The Roundtable with Robert Bannon

Surviving racism, homophobia and childhood trauma, Carl Bean found his voice through song – first as a gospel singer in Harlem’s Christian Tabernacle Choir and then later performing with his group Carl Bean and Universal Love on their 1974 album “Universal Love.”

But it was the recording of the 1977 Motown hit “I Was Born This Way” that would earn him fame; the song was celebrated as the world’s first gay anthem.However, Bean eschewed a mainstream music career…instead choosing a vocation in activism.

He started the Minority AIDS Project -- serving a vital role for underserved populations during the AIDS Crisis. And he founded Unity Fellowship Church — the first LGBTQ+ ministry.

Using innovative rotoscope animation and featuring appearances by Lady Gaga, Questlove, Billy Porter, and Dionne Warwick, I WAS BORN THIS WAY celebrates the life and legacy of the unapologetic gay Black trailblazer and his resounding message, “love is for everyone.”

The directors tell us how the movie came to be, what they learned, and why it is perfect for today! __________________________________________________________________

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Leon Isaac Kennedy is a trailblazing dj, actor and filmmaker. He started his career in the media at the age of 15, working as a dj in various radio markets – Cleveland, Detroit, Washington, DC, Houston and Los Angeles  -- known to his listeners as the legendary “Leon the Lover!” By 19,  he served as the writer producer and host of a syndicated tv show, called OUTTA SIGHT, a precursor to the long-running musical variety tv show, SOUL TRAIN. By the time Kennedy turned 22, he syndicated the show in 25 cities. 

Eventually, Kennedy segued from spinning records to acting in films. His big break came as the star  and producer of the 1979 blaxploitation indie PENITENTIARY, which made him an overnight box office star!  PENITENTIARY broke box office records and became the #1 film of the year! Other sequels followed – that is,  PENITENTIARY II and PENITENTIARY III as well as LONE WOLF MCQUADE with Chuck Norris and David Carradine as well as BODY AND SOUL, starring boxing legends Muhammad Ali and his former wife, actress Jayne Kennedy (Overton). He broke barriers as an actor and producer, being one of the first African Americans to attend Cannes and participate in the festival’s American Film Market (Marchéc du Film). 

To some, Kennedy is considered the Godfather of Black Filmmaking. He traveled throughout the world – to countries like Russia, China and  Abu Dhabi -- dealing with foreign film buyers and selling his films, which helped to dispel the myth that Black films have no overseas commercial value internationally.

Because of his pioneering work in the entertainment industry, he’s been awarded a Key to the City in more than 30 cities nationwide. Feeling a calling on his life, Kennedy walked away from Hollywood and became an ordained minister. Today, he leads “The Ministry of Helps,” taking a wholistic approach to faith and offering spiritual guidance and support to thousands around the world.  

Legendary actor/producer Leon Isaac Kenny is coming to the defense of his best friend –the iconic Motown legend Smokey Robinson.
Leon Isaac Kennedy talks about his friendship with Smokey Robinson, which spans more than 60 years and asked to tell what he knows.

A Roundtable First!

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Check out "The Roundtable with Robert Bannon" here on BPN on the daily, on YouTube, Broadway World, and on social media! Like, comment, share, & subscribe!

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You know we try to stay on top of things here at The Roundtable! Well we are telling you, this is the next TV smash! We caught this at Tribeca and had to share!

Mother, May I Have a Kidney? is a heartfelt comedy-drama about Doug Andrews, a thirty-something navigating a full-blown midlife crisis when he’s hit with even worse news: he needs a kidney transplant. The only viable donor? His estranged mother, Rhonda — a sharp-tongued, boundary-challenged woman he hasn’t spoken to in over a decade. As Doug attempts the most awkward reunion of his life, old wounds resurface, expectations clash, and long-buried family secrets threaten to derail the one thing that could save him. But in the awkward, often hilarious process of orchestrating this unwanted reconciliation, Doug might just discover that healing a relationship can be as life-saving as the organ itself.

