Latest news with #DebbieAllen
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Debbie Allen
When Debbie Allen opened the doors to her dance academy in 2000 inside of a revamped Marie Callender's restaurant in Culver City, there was no other place in town like it that catered to disenfranchised Black and Latino communities. The school became a haven for dancers of all backgrounds wanting to learn from the multifaceted performer, who chasséd into the Hollywood scene with her career-defining performance as Lydia Grant in the 1980 musical 'Fame.' Allen went onto become an award-winning director and producer for shows like 'Grey's Anatomy' (which she also stars in), 'How to Get Away With Murder,' 'A Different World,' 'Jane the Virgin' and 'Everybody Hates Chris.' Fast forward 25 years, the Debbie Allen Dance Academy now resides in a 25,000-square-foot 'arts' palace in Mid City at the Rhimes Performing Arts Center (named after Allen's longtime friend and colleague Shonda Rhimes). It's more active than ever with a newly accredited middle school, a summer intensive program, a tap festival and annual 'Hot Chocolate Nutcracker' holiday show. Next up, Allen is hosting her third free community block party on June 8 on Washington Boulevard, featuring dance classes with world-renowned choreographers like Marguerite Derricks and a breakdancing competition with Silverback Bboy Events. And on June 22, Allen will host Dancing in the Light: Healing with the Arts, a bimonthly event that features free dance lessons for those impacted by the wildfires. The event will take place at the Wallis in Beverly Hills and will feature classes taught by choreographers Lyrik Cruz (salsa), Angela Jordan (African) and Anthony Berry (hip-hop). 'It's been wonderful that this community has been able to see each other and have a bit of joy,' Allen said during a Zoom call from Atlanta, where she was working on a new TV pilot. We caught up with Allen, who's lived in L.A. for nearly 40 years, to learn about how she'd spend her perfect Sunday in the city. Much like when she was a child growing up in Houston, Sundays are centered around family and spending time with her four grandchildren who 'own' her weekends, she said. On the call sheet is getting breakfast in Santa Monica, hosting a free dance class and catching a movie at Westfield Century City. This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity. 7 a.m.: Wake up the grandbabies On a typical Sunday, I would wake up at 7 a.m. My [eldest] grandchildren spend the night with us every Saturday. I have four grandkids who are 6, 4, and two who are 6 months old. The little ones are just now getting to where their parents might let us keep them overnight. My room has turned into a nursery. First, we deal with our dog CoCo. We have a beautiful black German shepherd who is amazing. She's such a good family dog and incredible guard dog. She just glistens, just pure black, and she's wonderful with the kids. So we have to let her out and she wants to play. Then we get ready to go to breakfast. 9 a.m..: Time for breakfast We always go out somewhere for breakfast. We either go to a nearby hotel or we go to Marmalade in Santa Monica. They have very fresh croissants, little biscuits with currants and scones. They also have really good omelets and turkey bacon. Then the neighborhood people are there, so we see people that we've met and have gotten to know over the years. There's one man in particular who is always reading books and we can always get a new idea of a book to read. 11 a.m.: Host a free dance class Then we'd come back and on any given Sunday, I might be on my way to Dancing in the Light: Healing with the Arts, where I've been doing these dance classes for all the people who have been impacted by the fires. We've been doing this for months and it's been amazing. We've had tremendous support from Wallis Annenberg, United Way, Shonda Rhimes, Berry Gordy, just so many individuals who have supported. We do classes all over, which start at 11 a.m. But if we're not doing the Dancing in the Light event, sometimes we like to go to the California Science Center, which the kids love. It's great because there's so much going on there now. 2:30 p.m.: Tennis time I'll head back home to catch the kids having their tennis lesson. They are starting to play at this young age and it's so cute. 5 p.m.: Early dinner and a movie We'd either start preparing family dinner because I have a son who has his 6-month-old and my daughter, Vivian, who has her three kids. Or we'd go out to dinner. We love to go to Ivy at the Shore because it's very family-friendly and they have a lot of options. We also like going to Chinois. It's a Wolfgang Puck spot. We'd have an early dinner around 5 p.m. If we don't go out to eat, we might go to the movies. We love going to the movies. We're really close to AMC Santa Monica, but sometimes we'll go to [Westfield] Century City because they have a fantastic food court and the kids like to go up there and pick what they want to eat. 7:30 p.m.: Quality time with MaTurk We'd come back home and spend time with my mom, who we call MaTurk. She's 101 years old. We'd play her favorite music because she was a concert pianist. I did a beautiful piece for her at the Kennedy Center this year based on her book, 'Hawk,' which we republished. It's on sale now. But Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue' is her favorite. She played it for me when I was 4 years old, going to sleep on her lap. And my granddaughters are the cutest things with MaTurk. They like to pretend they are the caregivers and they want to brush her hair. They want to massage her legs. It's a sweet thing. 8:30 p.m.: Catch up on our favorite shows After that, it's time to say goodbye to the grandkids. Then my husband and I will nestle in. We're always reading books and watching various series. We've been watching Shonda Rhimes' 'The Residence' lately. We love it! And he also is addicted to 'Power Book.' If I could pick, I'd be in bed by 9:30 p.m.
