Robert “Bob” Ullman, a longtime Broadway and Off Broadway press agent whose career spanned Ethel Merman, A Chorus Line, Curse of the Starving Class and many others, died of cardiac arrest on July 31 in Bayshore, Long Island, New York. He was 97.
His death was announced by longtime friend (and former Broadway press agent) Rev. Joshua Ellis.
Among the many Broadway productions on which Ullman worked were Ethel Merman and Mary Martin: Together on Broadway, A Chorus Line (from workshop to Public Theater to Broadway), Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne in The Visit, Lauren Bacall in Cactus Flower, The Dining Room, Driving Miss Daisy, Sunday in the Park with George, and over 150 additional Broadway and off-Broadway plays and musicals.
Actors and theater greats with whom Ullman worked include Tallulah Bankhead, Luise Rainer, James Dean, Dame Edith Evans, Geraldine Page, Phil Silvers, Bert Lahr, Rosemary Harris, James Earl Jones, Sam Waterston, Colleen Dewhurst,...
His death was announced by longtime friend (and former Broadway press agent) Rev. Joshua Ellis.
Among the many Broadway productions on which Ullman worked were Ethel Merman and Mary Martin: Together on Broadway, A Chorus Line (from workshop to Public Theater to Broadway), Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne in The Visit, Lauren Bacall in Cactus Flower, The Dining Room, Driving Miss Daisy, Sunday in the Park with George, and over 150 additional Broadway and off-Broadway plays and musicals.
Actors and theater greats with whom Ullman worked include Tallulah Bankhead, Luise Rainer, James Dean, Dame Edith Evans, Geraldine Page, Phil Silvers, Bert Lahr, Rosemary Harris, James Earl Jones, Sam Waterston, Colleen Dewhurst,...
- 8/8/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Composer-arranger Sid Ramin, a longtime associate of Leonard Bernstein who won an Oscar, an Emmy and a Grammy for his work in film, TV and theater, died of natural causes Monday (July 1) at his home in New York City. He was 100.
Ramin won a 1961 Academy Award for adapting the music of “West Side Story,” which he had originally orchestrated for composer Leonard Bernstein on Broadway in 1957 (with fellow arranger Irwin Kostal). He won a 1961 Grammy for the “West Side Story” soundtrack album, and a 1983 Daytime Emmy for music for TV’s “All My Children.”
Ramin’s musical career encompassed every aspect of show business. He started in the early days of live television, arranging for Milton Berle’s “Texaco Star Theatre” from 1948 to 1956. “There was no second take,” Ramin once reminisced about the insane pace of live TV. “What you did was on the air, good or bad.”
He began...
Ramin won a 1961 Academy Award for adapting the music of “West Side Story,” which he had originally orchestrated for composer Leonard Bernstein on Broadway in 1957 (with fellow arranger Irwin Kostal). He won a 1961 Grammy for the “West Side Story” soundtrack album, and a 1983 Daytime Emmy for music for TV’s “All My Children.”
Ramin’s musical career encompassed every aspect of show business. He started in the early days of live television, arranging for Milton Berle’s “Texaco Star Theatre” from 1948 to 1956. “There was no second take,” Ramin once reminisced about the insane pace of live TV. “What you did was on the air, good or bad.”
He began...
- 7/3/2019
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Matthew Miele outside Bemelmans Bar in front of a John F Kennedy photo at The Carlyle Hotel, on Woody Allen: "He used to play at Michael's Pub and now he plays here ..." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
In the closing episode of my conversation with the Always At The Carlyle director Matthew Miele, we discuss preserving the past, Wes Anderson's Hannah And Her Sisters connection to Bobby Short, Bill Murray and Danny of The Carlyle pondering a catch phrase, Jackie O's Cobb salad, the paintings of Jan Weenix, George Clooney and a closet, the sin of enjoyment and Andrew Bolton, and an upcoming project on Alan J Pakula, the director of All The President's Men and Sophie's Choice, and producer of To Kill A Mockingbird.
Anjelica Huston, George Clooney, Rita Wilson, Harrison Ford, Jeff Goldblum, Jon Hamm, Jack Nicholson, Tommy Lee Jones, Alan Cumming, Sofia Coppola, Matthew Weiner, Naomi Campbell,...