The series features a talented cast including Doug Plaut (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Hurricane Bianca franchise), Tina Benko ("The Greatest Showman," The Rehearsal, for which she won an EmmyⓇ for Best Supporting Actress in a Digital Series), Darius de Haas (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Charlotte Ray Rosenberg (Sneaky Pete, FBI: Most Wanted), Troy Iwata (Dash and Lily, "Summoning Sylvia"), and features Myra Lucretia Taylor, Lydia Gaston, and Drew McVety.

We have the stars, the director, and the writer all here to tell us all about it! Do not miss it!

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Check out "The Roundtable with Robert Bannon" here on BPN on the daily, on YouTube, Broadway World, and on social media! Like, comment, share, & subscribe!

For more info on Robert- www.RobertBannon.com

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If you are like me, you grew up on Zeppelin! My mother was in love with them and they were the soundtrack to our lives! Well, an all female Led Zeppelin cover band called "Lez Zeppelin" exists and I did not know!? Well I know now!

There is no other band like Lez Zeppelin. Since 2004, this all-girl powerhouse quartet has captured the essence, spirit, power and seductiveness of Led Zeppelin both onstage and in the studio becoming a worldwide phenomenon. The band's explosive performances are more of a "channeling" than a tribute. Never interested in impersonation, Lez Zeppelin sets its sights on the art and challenge of a group playing in communion. This has earned them the moniker: She-Incarnation.

Founder and guitarist Steph Paynes is here to tell us all about!

For info & tour dates: www.LezZeppelin.com

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Check out "The Roundtable with Robert Bannon" here on BPN on the daily, on YouTube, Broadway World, and on social media! Like, comment, share, & subscribe!

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Jeff Hiller is here. You know him from "Somebody Somewhere," "American Horror Story," and more. He has a new book "Actress of A Certain Age" that I promise will have you laughing out loud. It is the Pride Pick of the Week! If you have a Fire Island or P Town Book Club, well we did the picking for you! Jeff swung by with a great chat you can not miss!

The book is available wherever books are sold! Trust us, you are going to LOVE it!

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Check out "The Roundtable with Robert Bannon" here on BPN on the daily, on YouTube, Broadway World, and on social media! Like, comment, share, & subscribe!

For more info on Robert- www.RobertBannon.com

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We adore Nathan Lee Graham. From his roles on Broadway and Off-Broadway, (I mean did you see Titanique?!) to his film work (We love a Zoolander moment!), we love it all!

Nathan had an amazing year earning rave reviews in "Mid Century Modern" with Nathan Lane and Matt Bomer! They had chemistry for days and made hard physical comedy look easy! We stan the show!

We caught up with Nathan and talked his career, the show, his journey, and why he is a cockroach that is sticking around!

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Check out "The Roundtable with Robert Bannon" here on BPN on the daily, on YouTube, Broadway World, and on social media! Like, comment, share, & subscribe!

For more info on Robert- www.RobertBannon.com

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We had a blast with podcast superstar Patrick Hinds! He is coming to NY this week, but hurry! It is pretty sold ou!

Come for the show, stay for the party! Patrick Hinds (co-host of the podcasts True Crime Obsessed and Golden Girls Deep Dive Podcast) is bringing his one of a kind storytelling event back across the country. This time he’s mashing up a hilariously disastrous evening he spent with Golden Girls ICON Bea Arthur (he loved her, she hated him) with the unexpected arrival of his newborn daughter.

And when the show is over (about 50 minutes), Patrick will meet you at the venue bar for cocktails, pictures, and laughs. And as a special treat, Bea Arthur impersonator Jason B. Schmidt appears via video as Bea from beyond the grave. She’s drunk and in no mood. You really don’t want to miss this.

