Living Out Loud: In Conversation with Cedric The Entertainer
Stand-up comedian, television host, actor, and producer Cedric the Entertainer was in the building on September 12, 2023, for our latest Living Out Loud event in collaboration with the legendary Newark Symphony Hall. Cedric added “fiction author” to his long list of accomplishments with the publication of his debut novel, FLIPPING BOXCARS. Cedric was warm and gracious and he flowed during the event’s VIP where he was greeted by his beloved brothers of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and fans alike. Special shout out to the New Rochelle White Plains and Brick City Kappas for their support of this event. Cedric was all smiles as they escorted him to the stage with their signature song, “Wipe Me Down.”
The mood was set with the event's opening performance of vocalist David Sosa, who created a 1940s vibe with a cover of Billy Holiday’s “God Bless the Child.” The audience was then captivated by a dramatic performance by students from the Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts. Under the direction of Michele Rae-Dudley, Teacher of Theater Art, high school students Abdul Kafando, Imani Patino, and Jada Guillaume brought the book to life with a riveting performance of a scene taken from the book. Cedric was so moved by their performance that he mentioned it during an interview on the Breakfast Club the following day.
My conversation with Cedric capped off the night and Cedric lit up the stage. He brought his signature humor to the stage, but the audience also go to see a more serious side. There were special moments when he talked about growing up in Missouri and his grandfather, who is the inspiration for Babe, the protagonist of Flipping Boxcars. Thought-provoking topics such as the importance of creating generational wealth and his ability to translate his family history into a well-written, fast-paced novel has garnered wonderful reviews. He credited his editorial team at Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins publishers for making the process seamless and looks forward to publishing other novels in the future.
I am grateful to the Marketing and PR teams at Amistad, especially Paul Olsewski and Judith Curr for the opportunity to host Cedric’s launch event for FLIPPING BOXCARS. Bringing our Authors to their Audience is always an amazing time!
