Birth namePhylicia Ayers-Allen Birth information19 June 1948, Houston, Texas, USA BioBorn to dentist, Andrew Arthur Allen, and poet, Vivian Ayers, in Harris County, TX. As a child, Phylicia, her older brother Andrew (called Tex) and younger sister, Debbie Allen, lived in Mexico to escape US racism. She also has another brother, Hugh Allen (a real estate banker in North Carolina).Their mother, Vivian Ayers, decided to live there to give the Allen children a brief experience of not having to endure the chronic racism and segregation that was typical of Texas during the 1950s. From this, Phylicia and Debbie are fluent in Spanish.Phylicia graduated from Howard University and later taught drama there.With younger sister, Debbie Allen, she has production company "D.A.D." which stood for "Doctor Allen's Daughters". Her Pulitzer-nominated poet mother, Vivian, is the artistic and free spirit that has influenced and encouraged the remarkable creativity that so marks Allen as a performer.

Come hang out with the Nymf gang on Wednesday evening, January 28! Get all of your burning Next Link Project and Festival Submissions questions answered and also learn about other ways you can get involved with Nymf. A meet and greet to answer any questions from those interested in applying will be held Wednesday, January 28, 6-8pm at the Irish Rogue (356 West 44th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues. Nymf staff members will be on hand to answer questions about the Next Link Project submissions process and chat about other ways to get involved with the Festival. A cash bar with drink specials will be available, including $3 Domestic Bottles & Drafts and $4 Martinis & Cosmos. Drop by after work and say hi! The New York Musical Theater Festival is currently accepting open submissions for its Next Link Project for the sixth annual festival taking place September 28 - October 18, 2009. Any work that has not

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Jenny Craig spokesperson Valerie Bertinelli spends time with "The Insider"'s Kris Jenner to chat about her life-changing transformation at the annual Jenny Craig weight-loss conference. It's been more than a year since the former "One Day at a Time" star lost 40-pounds on the Jenny Craig program -- and she has kept it off! "It's really sexy to try and lose weight," Valerie tells Kris. "Because you've got this goal and you're getting there and each day a little bit more comes off. But with maintenance, it's like, 'Now I've made it here. Now I have to stay and so that gets a little more challenging.' It's the first time ever in my entire life that I've kept the weight off this long." In her book, Losing It: And Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time, Valerie reveals her lifelong battle of the bulge. She says
TheInsider

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Michelle Obama is going back to school - and taking Alicia Keys, Sheryl Crow and astronaut Mae Jemison with her. The first lady is being joined by the women - as well as Denyce Graves, Kerry Washington, Debbie Allen, Maggie Daley, Lisa Leslie, Bobbi Brown, Dominique Dawes, Phylicia Rashad, Alfre Woodard, Penny Pritzker and Gen. Ann Dunwoody - to speak to students in Washington, D.C.-area high schools about setting career goals. The Thursday visits are part of Women's History Month, reports The Washington Post. Table manners alert: The special day will wrap up with dinner at the White House,

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