‘Living Single’ star to bring talents to UCLA
Carson offers series at Freud Playhouse
By Judy Hu
Daily Bruin Contributor
Hollywood often lacks diverse and multi-talented faces. Yet T.C.
Carson, the singer, dancer and star of Fox TV’s "Living Single"
does not perpetuate this stereotype.
Carson brings his creative talents to UCLA’s Freud Playhouse
this Feb. 23 and 24 and March 1 and 2 during his "Innocent Love"
concert series. Actress Jasmine Guy will be featured in a dance
performance and Carson’s co-star, comedienne Kim Coles, will be in
the opening comedy act.
"The performance will be an eclectic mixture of dance, hip-hop
and jazz," Carson says. "A high caliber of artistry is displayed
through the dancing and singing and I think it will be enjoyable
for everybody."
Carson’s stint on "Living Single" as the egotistical ladies’ man
Kyle Barker has been his preoccupation since the show’s beginnings
in 1993. Despite the often criticized bruteness of his character,
Carson cites similarities between Kyle and his own persona.
"Kyle’s very caring – a lot like me," he said. "He likes
clothes, he’s very passionate about friendships. But I’m not the
egomaniac counterpart to him."
Being on a successful television sitcom ("Living Single" is
Fox’s No. 1 show) affords Carson little free time. With weekdays
filled with script readings, run-throughs and camera shots, the
schedule is relentless. Yet every three weeks the show goes on
hiatus for one – an opportunity Carson takes to escape to his
native Chicago, the antithesis of Hollywood’s, as he puts it,
"cultivated oasis."
"Hollywood is crap," Carson says. "It’s a desert that’s unreal,
entirely made-up. It’s filled with the imported floral and fauna
that gets transported here from all over."
Despite this falseness, Carson is appreciative of what show
business has provided for him. The wealth he receives goes into the
efforts of charities: AIDS Danceathon, Big Brother system and Teece
Corp., Carson’s own foundation formed two years ago and dedicated
to toy give-aways.
"I feel really blessed for what I have," Carson says. "It’s
given me a lot of money to do the things I’ve always wanted to get
involved in, including this concert series."
Through these outlets, Carson has been able to deal with the
hard realities of injustice toward African Americans on-screen.
"It’s always displayed to two extremes," Carson says. "It’s
either a show about a poor, drug-infested ghetto or the entire
opposite: the glamorous lifestyle of the wealthy. I want to change
that perception and make movies about my brothers.
"I’m not in this business to relinquish my soul. I’m here
because I love what I do and I want to portray my reality."
CONCERT: "Innocent Love" will feature T.C. Carson at the UCLA
Freud Playhouse on Feb. 23 and 24 and March 1 and 2 at 8 p.m. For
more info, call 825-2101.
T.C. Carson stars as Kyle Barker on Fox’s No. 1 show "Living
Single."
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