston has joined this global movement as part of the V-Day 2009 College Campaign.

Rasta Got Soul launch

Buju Banton

The Department of Literatures in English at the University of the West Indies, Mona, and Gargamel Music, Inc, will launch Buju Banton's new album Rasta Got Soul, tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. at the Undercroft of the Senate Building at the university.

Cecil Gutzmore, independent scholar, will be the guest speaker.

Buju Banton is one of the songwriters whose lyrics are the subject of the department's cutting-edge course on reggae poetry. Rasta Got Soul demonstrates Buju's versatility as a hardcore dancehall DJ who can also sing rocking, rootsical reggae. In Buju's words, "Rasta Got Soul features nothing but soul-shifting, uplifting reggae to inspire, to thrill, to light an inner fire, to be glorified and rejuvenated."

The public is invited to participate in this event.

Lynn Nottage wins Pulitzer Prize

Ruined, Lynn Nottage's harrowing tale of survival set against the backdrop of an African civil war, won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for drama yesterday.

Other winners: Elizabeth Strout for fiction (Olive Kitteridge) and Annette Gordon-Reed, who won the history prize for The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family, which won the National Book Award last fall.

The general non-fiction award went to Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II by Douglas A. Blackmon.

The biography Pulitzer was awarded to Jon Meacham's American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House.

Steve Reich took the music prize for Double Sextet, while celebrated poet W.S. Merwin won for poetry (The Shadow of Sirius).

Winfrey cancels programme on Columbine anniversary

Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey has cancelled an episode of her talk show that was to mark the 10th anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre, saying it focused too much on the killers.

The episode titled '10 Years Later: The Truth about Columbine', should have aired yesterday, the anniversary of the massacre in Littleton, Colorado, that killed 12 students and a teacher.

Winfrey posted a message yesterday morning on her Facebook page saying that after she reviewed the taped show, she decided to pull it because of its focus on the two gunmen.

She urged viewers to keep the Columbine community in their thoughts.

Winfrey said she would air a programme about a mother released from prison in place of the Columbine piece. Her company, Harpo Productions, confirmed the announcement.