Huntley radio broadcast to feature Hollywood writer-producer Anthony Sparks

HUNTLEY – Anthony Sparks, an award-winning television writer and producer who got his start in theater in Chicago, will be featured on the April 7 episode of radio show and podcast “It’s Showtime With Rikki Lee,” hosted by Rikki Lee Travolta of Woodstock.

From Chicago, Sparks went on to five years in the cast of Broadway’s “STOMP.” Now, he is the executive producer and writer of NBC Peacock’s “Bel Air.” His other credits include Hulu’s “Mike,” J.J. Abrams’ “Undercovers” and NBC’s “The Blacklist,” a news release stated.

Travolta welcomes Sparks to discuss his path to Hollywood, the importance of diversity in entertainment, and this week’s episode of “Bel Air” (“Under Pressure”), which he wrote.

“Anthony Sparks had a very humble start, but has become one of the great voices in television today – it is a testament to hard work, creativity, intelligence, determination and talent,” Travolta said in the release.

Sparks recently completed six seasons as the longtime showrunner, executive producer and writer of the critically acclaimed OWN/Warner Bros. television drama “Queen Sugar,” which was created by Ava DuVernay and produced by Oprah Winfrey.

Sparks received a 2022 Humanitas Prize nomination in the drama teleplay category for writing the “May 27, 2020″ episode of “Queen Sugar,” which was inspired by George Floyd. He received the 2022 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Television Drama for his work as showrunner on the series.

He was nominated for a 2017 NAACP Image Award for his first academic book, “Running the Long Race in Gifted Education.”

“With the public’s obsession with TV and movie stars, sometimes the beauty and the power of the written word get forgotten,” Travolta said. “Anthony Sparks has shown what a writer can accomplish when approaching their work with principles in addition to creativity.”

Sparks holds a degree in theater, and master’s and doctoral degrees in American Studies and Ethnicity, all from the University of Southern California.

“It’s Showtime With Rikki Lee” is a weekly radio interview program about the entertainment industry that airs every Friday at 3 p.m. on 101.5 FM WHRU, based in Huntley. Those outside the listening area can stream the station in real time at www.HuntleyRadio.com. New episodes are available as podcasts on all major platforms.

Like Sparks, Travolta got his start as a performer, including starring roles in “Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and “West Side Story.” He is the producer of a television series on PBS. He stars in the film “The Sleight” by director Ben Kurstin that premiered last week at the Midwest Film Festival’s Emerging Filmmaker Night at the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago. Travolta is an award-winning writer. His thriller “The Elvis Conspiracy” has won 11 best screenplay awards in the last five months.

For information, visit www.RikkiLeeTravolta.com.