May 8, 2013 | Theatre,

Check Out These Films, Books & Music Related to TAPPIN’ THRU LIFE

 

FILMS

The Cotton Club (1984)

Check out Maurice Hines’ film debut in The Cotton Club. Delve into 1930s Harlem; at this jazz club, the musicians are black and the customers are white. Mobsters run the Cotton Club and help its dancers rise to fame in Hollywood, but love and jealousy from the performers and their families tangle them all up on the wrong side of the mob. Who will win in this scramble for power? This film was nominated for Best Picture at the Golden Globes and Francis Ford Coppola was nominated for Best Director.

Guys and Dolls (1955)

Nathan Detroit is gambling more than money in this classic musical; he’s gambling his reputation and his love life when he juggles an illegal crap game he’s running and wild bets to help fund it. Starring Frank Sinatra, Jean Simmons and Marlon Brandon, this starpower teams brings theatre to life on screen. Maurice Hines has been chosen for the role of Nathan Detroit twice; once at the beginning of his solo career, and more recently for the first-class National Tour of Guys and Dolls.

Swing Time (1936)

Swing with the world’s most renowned dance duo Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. In perhaps their most exciting film together, Astaire is a performer and a gambler who has to raise $25,000 to marry his fiancée. But when he gets to the big city to make the money, he falls in love with his dance instructor (Rogers) instead. Romance is stalled, but as always, their dancing shines. Learn about dancing in the twentieth century from the generation of dancers who came before Maurice Hines in Tappin’ Thru Life.

 

BOOKS

Tap! (1995)

The legends of the unique American dance form of tap come to life in this lively compilation of memories. Starting with vaudeville and winding through the age of tap dancers in cinema and leading up to the modern interpretations of this rhythmic performance, Tap! highlights our country’s most beloved dancers.  With a foreword from Maurice Hine’s brother Gregory Hines and the most comprehensive list of tap acts, recordings, and films ever compiled, this book will inspire you to put on your dancing shoes and tap the night away.

Brotherhood in Rhythm: The Jazz Tap Dancing of the Nicholas Brothers (2002)

Legendary tap dancing brothers Fayard and Harold amazed the world with their aerobatic flash dancing techniques, igniting their successful careers on stage and on film from the Harlem Renaissance through the 1990s. Growing up in Philadelphia as the sons of musicians and immersed in Vaudeville theatre, they began their careers dancing at the Cotton Club at ages 18 and 11 without any formal dance training. This book is mixed with insights about the tap industry and choreography and you’ll be leapfrogging over your seat about these sprightly personalities and the dance world they delighted.

Satchmo (1986)

If you caught the musical Satchmo, co-directed and choreographed by Tappin’ Thru Life’s Maurice Hines, then you’ll love this autobiography from Louis Armstrong. From his childhood right up through his jazz career, Armstrong leaves no note unresolved. In an honest portrayal of the raucous jazz community, Armstrong talks about how happy he was to play his trumpet anywhere that would let him. But even with his pure love of jazz, he discusses the racial tensions between himself as an African-American performer and the general white population.

 

MUSIC

To Nat “King” Cole with Love (2006)

Maurice Hines pays tribute to Nat “King” Cole in his latest studio album. These covers resemble the smooth voice of Cole himself, textured with emotional richness from a devoted fan and dedicated performer of the arts. With six arrangements from Tommy Newsom (formerly of “The Tonight Show”), Hines makes these songs pop while maintaining their 1940s and 50s charm.

Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies (1992) 

Hear the original 1981 Broadway cast of Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies. Featuring hits like “Take the “A” Train,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” “In a Sentimental Mood” and “Satin Doll,” your foot will surely be tappin’ along to that swinging jazz. Maurice Hines joined his brother Gregory in the cast of a later production, and the Manzari Brothers also performed in the most recent run. The musical served as a revue for the music of jazz master Duke Ellington.

Back on the Block (1989)

In this album combining hip hop, R&B and jazz, Quincy Jones teams up with many famous musicians including Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Dizzie Gillespie, Luther Vandross, Barry White and Ray Charles. The single “I’ll Be Good to You” received national airplay, and the music video was choreographed and directed by Tappin’ Thru Life’s Maurice Hines. The song won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and the album won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.