In the closing episode of my conversation with the Always At The Carlyle director Matthew Miele, we discuss preserving the past, Wes Anderson's Hannah And Her Sisters connection to Bobby Short, Bill Murray and Danny of The Carlyle pondering a catch phrase, Jackie O's Cobb salad, the paintings of Jan Weenix, George Clooney and a closet, the sin of enjoyment and Andrew Bolton, and an upcoming project on Alan J Pakula, the director of All The President's Men and Sophie's Choice, and producer of To Kill A Mockingbird.
Anjelica Huston, George Clooney, Rita Wilson, Harrison Ford, Jeff Goldblum, Jon Hamm, Jack Nicholson, Tommy Lee Jones, Alan Cumming, Sofia Coppola, Matthew Weiner, Naomi Campbell,...
- 6/8/2018
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
We know what you're thinking: Why see a movie about a posh Manhattan hotel that most of us could never afford to stay in even for one night? It's not just the fascination of watching how the one-percent lives; it's because this storied 88-year-old hotel, filled with impossibly glamorous ghosts from the past, radiates an elegance that seems like an anomaly in this shallow age of Trump-style glitz. The Potus has been spied on the premises, only to be overheard saying, "This place is a joke." Unless style, sophistication and...
- 5/10/2018
- Rollingstone.com
1978: Ryan's Hope's Maeve was disgusted with Delia.
1982: Gh's Robert, Tiffany, Jackie & Luke made a pact.
1984: Days of our Lives' Hope moved out of Shenanigans.
2006: Passions' Endora used a rain cloud to wake up Fox."All true histories contain instruction; though, in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut."
― Anne Brontë in "Agnes Grey"
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1935: NBC Radio aired the final episode of soap opera Judy and Jane, produced by Frank and Anne Hummert. Sponsored by Folgers Coffee, it...
1982: Gh's Robert, Tiffany, Jackie & Luke made a pact.
1984: Days of our Lives' Hope moved out of Shenanigans.
2006: Passions' Endora used a rain cloud to wake up Fox."All true histories contain instruction; though, in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut."
― Anne Brontë in "Agnes Grey"
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1935: NBC Radio aired the final episode of soap opera Judy and Jane, produced by Frank and Anne Hummert. Sponsored by Folgers Coffee, it...
- 4/26/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
The Broadway at Birdland concert series was proud to present Broadway and television actress Linda Lavin for two very special concerts on the historic stage this past week. The show, wryly entitled 'My First Farewell Concert,' is Lavin's personal story told in songs she loves. She performed favorites from the Great AmericanBrazilianYiddish Songbooks, with Billy Stritch at the piano, Steve Bakunas on drums, Ron Affif on guitar, Tom Hubbard on bass, and special guest Aaron Weinstein on violin. Songs included were 'You've Got Possibilities,' 'No More Blues,' and a medley of songs recorded by the late, great Bobby Short. Scroll down for photos from the concert...
- 2/3/2016
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
I'm the king of Christmas!" Bill Murray declares early on in A Very Murray Christmas, his one-of-a-kind Netflix holiday special — and by the end of an hour of music, comedy, and celebrity pals, the comedian has indeed earned that crown as our 21st-century Santa Claus, who seems to be everywhere at once, spreading good cheer.
"Everyone is happy when they see him ," says Sofia Coppola, who directed the special, available on the streaming service starting today. "He knows how to bring joy. Bill is so full of fun, it brightens up the holiday.
"Everyone is happy when they see him ," says Sofia Coppola, who directed the special, available on the streaming service starting today. "He knows how to bring joy. Bill is so full of fun, it brightens up the holiday.
- 12/4/2015
- Rollingstone.com
"Gypsy." "A Little Night Music." "Sweeney Todd." "Follies." "Company."
Stephen Sondheim's credits -- and that's a sampling -- are staggering. He's won eight Tony Awards, more than any other composer and lyricist. And though he has been an incredible force since he burst on the scene with his first Broadway project, "West Side Story," Sondheim, 83, is reserved about himself.
