''Empire" season 2 officially premiered on Saturday night at New York City's Carnegie Hall, where Fox gave their fans a glimpse of the new season by unveiling its first episode. Fans who attended the event were ecstatic, especially when the casts were called out.
The screening was preceded by the red carpet step-and-repeat process, then a moderated panel discussion with the producers and cast members followed, according to The Wrap. The "Empire" stars performed a brief set for the cheering crowd. The event was a success.
As for the upcoming season and its cast, here are the top 5 things we know so far:
1. Vivica A. Fox joins the cast as Cookie's sister. Taraji P. Henson, who played as Cookie Lyon in the TV series admitted that she is excited to work with Fox on the set. "I'm very excited about that," Henson said, Entertainment Weekly reports . "I mean, I watched Vivica before I even got into the business. And she's always been one that I've looked up to, like, 'God, I want to be able to do what she does.' So, to be able to work with the person who you've admired for so long, it's just mind-blowing."
2. The show is still recruiting for a singer and rapper. According to The Wrap, the bus for "Empire" singer and rapper audition was parked next to the tented red carpet on 57th Street and 7th Avenue, where the popular Carniege Hall is located.
Fox promises a guest spot in the upcoming season for the "Next 'Empire' Artist" winner. According to the report, the #NextEmpireArtist tour kicked off almost two months ago in Los Angeles. The competition has just concluded, announcement of winners will soon follow.
3. Ta'Rhonda Jones auditioned for the role thinking it was a rap gig. The actress admitted that she thought her role was to be a rapper for Terrence Howard. "Terrence Howard was looking for female rappers in their 20's and I thought he was trying to come out with a 'Hustle & Flow' (record) label," Jones said, according to Yahoo! News.
4. Season 2 premiere will be a hit. The first episode of Season 2 opens with "Previously, on 'Empire'" montage featuring Cookie slapping Anika and the audience went wild. There was also a lot of cheer for the Lyon matriarch for the new episode, especially for her outfits.
5. Fox knows how to party. Fox, the fourth-place network, threw a terrific get-together party for VIPs following the "Empire" performance. The venue was great. It has two food stations with champagne, wine and champagne cocktails at the door.
"Empire" season 2 premieres on Sept. 23 on Fox.
