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Published Friday, August 14, 2009 in Local

TV series will film at Arts Centre

By Jeff Bishop

The Times-Herald

Robert Townsend, famous for directing "Eddie Murphy: Raw" and "The Five Heartbeats," will begin filming a television project at the Coweta County Centre for the Performing and Visual Arts next week.

Townsend's Bell Town Productions has reserved the Centre next week, with the company arriving Monday to prepare for the project, called "The Music Theatre of Hope."

The Music Theatre of Hope is described by the company as "a half-hour series inspired by real life situations, current events and breaking news featuring inspiring songs."

The casting began in Atlanta in April 2009. Billie Dee Williams -- famous for his role as Lando Calrissian in the "Star Wars" series of films -- is rumored to be one of the cast members.

The company will shoot for two days, on Aug. 22 and 25, according to Coweta County School System spokesman Dean Jackson.

Bell Town Productions is a partnership between Townsend and Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia.

Five episodes will be shot over the two-day span.

"Everything is taking place onstage in the Centre," said Jackson.

Don Nixon of the Centre will be coordinating a local audience for production days. He will also arrange student participation in the production.

"Townsend and others will provide a master class for video/film production students," said Jackson.

In addition to "Raw" and "The Five Heartbeats," Townsend is known for financing his first film, 1987's "Hollywood Shuffle," on his personal credit cards. The script for the film was co-written by Keenan Ivory Wayans, who went on to produce the TV show "In Living Color" and direct the series of "Scary Movie" films.

Townsend also wrote, directed and starred in "The Meteor Man" in 1993 and co-starred with Denzel Washington in "A Soldier's Story."

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