HBO's "Six by Sondheim" on Monday, Dec. 9, though, manages to paint an intimate portrait of the man, examining his career through six signature songs.
In one of very few interviews granted for this project, Sondheim tells Zap2it that though he had seen a few edits of this film, he doesn't like to watch himself.
"I am embarrassed to see myself," Sondheim says. "I have seen myself on-screen quite a lot."
This features wonderful footage of Sondheim, including photos from his youth, being mentored by family friend Oscar Hammerstein, and...
Stephen Sondheim's credits -- and that's a sampling -- are staggering. He's won eight Tony Awards, more than any other composer and lyricist. And though he has been an incredible force since he burst on the scene with his first Broadway project, "West Side Story," Sondheim, 83, is reserved about himself.
HBO's "Six by Sondheim" on Monday, Dec. 9, though, manages to paint an intimate portrait of the man, examining his career through six signature songs.
In one of very few interviews granted for this project, Sondheim tells Zap2it that though he had seen a few edits of this film, he doesn't like to watch himself.
"I am embarrassed to see myself," Sondheim says. "I have seen myself on-screen quite a lot."
This features wonderful footage of Sondheim, including photos from his youth, being mentored by family friend Oscar Hammerstein, and...
- 12/9/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
This evening, June 14th, Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. will offer 'An Enchanted Evening,' a celebration of the Center and its contribution to the arts and cultural life of our community. This special fundraising event will be hosted by the celebrated actress, Kerry Washington, a Bronx native, known for her lead role as Olivia Pope in the current television drama Scandal and major roles in such films as Django Unchained, Last King of Scotlandand Ray. Ms. Washington will be joined by her Scandal co-star Norm Lewis, acclaimed for his recent Broadway success in Porgy and Bess. Chris Gillespie and musicians, who regularly perform at New York City's Carlyle Hotel just as the late Bobby Short once did, will round out the evening.
- 6/14/2013
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
On Friday evening, June 14th, Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. will offer 'An Enchanted Evening,' a celebration of the Center and its contribution to the arts and cultural life of our community. This special fundraising event will be hosted by the celebrated actress, Kerry Washington, a Bronx native, known for her lead role as Olivia Pope in the current television drama Scandal and major roles in such films as Django Unchained, Last King of Scotlandand Ray. Ms. Washington will be joined by her Scandal co-star Norm Lewis, acclaimed for his recent Broadway success in Porgy and Bess. Chris Gillespie and musicians, who regularly perform at New York City's Carlyle Hotel just as the late Bobby Short once did, will round out the evening.
- 5/9/2013
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Taylor Mead, the love child of Bette Davis and Peter Lorre, is one of the truly great comic geniuses of underground films, theater, poetry, cabaret, and cable TV of the Sixties and beyond. He was and is still quite hilarious, even if just stumbling down an East Village Street by himself, his traipse being a sort of Danse Macabre as envisioned by Pee Wee Herman.
An Andy Warhol Superstar, possibly best known for his hysterical “gunslinger” in Lonesome Cowboys, Mead’s brilliance never shined brighter than when he took on the title role in Michael McClure’s outrageous off-off-Broadway play, Spider Rabbit, in which he essayed a bunny who adored eating human brains.
But Taylor didn’t need a lead role to be unforgettable. In Rosa von Praunheim’s documentary Tally Brown New York, the constantly morphing star stole his scenes from Ms. Brown, who was no slouch herself when it came to commanding attention.
An Andy Warhol Superstar, possibly best known for his hysterical “gunslinger” in Lonesome Cowboys, Mead’s brilliance never shined brighter than when he took on the title role in Michael McClure’s outrageous off-off-Broadway play, Spider Rabbit, in which he essayed a bunny who adored eating human brains.
But Taylor didn’t need a lead role to be unforgettable. In Rosa von Praunheim’s documentary Tally Brown New York, the constantly morphing star stole his scenes from Ms. Brown, who was no slouch herself when it came to commanding attention.
- 9/9/2012
- by Brandon Judell
- www.culturecatch.com
Dick Van Dyke, beloved actor, singer, dancer, writer and comedian, will receive SAG-AFTRA.s highest honor . the SAG Life Achievement Award for career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment. Van Dyke will be presented the performers union.s most prestigious accolade, given annually to an actor who fosters the .finest ideals of the acting profession,. at the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®, which premieres live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, at 8 p.m. Et, 7 p.m. Ct, 6 p.m. Mt and 5 p.m. Pt.
