12/25/17 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: The Nutcracker- New York City Ballet (1993)

The Nutcracker, also known as George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, is a 1993 American Christmas musical film based on Peter Martin’s stage production and directed by Emile Ardolino.  The film stars Darci Kistler, Damain Woetzel, Kyra Nichols, Bart Robinson Cook, Macaulay Culkin, Jessica Lynn Cohen, Wendy Whelan, Margaret Tracey, Gen Horiuchi, Tom Gold and the New York City Ballet.  Continue reading

(Repost) 7/21/17 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE: John Bubbles- Cabin In The Sky

Cabin in the Sky is a 1940 American musical with music by Vernon Duke, Lyrics by John La Touche, and a musical book by Lynn Root. The musical premiered on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre on October 25, 1940. It closed on March 8, 1941 after a total of 156 performances. It was directed by Albert Lewis and staged by George Balanchine. The Broadway production starred Ethel Waters as Petunia Jackson, Dooley Wilson as Little Joe Jackson, Katherine Dunham as Georgia Brown, Rex Ingram as Lucifer Junior, and Todd Duncan as The Lawd’s General. Continue reading

5/5/17 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Bob Fosse’s Air-otica

By Walter Rutledge

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All That Jazz is the semi-autobiographical fantasy film based on aspects of Bob Fosse’s life and career as dancer, choreographer and director. The  musical film was directed by Bob Fosse with screenplay by Robert Alan Aurthur and Fosse.
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3/7/17 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Phyllis Hyman, Gregg Burge and Hinton Battle- It Don’t Mean a Thing! From Sophisticated Ladies

Tony Award nominated Phyllis Hyman performing Ellington classic It Don’t Mean A Thing From Sophisticated Ladies. She’s accompanied by Tony Award Winner Hinton Battle and Gregg Burge. Continue reading

3/6/17 O&A NYC CELEBRATNG WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH- HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: Lena Horne, Hazel Scott And Eleanor Powell in I Dood It (1943)

Lena Horne, and Hazel Scott played themselves in I Dood It the 1943 musical-comedy film starring Red Skelton and Eleanor Powell. Continue reading

11/21/16 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: Judy Garland- Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Hollywood Mondays

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In 1939 MGM released the Frank Baum children’s classic The Wizard of Oz. The public wanted child star and box office powerhouse Shirley Temple to play the role of Dorothy. The studio decided to go with 17-year-old newcomer Judy Garland instead. This was one of the first scene filmed it sets the tone for the rest of the film. Continue reading

10/26/16 O&A NYC DANCE ENCORE PERFORMANCE: Banda (excerpt) Geoffrey Holder and Carmen de Lavallade (Repost From 10/3/14)

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Geoffrey Holder’s Banda dance debuted in the 1954 Truman Capote/Harold Arlen musical House Of Flowers. Holder the Baron of The Cemetery (based on the Haitian Loa of Death Baron Samedi) and received both a performer and choreographer credit in the program. The Broadway musical takes place somewhere in the West Indies during Mardi Gras weekend. Continue reading

(repost) 5/1/23 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: Carmen Jones- Gypsy Song – Beat Out Dat Rhythm on a Drum

Hollywood Mondays

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In the groundbreaking black version of Carmen Jones there is a wonderful club scene Gypsy Song -Beat Out Dat Rhythm on a Drum featuring three sepia divas, Dorothy Dandridge, Pearl Bailey and Diahann Carroll. But there are at least three more present and future stars in the scene. As Carmen enters the club, the stunning woman with the pony-tail is famous beauty/dancer Carmen De Lavallade. Next two are fabled drummer Max Roach, and albeit just for a couple of seconds, Alvin Ailey! Continue reading

10/18/16 O&A NYC INSPIRATIONAL TUESDAY: Ruth Brown’s 1989 Tony Award Acceptance Speech For Best Actress in a Musical And Performance With Linda Hopkins And Cast

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Ruth Brown wins the 1989 43rd Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in Black and Blue. And a performance of T’Ain’t Nobody’s Bizness If I Do with Linda Hopkins  and cast. Continue reading

10/3/16 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: The Wiz – If You Believe

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If You Believe  performed by Lena Horne as Glinda the Good Witch of the South in Sidney Lumet’s The Wiz, the film version of the popular Broadway musical. The film retells the events of L. Frank Baum’s classic novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz through the eyes of a young African-American kindergarten teacher who’s never been below 125th Street. Continue reading