Angelo Diaz shares his thoughts on SAG-AFTRA strike and new executive role with the Copacabana 

ATLANTA — Angelo Diaz has grown accustomed to sporting many hats. Including to his already many roles, Diaz was named the Govt Artistic Director for the resurging and rebranded Copacabana. In 1978, the well-known night time membership had the highlight as Barry Manilow launched his widespread tune, “Copacabana (On the Copa)” The pandemic shutdown the final identified model of the well-known night time membership, nonetheless, Diaz and crew are embarking on a tour that can reintroduce the Copacabana to these acquainted in addition to those that aren’t quiet conversant in the enduring venue. Diaz additionally has his sight set on artists making dwell albums from the Copa once more like prior to now. You may hear the joy in his voice when discussing the plans for the famed venues’ return. 

Angelo Diaz additionally opens as much as Zenger Information about upcoming initiatives whereas remaining in solidarity together with his fellow actors in the course of the SAG-AFTRA strike. 

Zenger: You have got loads occurring. Give us the most recent and biggest. 

Diaz: It’s been loads. “ATL Murder” season 4 simply completed airing a few months in the past. I obtained some thrilling initiatives coming to the forefront. I can’t converse an excessive amount of about them as a result of I’m standing in solitude with the strikes, however very thrilling instances. A few initiatives coming to BET, an unbiased challenge known as, “Soul Ties” that I’m very enthusiastic about. We’re determining the place that’s going to land as we converse. We have now a few totally different gives on the desk. That was extraordinarily difficult for me as a result of the vary that position has, the emotional journey of that position… it’s a thriller, it’s a horror… it’s a suspense, and romance all bundled in a single. I’m enthusiastic about what that challenge represents so far as a present narrative with our technology, how we join with individuals, and the way we fail to understand at instances that after we’re related romantically, we’re really constructing ties. This challenge displays on these soul ties that we’re constructing with one another. You all the time need artwork that displays on issues that manner. 

The stage play, “Lorraine Motel” that we debuted in Atlanta final month and we’re returning to Atlanta in mid-September, that entire challenge is superior. It’s historic. It displays on the Lorraine Motel itself in Memphis. But it surely makes use of that platform to replicate on the complete Civil Rights motion. The artwork, the determine heads, the individuals, the totally different viewpoints of the Civil Rights motion, as a result of everybody wasn’t on the identical web page. That challenge is wonderful, and I get to play any person that impressed me in life and it has been a aim of mine and a dream position for years, however I play Harry Belafonte. It’s an enormous blessing and alternative for me. It’s a tremendous forged. We obtained individuals portraying Richard Pryor, Martin Luther King, Ralph Abernathy, Coretta Scott King, Ike and Tina Turner. Very highly effective stuff. 

Zenger: Might you clarify the premise behind the SAG-AFTRA strike? 

Diaz: It’s time! It’s time for a large shift. I don’t suppose the enterprise dealings between producers, writers, and actors and the big studios and streaming platforms on this planet haven’t been on the identical web page. We haven’t reorganized the construction of issues for the reason that increase of streaming. Streaming got here and altered the complete recreation. Much more cash has been made and hasn’t been distributed in a good manner. You get to the purpose the place you’ve got CO’s and execs of corporations making 6 figures, making 7 figures, when the individuals who write these things aren’t making that a lot. AI [Artificial Intelligence] is a large concern that we have to talk about. These massive companies that we’re coping with, those mirrored by the A&P TMP have proven that they’ll put their course of and their backside line above all the things else. In doing so, we have to create a established order, we have to draw a line within the sand so far as AI and what we’re prepared to let AI do. It makes for some lovely particular results, however AI shouldn’t be going to exchange or complement screenwriters or actors. Certainly one of my favourite indicators that I seen within the pickets that went viral, however it mentioned, “AI doesn’t have childhood trauma.” You may’t replicate human ache, pleasure, love, sorrow, triumph, conquest, and defeat. Not solely that however as people, we’re not going to place up with the vastness of company greed, and unchecked company greed. If we permit it to, they’ll use AI to do all the things, that manner they’ll simply stroll away with the underside line. That’s the road within the sand that we have to draw. 