In making today.s announcement, SAG-AFTRA Co-President Ken Howard said, .Dick is the consummate entertainer — an enormously talented performer whose work has crossed nearly every major category of entertainment. From his career-changing Broadway turn in ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ and his deadpan humor in the Emmy® winning ‘Dick Van Dyke Show,’ to his unforgettable performance as Bert in ‘Mary Poppins,. he sets a high bar for actors.
In making today.s announcement, SAG-AFTRA Co-President Ken Howard said, .Dick is the consummate entertainer — an enormously talented performer whose work has crossed nearly every major category of entertainment. From his career-changing Broadway turn in ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ and his deadpan humor in the Emmy® winning ‘Dick Van Dyke Show,’ to his unforgettable performance as Bert in ‘Mary Poppins,. he sets a high bar for actors.
- 8/21/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
In time for Valentine's Day, smoky, resonant romantic singer Steve Tyrell has created the perfect soundtrack to a memorable night of love. Legendary jazz balladeer Steve Tyrell, described by his peers as the world.s true .romance crooner,. has released his new collection, I.ll Take Romance on February 7th, 2012. This luxurious recording features 12 tracks with Tyrell, backed by his band along with a String Orchestra. The release of I.ll Take Romance will be accompanied by tour dates across the country, including his annual seven week run at New York City.s legendary Café Carlyle, where he replaced Manhattan icon Bobby Short seven years ago. Inspired by Chelsea Clinton.s choice of his version...
- 2/10/2012
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
Actress Jane White died on July 24 at age 88. She was mostly known for her body of theater work but also appeared on daytime soap operas A World Apart, Search For Tomorrow and The Edge Of Night.
She played Lydia Holliday on The Edge Of Night in the late 1960s. On A World Apart she played Olivia Hampton in 1971. In 1979 she appeared as Tante Helene LeVeaux on Search For Tomorrow.
White had a long, distinguished career in the theater. She created role of The Queen opposite Carol Burnett in "Once Upon a Mattress". She was the first actress of color to play Helen of Troy in "The Trojan Women" and the first to appear at Joseph Papp's NY Shakespeare Festival ("Kate," "The Taming of the Shrew"). At the Metropolitan Opera she appeared in “Andromache.” She also performed at Carnegie and Town Hall concerts under aegis of Bobby Short, along with cabaret appearances at Feinstein's.
She played Lydia Holliday on The Edge Of Night in the late 1960s. On A World Apart she played Olivia Hampton in 1971. In 1979 she appeared as Tante Helene LeVeaux on Search For Tomorrow.
White had a long, distinguished career in the theater. She created role of The Queen opposite Carol Burnett in "Once Upon a Mattress". She was the first actress of color to play Helen of Troy in "The Trojan Women" and the first to appear at Joseph Papp's NY Shakespeare Festival ("Kate," "The Taming of the Shrew"). At the Metropolitan Opera she appeared in “Andromache.” She also performed at Carnegie and Town Hall concerts under aegis of Bobby Short, along with cabaret appearances at Feinstein's.
- 7/28/2011
- by We Love Soaps TV
- We Love Soaps
Winner of the audience feature award at the 1999 Slamdance festival, Adam Abraham and Gibson Frazier's "Man of the Century" is a swell cinematic scoop, featuring Frazier as a peppy, fast-talking journalist who appears to have popped out of a time machine from the 1920s. Screened by the American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre in Park City, Utah, in an evening showcasing Slamdance winners, "Man" looked fabulous on the big screen.
While an adventuresome distributor might enjoy limited success with the swinging black-and-white farce, cable and festival playdates are a natural for this dizzy decade-bender.
Philadelphia-native Abraham's enthusiasm for the gab and garb of the Roaring Twenties is infectious, and with Frazier he has created a winning character surrounded by believable contemporary gals and guys in a tricky gambit that works like a charm.