For Info: thegreenroom42.venuetix.com

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Check out "The Roundtable with Robert Bannon" here on BPN on the daily, on YouTube, Broadway World, and on social media! Like, comment, share, & subscribe!

For more info on Robert- www.RobertBannon.com

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We have so much fun at Tribeca and their are way too many amazing projects! We will be showing you some of the best all week long!

Today we have comedy superstar Tim Heidecker to kick it off to talk "Fior Di Latte." Desperate for inspiration and drowning on a deadline, New York playwright, Mark, turns to an unlikely muse: huffing an old bottle of Italian perfume. Convinced the fading scent holds the key to his next masterpiece—and the memory of a perfect vacation—Mark spirals into a surreal, scent-fueled quest torecreate the fragrance and reignite his creativity. However, as his obsession with the past intensifies, he begins to lose his present.

We hear all about it!

Then, Carlos Garcia de Dios & Victoria Lopez Are Here to Talk "Watch Over Us!" WATCH OVER US, world premiering at Tribeca, is directed by Carlos Garcia De Dios, Produced by John Antonio James, Executive Produced by Luis A. Miranda, Jr, Luz Miranda-Crespo and others. The doc short tells the story of a midwestern mother who is sentenced to seven years in prison just after giving birth to twins, her teenage daughter steps into the role she left behind—becoming a mother herself in a rural town unraveling under addiction, poverty, and vanishing healthcare. This very intimate and heartbreaking film showcases just how broken our system is. 

We are bringing the best of the festival to you all month long here on the Roundtable with Robert Bannon.

One of our favorite events of the year is here! Tribeca Film Festival rolled into NYC and we were there! Adrienne Garzillo hit the red carpet for our first day of coverage!

We start off with a political one-two punch! Cory Booker & Jasmine Crockett are here! Listen to their advice for the world we live in!

We had the chance to step on the carpet for Storytellers with Music Superstars Mark Ronson & Wyclef Jean. See what they have to say. Then it was off to "Relay" to meet Riz Ahmed, Lily James, and the cast.

We finish this day with hip hop royalty! Ty Dolla $ign & Slick Rick are here! Does it get better than that!

Only on The Roundtable With Robert Bannon!

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Check out "The Roundtable with Robert Bannon" here on BPN on the daily, on YouTube, Broadway World, and on social media! Like, comment, share, & subscribe!

For more info on Robert- www.RobertBannon.com

Follow Him on IG- @RobertMBannon

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Onne of the All-Star Drag Race Queen Superstars makes her Roundtable Debut! Alyssa Edwards is here! She is coming to my neck of the woods! How about closing out Pride with Alyssa at Bergen PAC in Englewood, NJ?

She tells us all about her show, her story, and why Pride in NJ is going to be a MOMENT! We talk the importance of Pride, her growing up in Texas, and why this show in NJ is so important this June! Everyday is Pride here on The Roundtable with Robert Bannon!

Tickets now on sale! Grab your ticket! Go to www.BergenPAC.org!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of our favorite events of the year is here! Tribeca Film Festival rolled into NYC and we were there! Adrienne Garzillo hit the red carpet for our first day of coverage!

We start off with a political one-two punch! Cory Booker & Jasmine Crockett are here! Listen to their advice for the world we live in!

We had the chance to step on the carpet for Storytellers with Music Superstars Mark Ronson & Wyclef Jean. See what they have to say. Then it was off to "Relay" to meet Riz Ahmed, Lily James, and the cast.

We finish this day with hip hop royalty! Ty Dolla $ign & Slick Rick are here! Does it get better than that!

Only on The Roundtable With Robert Bannon!

_________________________________________________________________

Check out "The Roundtable with Robert Bannon" here on BPN on the daily, on YouTube, Broadway World, and on social media! Like, comment, share, & subscribe!

For more info on Robert- www.RobertBannon.com

Follow Him on IG- @RobertMBannon

TikTok-@RobertMBannon

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices