Ah, Robert August!

Sooooo, I just got my first pair of Robert August boots and I’m absolutely loving them! The brand first reached out to me at the end of 2021 introducing me to their exquisite line of footwear. My shoe of choice was a pair of Jodhpur Boots in a hand-painted Patina green finish. Anyone who knows Dress Like A Gent, knows I’m a lover of sneakers and dress shoes alike. Robert August absolutely fits the bill! The boots are made in Spain, but named after streets in Chicago as the shoes are named after avenues in the city. Hence, being called “The Chicago Collection” (its headquarter location).

The turn around was about 4-6 weeks for made to order, but totally worth the wait. I especially like how classy and timeless these boots are! They are the perfect add on to either a casual look or a more dressed up/ formal one. You’ll definitely be seeing me rock em on the regular.

To order these particular shoes, please click here.

DRESS LIKE A GENT

Norm Lewis on His Role as “Duke” in Reba McEntire’s Christmas in Tune

Recently, I got a chance to chop it up with the talented Broadway star, actor, singer Norm Lewis on his role as “Duke” in Reba McEntire’s Christmas in Tune. The story follows “Georgia” (Reba McEntire) and “Joe Winter” (John Schneider), who are brought back together by their daughter Belle (played by Candice King), to perform together again for a Christmas charity concert. It’s been over a decade since the couple separated and Duke along with Belle, find themselves in the middle of an awkward situation as the two work through their past differences. Georgia and Joe have history working with Duke as their musical director and pull him in again to help revive the duo’s musical fire! 

Norm shares that although he’s done Christmas music and annual Christmas shows, this is actually his first Christmas film! He says that everyone was in a great Christmas mood which made things flow together really nicely and the film was a fun set to shoot. Christmas being one of his favorite times of the year, he says being cast for this role just felt right. I asked him if there were any particulars in the film that resonated with him personally. Norm mentioned how despite everyone’s differences and backgrounds, respect and working together collectively is a powerful force that makes things happen much like what viewers will take away from this film. We also got a chance to discuss the role of TV and film and how it has played a significant part in helping the world heal and move forward.

He says that TV, film and art reflects life and has a way of getting people’s attention in a way that often no other means can. Sidentote: For those of you who may have never heard Norm sing, LISTENNNN… The dude has a very strong and yet angelic voice! I told Norm that I was anticipating a scene where he would be singing. He told me that there were talks about it at one point, but really just no room to incorporate it in the existing script. Needless to say, Lewis is doing his annual Christmas show 54 Below in New York, December 16 - 24th. He also mentioned that he’ll be doing Carnegie Hall in March of next year along with other productions in the near future.

For more on Norm Lewis, visit www.normlewis.com. And for more on the It’s A Wonderful Lifetime lineup, please visit www.mylifetime.com/movies.

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Mark Taylor on His Role as 'Eddie' in Lifetime’s Miracle in Motor City

Lifetime TV will air Miracle in Motor City Sunday, November 28th 8/7C as a part of its highly anticipated annual It’s A Wonderful Lifetime holiday lineup. The film stars Tia Mowry (as “Amber Dupont”), Smokey Robinson, and Mark Taylor (“Eddie”). The backstory involves Amber Dupont enthusiastically taking on the task of organizing her church’s annual Christmas pageant in hopes of bringing in one of Motor’s City’s Motown legends, Smokey Robinson. To her surprise, her friends secretly pull in one of her old flames, Eddie (who has history with Smokey Robinson) to help persuade Smokey to show up at the holiday pageant. Mark Taylor speaks with us about his experience filming this movie and working closely with Tia Mowry. I started off the interview asking Mark what Christmas time looks like for him.

He says that he looks forward to getting together with the fam for Christmas dinner, letting the stress roll off with good laughs and light spirits. Originally from Toronto, the plan is to spend it close to home. I asked Mark what it’s like working alongside Tia. Sidenote: I didn’t remember until after the interview that Mark Taylor was the grandpa to Tia in the 2000 film, Seventeen Again. Needless to say, their TV connection was already set into motion long before now. Mark shares how Tia is an amazing individual to work with and admires how much she genuinely cares about people. He says she’s full of life and a great person to feed off of in this kind of work.

Miracle in Motor City brings a sense of nostalgia for those who are familiar with Motown or grew up listening to Motown Music. This film does a great job of capturing that nostalgic feeling! I asked Mark if any part of making this movie resonates with him personally. He shares how much like with Eddie, so many things can be thrown at you within a space of 10 minutes, but how it’s important to evaluate things maturely to determine what will really “feed my soul” when it is all said and done.