Johnny Twennies (Frazier) writes a column for the lowly Sun-Telegram, a New York rag with a kindly but pressured editor who reluctantly gives the lead one last chance to break a major story or lose his job. Johnny's SoHo art-dealer girlfriend (Susan Egan) also gives him several chances to seduce her, but such things as 1990's increasingly lurid journalism and recreational sex are not part of his anachronistic persona and ethics (he doesn't drink alcohol because he believes prohibition is still in effect).
One glimpse of his mother, who is a 19th-century society matron straight out of an Edith Wharton book, and no further explanation of Johnny is required. He's just Johnny, with his three-piece suit, hat and post-World War I optimism, able to handle any emergency and insult with boundless energy and snappy comebacks.
In the course of the movie, Johnny is hounded by hapless thugs who try to force him to write a favorable column about their boss, resulting in the uncovering of a scandal. Occasionally sidetracked in the ensuing zaniness, he always has time to lead an impromptu musical number, or fidget the digit in his colorful parlance.
Many memorable characters come and go on the fly, with the fine cast filled out by the likes of Bobby Short, Marisa Ryan, Anthony Rapp, Frank Gorshin, Brian Davies and Dwight Ewell.
With homages to silent cinema throughout and such icons as Harold Lloyd in imaginative sequences, "Man of the Century" is a labor of love that pays off for those who appreciate vintage clothes, music and set designs. From Zeljka Pavlinovic's slick production design and Claudia Hill's natty costumes to Matthew Jensen's excellent cinematography and Frank Reynold's sharp editing, the film is visually the equal of Abraham and Frazier's delightful screenplay.
MAN OF THE CENTURY
Sun-Telegram Pictures
Director: Adam Abraham
Producers-screenwriters: Gibson Frazier, Adam Abraham
Director of photography: Matthew Jensen
Production designer: Zeljka Pavlinovic
Editor: Frank Reynolds
Costume designer: Claudia Hill
Music: Michael Weiner
Black and white/stereo
Cast:
Johnny Twennies: Gibson Frazier
Samantha: Susan Egan
Running time -- 77 minutes
No MPAA rating...
While an adventuresome distributor might enjoy limited success with the swinging black-and-white farce, cable and festival playdates are a natural for this dizzy decade-bender.
Philadelphia-native Abraham's enthusiasm for the gab and garb of the Roaring Twenties is infectious, and with Frazier he has created a winning character surrounded by believable contemporary gals and guys in a tricky gambit that works like a charm.
Johnny Twennies (Frazier) writes a column for the lowly Sun-Telegram, a New York rag with a kindly but pressured editor who reluctantly gives the lead one last chance to break a major story or lose his job. Johnny's SoHo art-dealer girlfriend (Susan Egan) also gives him several chances to seduce her, but such things as 1990's increasingly lurid journalism and recreational sex are not part of his anachronistic persona and ethics (he doesn't drink alcohol because he believes prohibition is still in effect).
One glimpse of his mother, who is a 19th-century society matron straight out of an Edith Wharton book, and no further explanation of Johnny is required. He's just Johnny, with his three-piece suit, hat and post-World War I optimism, able to handle any emergency and insult with boundless energy and snappy comebacks.
In the course of the movie, Johnny is hounded by hapless thugs who try to force him to write a favorable column about their boss, resulting in the uncovering of a scandal. Occasionally sidetracked in the ensuing zaniness, he always has time to lead an impromptu musical number, or fidget the digit in his colorful parlance.
Many memorable characters come and go on the fly, with the fine cast filled out by the likes of Bobby Short, Marisa Ryan, Anthony Rapp, Frank Gorshin, Brian Davies and Dwight Ewell.
With homages to silent cinema throughout and such icons as Harold Lloyd in imaginative sequences, "Man of the Century" is a labor of love that pays off for those who appreciate vintage clothes, music and set designs. From Zeljka Pavlinovic's slick production design and Claudia Hill's natty costumes to Matthew Jensen's excellent cinematography and Frank Reynold's sharp editing, the film is visually the equal of Abraham and Frazier's delightful screenplay.
