Technically, Atlanta director Tyler Perry had the evening off Saturday night as he introduced thousands of formally attired guests to the new 30-acre Tyler Perry Studios facility in southwest Atlanta.
But from the grand opening fireworks to the strains of “Amazing Grace,” the director’s trademark flourishes were everywhere as Hollywood legends Sidney Poitier, Cicely Tyson, Ruby Dee and Louis Gossett Jr. gathered with Oprah Winfrey, Hank and Billye Aaron, Andrew and Carolyn Young, Will Smith, Barry Bonds and others to celebrate the first major television and movie studio owned and run by an African-American film producer.
“I never dreamed I would witness this in my lifetime,” Tyson, an Oscar nominee for “Sounder”, reflected on the red carpet. “What I’ve been able to achieve in my career is minuscule in comparison to this.”
Posing for pictures on the red carpet with the studio’s owner, Oscar-winner Poitier told the crowd: “I’ve spent 56 years in this business, and tonight is the reward. To see the people who have followed me and to see the success of the extent of this man is a real gift.”
Inside, Perry had a surprise waiting for Poitier, Tyson and Dee. On the movie lot’s Main Street, just past East 34th Street and the Luminesce Light and Lamp Shop, banners unfurled down the fake brownstones to reveal the Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee Stage Three, the Cicely Tyson Stage Two and the Sidney Poitier Stage One.
In front of a cheering crowd, Poitier was overcome with emotion as his likeness unspooled in front of him. He majestically pointed his index finger at the applauding crowd and smashed a bottle of bubbly on the wall to christen it. Champagne sparkled on his black tuxedo jacket as he wiped the tears from his eyes with a handkerchief.
Across the way, a large pond was lit in gold light as a screen appeared in the water to reveal a film hosted by Perry, explaining how he found the abandoned former airline reservations center two years ago.
“I looked at the abandoned buildings and I thought, ‘There’s no way,’ ” Perry said on the film. “Then I saw what I thought was debris on the front gates. I looked closer and realized someone had taped Bible Scriptures on the gate. Then I knew. I jumped in full steam with no fear. Nothing but the grace of God has brought me to this place.”
A singer emerged from a stage on the water to perform “The Impossible Dream” as fireworks blazed overhead.
Tears streamed down the faces of the attendees as waiters quietly offered tissues in red velvet boxes.
Both former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young and former Brave and home run king Henry Aaron expressed how thrilled they were that Perry chose an often neglected section of the city for the multi-million dollar facility.
“It’s an absolute blessing for Atlanta,” Young said.
Added Aaron: “It’s wonderful to see him giving back to this neighborhood. Even when the city hosted the Olympics, this area never received this kind of assistance.”
Outside the studios and down the street, though, about a dozen protesters wearing Writers Guild of America T-shirts, were chanting “Tyler Perry has no shame.”
Organizer Teri Brown-Jackson was protesting the alleged firing of four Guild writers who had worked on episodes of Perry’s TBS sitcom of Tyler Perry’s “House of Payne” after negotiations for a contract broke down.
“He said he was going to work out details with us. Then, all of a sudden, his executive producers tell us that they don’t like the show and they want to go in a different direction. We’ve written 17 of the 25 episodes this season. And with nine episodes left, they fired all of us,” Brown-Jackson said.
A Perry spokesman previously said four of the show’s seven writers were let go.
The writers were pushing the idea of unionizing writers so they could get health and pension benefits. Brown-Jackson said she worked on the show three years without those benefits.
“Our concern is even if he hires some other Atlanta writers. It’s still going to be a nonunion show. We’re working for the good of all his Atlanta writers from here to come. He’s made over $3 million and we can’t get health care,” Brown-Jackson said.
Labels: Atlanta, Georgia, southwest atlanta, tyler perry studio
# posted by
Brian Vanderhoff @ 12:08 PM
