NEWS & REVIEWS

From Hollywood to the White House

Born Kalpen Suresh Modi in Montclair, N.J., on April 23, 1977, Kal Penn graduated from the Freehold Regional High School District's Performing Arts High School, attended the Governor's School for the Arts and received a degree from the prestigious School of Theater, Film and Television at UCLA. He recently returned to acting after a two-year sabbatical during which he served as an associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. More »

Bessie Smith: Empress of the blues

Decades before such supposed divas as Cher and Madonna, Bessie Smith proved to be the real thing. Honored with the title "Empress of the Blues," the initially poor black preacher's daughter actually sold enough records at Columbia Records to save the famed company from bankruptcy. More »