MAN OF THE CENTURY
Sun-Telegram Pictures
Director: Adam Abraham
Producers-screenwriters: Gibson Frazier, Adam Abraham
Director of photography: Matthew Jensen
Production designer: Zeljka Pavlinovic
Editor: Frank Reynolds
Costume designer: Claudia Hill
Music: Michael Weiner
Black and white/stereo
Cast:
Johnny Twennies: Gibson Frazier
Samantha: Susan Egan
Running time -- 77 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Monday, April 6
By Frank Scheck
This tribute to The Nicholas Brothers, two of the greatest, if not the greatest, dancers ever captured on film, was beautifully presented, lovingly produced and long overdue.
Would that the evening had been televised, as Ben Vereen remarked, to movie lovers around the world.
Fayard Nicholas and his younger brother Harold started performing 68 years ago, and they still have the style and charisma of born stars. As film clips during the evening reminded us, their dazzling routines in such films as "Stormy Weather" and "Down Argentine Way" have never been equaled.
The all-star cast of "From Harlem to Hollywood: A Tribute to the Nicholas Brothers" was led by the irreverent Bill Cosby. "This is your life", he announced to the beaming pair, "and I'm Ralph Edwards." The cast then paid tribute to the two dancers, who sat at a table on one side of the stage.
Of course there was plenty of dancing, from veterans (the ageless Jimmy Slyde), current stars (Savion Glover and the cast of "Bring in 'da Noise..".) and even children (Fayard's 10- and 12-year old granddaughters, who danced in front of a film clip of the brothers and brought down the house).
There was also great music, from such singers as Bobby Short, Kevin Mahogany (a smoky "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning") and Gail Nelson (a sultry "Here's to Life"). Christian McBride performed a version of "Night in Tunisia" that made that classic seem written for the bass.
There were moving verbal tributes from people like Maurice Hines, who remembered how much the brothers' work had influenced him and his brother Gregory, and Lena Horne, who reminisced about their days together at the Cotton Club. The brothers, too, performed; Harold sang a quiet and affecting version of "Mr. Bojangles" that received a standing ovation, and also performed "Everyday I Have the Blues" while Fayard "conducted" the orchestra.
Although both Fayard and Harold used canes, they still retain enough grace and charisma to garner huge applause with every dance gesture, however slight. The love these two veterans have for each other, and the adoration that radiated from the sold-out house, was enough to make everyone in the audience feel like dancing.
By Frank Scheck
This tribute to The Nicholas Brothers, two of the greatest, if not the greatest, dancers ever captured on film, was beautifully presented, lovingly produced and long overdue.
Would that the evening had been televised, as Ben Vereen remarked, to movie lovers around the world.
Fayard Nicholas and his younger brother Harold started performing 68 years ago, and they still have the style and charisma of born stars. As film clips during the evening reminded us, their dazzling routines in such films as "Stormy Weather" and "Down Argentine Way" have never been equaled.
The all-star cast of "From Harlem to Hollywood: A Tribute to the Nicholas Brothers" was led by the irreverent Bill Cosby. "This is your life", he announced to the beaming pair, "and I'm Ralph Edwards." The cast then paid tribute to the two dancers, who sat at a table on one side of the stage.
Of course there was plenty of dancing, from veterans (the ageless Jimmy Slyde), current stars (Savion Glover and the cast of "Bring in 'da Noise..".) and even children (Fayard's 10- and 12-year old granddaughters, who danced in front of a film clip of the brothers and brought down the house).
There was also great music, from such singers as Bobby Short, Kevin Mahogany (a smoky "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning") and Gail Nelson (a sultry "Here's to Life"). Christian McBride performed a version of "Night in Tunisia" that made that classic seem written for the bass.
There were moving verbal tributes from people like Maurice Hines, who remembered how much the brothers' work had influenced him and his brother Gregory, and Lena Horne, who reminisced about their days together at the Cotton Club. The brothers, too, performed; Harold sang a quiet and affecting version of "Mr. Bojangles" that received a standing ovation, and also performed "Everyday I Have the Blues" while Fayard "conducted" the orchestra.
Although both Fayard and Harold used canes, they still retain enough grace and charisma to garner huge applause with every dance gesture, however slight. The love these two veterans have for each other, and the adoration that radiated from the sold-out house, was enough to make everyone in the audience feel like dancing.
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.