However there are lots of different points on the desk as nicely just like the residuals. It’s powerful as a result of it’s a dialogue that wanted to occur, and with this new streaming you’ve got individuals who pay for subscriptions. It was a film that hit the theatres made X quantity of {dollars}. You could possibly really see how a lot it made. A TV present hits the airwaves, a community might see how a lot that TV present made by way of ads and what individuals paid for these commercials. With streaming it’s exhausting to inform how a lot, “Home of Playing cards” made for Netflix. It’s exhausting to inform how a lot the Kevin Hart standups made for Netflix. It’s exhausting to inform that as a result of they don’t share that info. The identical with Hulu, HBO Max, and a number of the extra widespread streaming platforms of as we speak. It’s exhausting for them to even understand how a lot this instantly made us. This did drive actual subscriptions to the web page, did this maintain clients, have been individuals contemplating canceling after which “Sport of Thrones” got here out? 

On the finish of the day, what’s not exhausting to inform is, they made billions. Quite a lot of that’s off the again of screenwriters, off the again of actors. There are points that have an effect on actors of all ranges, individuals on prime of the sport proper now to the individuals on the come up. There’s know-how obtainable the place any person might are available in and a platform might pay them $150, and so they’re going to scan their likeness. They’re going to scan them from head to toe, take their likeness, signal the waiver, and that entity might use their likeness in perpetuity, and all that particular person obtained was $150. And their tales are coming to the forefront due to these strikes. Take the man Zordon [David J. Fielding] from Energy Rangers. The man who would come inform them the mission together with his hologram face, that actor made lower than a $1,000 for that position. And we’re speaking a couple of franchise that has made billions on TV alone. Add the merchandise and actions figures, we’re speaking about an empire right here. Per his personal testimony he solely made a $1,000, as a result of he got here in for a day or so and so they scanned his likeness, and so they have been capable of repeat it for a number of seasons. Who’s that truthful to? 

Zenger: You have got a brand new place with the rebranding and reemerging Copacabana. Inform us about it. 

Diaz: I need to give an enormous shout out to Charles Shibetti. He’s the overall concerned with the Copacabana. He introduced me and my group in. I’ve the chance to convey this into the following period. He was accountable for bringing it to Fort Lauderdale about 10 years in the past. He was accountable for the final rendition of it that was up in Instances Sq., 4 flooring. The extra individuals I discuss to in regards to the Copacabana, they routinely return to the 40’s and 50’s when it began, and into when it turned a disco membership within the 70’s and 80’s. I don’t suppose individuals understand that it’s been kicking since then, however the pandemic shutdown the final model of it, and now we’re bringing it again. It’s excellent timing. Certainly one of my favourite isms in regards to the Copa after I discuss it’s, she misses it, and he or she hasn’t even been there but. It was partly accountable for the profitable careers of the Frank Sinatra’s and Tony Bennett’s as a result of it was all about breaking new artists into the mainstream. We’re speaking in regards to the first place that Lena Horne carried out.Folks like Harry Belafante performing there, The Supremes, and The Temptations, Sam Cooke, when that was thought-about taboo round that point. Folks don’t know however all the way in which as much as Nicki Minaj, Fats Joe have been lately internet hosting when All-Star weekend was in New York Metropolis. Willie Colon was there for opening night time at their latest location. It’s as much as the present instances, so I’m in an thrilling place to determine how does it translate into this new period. My creativeness goes loopy. We’re speaking about increasing and returning to the South Florida market, Miami this time. Returning to the Vegas market, as a result of it was on the Sands Lodge till 1996.

The Copa Room. That’s really the place Frank Sinatra recorded his first dwell album. After I begin fascinated by the music programming, the comedic programing, I get excited fascinated by translating this into the following period. We’re speaking about a spot the place Adele and Future can co-exist in the identical place and discover comforting properties there. I obtained propositions on the desk, Rick Ross dwell albums from the Copacabana. Sam Cooke, The Supremes, and The Temptations all charted with their dwell albums from the Copa. I take into consideration a Drake and Future dwell album on the Copacabana. Adele dwell album on the Copacabana. Burna Boy doing a dwell album from the Copacabana. Copacabana merch, Copacabana lodge, however it all begins with this tour. So, what we’re gonna do over the following 12 months and a half, we’re going to tour the nation. We’re going to hit lots of occasions which might be necessary to the tradition. We debuted at Miami Swim Week with the Copa Tour. That went rather well, and we obtained some plans to announce some upcoming tour dates actually quickly. I’m excited to have the ability to attain across the nation and contact those that haven’t felt the magic of the Copacabana but.