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Sam Worthington (R) and Elizabeth Banks (L) star in “Man On A Ledge.” Photo courtesy of Myles Aronowitz © 2011 Summit Entertainment, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Shea Rose

I finally had the chance to see Shea Rose perform live. This 5’2” singer/rapper was absolutely fierce on stage, from her attitude to her purple sequin dress and bold silver necklace. Her clothes were only rivaled by her trademark afro, transformed into a mohawk-like ‘do.

This was her first headlining performance and Shea rocked the stand-ing-room-only crowd at Café 939. Rose’s set was filled with a range of musical styles from rock and hip hop to good old RandB. To be able to catch a glimpse of this star in the making was truly an experience and it’s just the beginning.

Superbowl Sunday

The night began with an invitation to attend JAM’N 94.5’s Superbowl Bash at the Hard Rock Café in Faneuil Hall. The air was filled with excitement for the rematch between the Pats and the Giants coupled with the celebration of Ramiro’s birthday.  

The elements were all there for a great night: food, music (spinning by Pup Dawg), drinks, plus a dash of sweets with cupcakes provided by Cakes by Erin. I stayed through the first half of the game and the half-time show. Then I dashed off to “Coach” Willie Maye’s superbowl party at Kings Boston.

It was another great turnout of Patriots fans with more food, drinks and a bit of trash talking on the side from a couple of Giants fans. Sadly, we all know the outcome of the game, but the run was good  while it lasted.

Elizabeth Banks shoots straight with “Man on a Ledge.”

I had the chance to participate in a round-table interview with naturally funny actress Elizabeth Banks, who was recently in town to promote the film “Man on a Ledge.” The Pittsfield, Mass., native, who has a recurring role on NBC’s “30 Rock” and has starred in numerous films including “Seabiscuit,” “The 40 Year Old Virgin,” and “Zach and Miri Make a Porno” talked about her role in the thriller as Lydia Mercer, an NYPD police officer and negotiator who is called in to talk down an ex-convict (played by Sam Worthington), who is threatening to jump from a Manhattan hotel rooftop.

One of the things I liked about your character in this movie is that she’s a police officer. Was that important to you to play a character where gender didn’t matter?

I was very drawn to that fact that she was nobody’s wife or girlfriend. I felt in a way that gender didn’t really matter. It definitely existed. She could easily have been a man.  It could have been a younger John McClane. It definitely drew me to it. I met with some actual negotiators before we started and asked to meet a woman. I met this great lady from Staten Island via Ireland.  Her accent was incredible.  She was very girly. She was 42 and a mom. She wore a Banana Republic suit and carried a purse and had her piece in it.

She actually acknowledged that the police force is a boy’s club “as everything is in this world.”  There’s a negotiation happening there. They don’t apologize for being [women].  They’re not apologizing for not being as a strong as a guy. She’s not out pumping iron trying to be like a man. She’s just a woman in a job that happens to be a negotiator.

Were you hoping for more action in the film?

She gets to carry a gun and shoots bad guys. I would love to do a really fun kick-ass type of thing. When I read this, I thought it read really tight.  I liked “The Italian Job.” I really liked the “Inside Man” and this movie reminded me of both of those movies.

And, I love that you think you’re watching one thing and you’re really watching something else and then you’re actually watching even something else. The challenge is that I’m kind of in a play. I’m in a window with a guy on a ledge and I don’t really move for 60, 70 minutes in this movie. It’s all about keep[ing] this interesting, different, not one-note every time that I go to that window.  

When you talk about comedy, is there someone you worked with who you naturally play comedy well with?

Seth Rogan. We love making each other laugh. We’re both very easy laughers and we’re very in sync.

Coming up….

Tonight (Feb. 9th), George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic are in town for one show at The Wilbur Theatre at 8 p.m.

Also tonight, the Africana Studies Concert Series presents the show “Virtuosity of Mind, Craft and Spirit: Lalah Hathaway” at the Berklee Performance Center at 8:15 p.m.

Scullers Jazz Club presents The David Sanborn Trio featuring Joey DeFrancesco and Byron Landham Friday and Saturday for two shows each night at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.

The Roxbury International Film Festival, UMass Boston and the UMASS Black Faculty and Staff Association present “We The Party,” a film by Mario Van Peebles. The screening is Saturday, Feb. 18, at 8:30 p.m. at the UMass Boston Campus Center. Mario Van Peebles will be Skyped in from the Los Angeles premiere.  

On Feb. 21, it’s an evening of folkloric Afro-Cuban and popular Cuban music with the ensemble group Los Hermanos Arango performing at the Berklee Performance Center.

The House of Blues presents Lauryn Hill on Thursday, Feb.23 at 7 p.m. 

If you would like me to cover or write about your event, email me at inthemixwithcolette@gmail.com.