Today’s entertainment picks:

Today’s entertainment picks:

vLamont Bryant, 9 p.m.: Warren comedian will inaugurate the newly reopened comedy club in the Metroplex Hotel, on Belmont Avenue in Liberty; 330-759-0606.

v“A Christmas Carol,” 3 p.m.: Local theater veteran John Cox and his Rosebud Productions have created an hour-long radio play of the classic Dickens story. It will air on WKBN-AM 570.

vSophia Brooks, 7 p.m.: The concert singer from Youngstown will present a dinner cabaret show at the Lemon Grove, 122 W. Federal St., Youngstown; 330-744-7683.

vModern Life, with Zhopa Mira and Baker, 10 p.m.: Christmas eve rock show will follow Sophia Brooks at the Lemon Grove, 122 W. Federal St., Youngstown; 330-744-7683.

v”Black Swan”: Director Darren Aronofsky’s disturbing thriller, nominated for four Golden Globe awards, opens in the region at Cinema South in Boardman, Regal in Niles and Shenango Cinema in Hermitage, Pa.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” (8 p.m., NBC): Everyone talks about the sweetness and sentiment of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” but what about the sizzle? That telephone scene between Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed remains one of the sexiest ever filmed.

“A Christmas Story” (8 p.m., TBS): Jean Shepherd’s “A Christmas Story” is a holiday classic to be sure. But we double-dog dare you to watch it nonstop for the next 24 hours without falling face-first into the egg nog.

TV Listings, B6

entertainment news

Comic book heroes will face world of fear

PHILADELPHIA

The real world is intruding in a real way for the heroes — and villains — of the Marvel universe.

The publisher — whose characters range from the wall-crawler Spider-Man to mutant outcasts X-Men — said this week that the fear, uncertainty and overarching anxiety that has gripped today’s world will play havoc with its fictional heroes next spring as it embarks on “Fear Itself,” a seven-issue limited series that will reach across numerous titles.

The story line starts in March with a one-shot prologue penned by Ed Brubaker. The prologue, said Marvel executive editor Tom Brevoort, will involve Captain America, Namor and the Invaders “and a mission in World War II that sets the stage for what’s to come in the main ‘Fear Itself’ book.”

Actor tells show host of Youngstown visit

Youngstown native and reality show celebrity Omarosa Manigault Stallworth and actor Michael Clarke Duncan have been dating since at least September, and according to a variety of celebrity websites, she is pregnant with his child.

Omarosa, 36, rose to fame during her 2004 stint on “The Apprentice,” the reality show with Donald Trump.

Duncan is best known for his portrayal of inmate John Coffey in the 1999 film “The Green Mile.”

In an appearance on the “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” Wednesday night, he told Ferguson that he had recently visited Youngstown to meet his girlfriend’s family and celebrate his birthday. He turned 53 on Dec. 10.