CBS News
07-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Euless woman pushes for stronger opioid warnings in Texas
After a family tragedy, a push for new opioid laws in Texas After a family tragedy, a push for new opioid laws in Texas After a family tragedy, a push for new opioid laws in Texas Debbie Allen visits her husband's grave each month to replace the flowers she keeps there. She also updates the man she calls "the love of her life" on what's happening with their family, and with her mission of more than four years. Robert Allen died just hours after celebrating his 71st birthday. He had gone to the hospital for back pain and was discharged, sent home with a prescription for morphine to manage back pain. Debbie Allen By 2 a.m. on Oct. 21, 2020, he was struggling to breathe. Debbie called 911. He was still responsive as paramedics loaded him into the ambulance, but by the time they arrived at the hospital, he was gone. Robert Allen had taken just two morphine pills. Debbie Allen would later learn what she said no one had told her: Opioids like morphine, when combined with her husband's sleep apnea, can lead to fatal respiratory depression, a breathing disorder characterized by slow, or depressed, breathing. "The bell went off just like that," she said, recalling the moment the prescribing doctor called her the morning after Robert's death. "He said, 'That's why you don't mix this opioid with sleep apnea.'" Now, more than 4 1/2 years later, she is channeling her grief into a public campaign that could change how opioids are labeled in Texas. A simple warning, too late In the days following his death, Debbie Allen began investigating. She found two medical journal studies - one from 2020 and another from 2017. They warned of the dangers of mixing opioids with sleep apnea, especially during sleep. One study described how patients with the condition are "at greater risk of harm from morphine." The other noted that many people on opioids are "found dead in bed." Despite these published warnings, Debbie Allen said no one gave her family any indication that morphine could be dangerous for someone with sleep apnea, a condition that forced Robert Allen to sleep with a CPAP machine every night. "There was not one warning. Not one," Debbie Allen said. She filed formal complaints with the Texas Medical Board, the Texas State Board of Pharmacy and the Joint Commission, a non-profit that accredits medical organizations and programs. Ultimately, the medical board required the doctor who wrote Robert Allen's prescription to complete 12 hours of education on risk management and controlled substances. Debbie Allen also filed a lawsuit, which she cannot publicly discuss due to a settlement agreement. She can, however, discuss what she wants moving forward. A bill inspired by loss Robert Allen's death is now at the center of proposed legislation in the Texas Senate. In March, Sen. Bob Hall, a Republican from Rockwall, introduced Senate Bill 1986, which would require that all opioid prescriptions include a clear warning about "addiction, respiratory depression, and overdose." Hall said Debbie Allen's story "got attention because it was so preventable … with a simple solution of just informing people." Her mission has taken her from her home office, where she continues to research opioid regulations across the country, to the Texas Capitol, where she recently testified before the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services. She has learned that states like Arizona require a red cap on opioid bottles, and others mandate varying forms of warnings. In Texas, similar bills have been proposed in the past but failed to become law. "The pharmaceutical companies' first concern is making money. Their concern is how many pills are selling," Hall said. Federal moves, state gaps In 2023, following a growing number of opioid-related deaths, the Food and Drug Administration began mandating a "boxed warning" about the risk of respiratory depression when opioids are used. The warnings are printed in bold and outlined in black at the top of the medication guide inserts. Debbie Allen is advocating for standardized, state-mandated labels on all opioid prescription bottles – simple, visible, unavoidable. On April 30, 2025, the day Debbie Allen testified at the Senate hearing, no one testified against the bill. The committee approved it unanimously. The bill now has a sponsor in the House, Hall's office told the I-Team. "So no one else gets hurt" Debbie and Robert Allen met when she was 13. They were married by the time she was 16. They built a life together. They have two children and four grandchildren. CBS News Texas "Robert loved life more than anyone I've ever met," she said. "He didn't deserve this. Everybody let him down." At the cemetery, Debbie Allen sits on a bench she painted herself. It bears the family name. It's a place where her children and grandchildren — and now great-grandchildren — can visit. Robert Allen has missed three graduations and two weddings since his death. "I would know that he wanted me to pursue this," she said. "So nobody else would get hurt like he did."
