Blair Underwood To Perform One-Man Show At CWU

December 10, 2003

ELLENSBURG, Wash.-- The actor who first gained national prominence as attorney Jonathan Rollins on the popular NBC TV series "L.A. Law," Blair Underwood will appear at Central Washington University next month in a one-man, multimedia production.

Titled "IM4: From The Mountain Top To Hip Hop," the performance is slated for Thursday, Jan. 15, at 7 p.m. in McConnell Auditorium.

It centers on what would happen if a famous Rap mogul was killed and, on his way to heaven, meets the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In it, Underwood plays a variety of characters.

"He brings the audience to a new realization of the power of the dream and struggle for equality," Leslie Webb, CWU diversity education center director, says. "Those seeing the show will be able to experience the message of Dr. King in an educational, entertaining, inspiring -- and quite different way."

Tickets are available at the Samuelson Union Building recreation ticket counter. Tickets are $10 general admission. CWU students will be admitted free. However, they must pick up their free tickets in advance to guarantee a seat at the performance, Webb notes.

The program is sponsored by the CWU diversity education center and campus activities.

Along with his television roles, which recently included a recurring character on the HBO series "Sex and the City," Underwood has also won awards for his movie work. For his portrayal of a Marine captain in "Rules of Engagement," he received a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Film.

In addition, Underwood has been a featured performer on stage, including at the New York Shakespeare Festival.

In 2000, "People" magazine named him one of its "50 Most Beautiful People."

Out of the spotlight, Underwood is involved in a variety of charitable organizations. In 1993, he received the Humanitarian Award from the Los Angeles Chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He is also a co-founder of Artists for a New South Africa (ANSA), which supports democracy and equal rights in South Africa.

Coming to Central will be a return to his home state for Underwood, 39, who was born in Tacoma.