Currently, Mark Taylor is working on a reoccurring role on CW called Corner and says that he’s also diligently working on producing independently. In fact, he has been collaborating with some directors, writers and actors to have some feature films produced and secure lead roles as well. For more on Miracle in Motor City and others on the It’s A Wonderful Lifetime lineup, please visit www.mylifetime.com/movies.

*Photos Courtesy of Lifetime TV

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Interview with Thomas Cadrot on His Role in NBC’s New, DEBRIS

Just 3 days until the Pilot Premiere of NBC’s Debris! This captivating series is sort of a sci-fi drama/ thriller by Joel Howard “J.H.” Wyman who also is producer of the 2008 Fox sci-fi hit series, Fringe. I recently got the opportunity to speak to Actor Thomas Cadrot about his role in Debris and the overall nature of this show!  Thomas shares that the storyline is about alien debris that comes in contact with the earth’s atmosphere and causes a phenomenon around the places its found. Actors Riann Steele who plays “Finola Jones” (MI6) and Jonathan Tucker who plays “Bryan Beneventi” (CIA) team up together to track these phenomenon and unveil its purpose.

So I asked Thomas if he’s a sci-fi guy and he admits that he is. He says that even if he wasn’t a part of this film, he would still be a total fan. He goes on to say, that being in the series is a dream come true especially that it’s one involving the creative mastery of Joel Wyman! Thomas plays “Agent Tom Gordon” who works for an umbrella company called Orbital. Orbital oversees MI6 + The CIA, while Tom Gordon is useful in providing necessary intel to both throughout their research and connecting the dots. When asked about memorable moments in filming, he shares that the memorable moments are pretty much ongoing. Shooting the show out in Vancouver, BC (although harshly cold at times), Thomas articulates how beautifully things turned out setting the proper tone for the show.

As for challenges, he says the real challenge was Covid. In the middle of finalizing the pilot when Covid hit, they had to shut down the filming so that the LA crew could fly back home before the airports shut down. It was not until late November when they were able to finish the pilot. Otherwise, Thomas says that they are still shooting the tail end of the season and thing are going pretty smoothly. He has also managed to really bond with both Riann and Jonathan pretty organically. He commends them for being such great leads, but more importantly, great people to work alongside. 

I asked Thomas if he is usually typecast since it seems that he has played various kinds of roles throughout his career. He told me that in the beginning, he definitely was! He would usually land roles as a cop or doctor, etc. because of his height, skin and body frame. Ultimately, his goal is “to tell stories through acting that are worth being told and to display the different dimensions of human interaction”. Thomas hopes that fans will stay engaged throughout the series because the show is very fresh, un-repetitive and nail-biting! He says that they are proud of it and believe that the public will be intrigued from start to finish. 

NBC’s Debris airs Monday, March 1 at 10/9C. For more, please visit, https://www.nbc.com/debris.

Graphic Asset: iRONix Design Suite

Photos of Thomas: Emily Ellen

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The Salt-N-Pepa Biopic | Lifetime

Lifetime’s highly anticipated Salt N Pepa biopic airs this Saturday, January 23rd at 8/7 CT, just two days away! This miniseries tells the story of the first legendary all-female rap group and their impact on hip hop culture with popular trailblazing jams such as Let’s Talk About Sex, What a Man, Shoop and Push It, among many other famed hits. Starring Laila Odom as "Pepa" and GG Townsend as “Salt”, this miniseries takes an in-depth look into the spicy duo’s humble beginnings and their turbulent rise to fame. What I most appreciate about this film is how honestly it walks us through personal challenges, but capitalizes on their unwavering determination pave the way for other women to follow. The film peers into the heart of hip hop culture and remarkably highlights other legendary musical geniuses that we’ve come to love like Run-D.M.C., Heavy D, Queen Latifah and more. Salt N Pepa is written by Abdul Williams and executive produced by Sandra Denton, Jesse Collins, Cheryl James, Queen Latifiah and Shakim Compere along with other notable co-executive producers. This is undoubtedly one you don’t wanna miss! For more, please visit https://www.mylifetime.com/.

Images Courtesy of Lifetime TV

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Atlanta Hosts Satellite Screenings for the 2021 Sundance Film Festival!

January 28 – February 3, 2021, the Atlanta Film Society (TAFS) + Plaza Theatre, partner up with Sundance Institute to to share 11 world premiere screenings for the 2021 Sundance Film Festival! To be clear, Atlanta was the city selected by Sundance to be the first ever Satellite Initiative location whereby these highly-anticipated screenings will be viewable both Indoors and Drive-In at Plaza Theatre and at Dad’s Garage Drive-In. Digital Festival attendees will have opportunities to convene in virtual waiting rooms, participate in live Q&A’s, as well as other new environments to interact. For more information on films for Sundance, including the ones that will be hosted here in Atlanta, please visit http://festival.sundance.org.

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