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Swing!
''Swing!'' is a musical conceived by Paul Kelly with music by various artists. It celebrates the music of the Swing era of jazz (1930s–1946), including many well-known tunes by artists like Duke Ellington, William "Count" Basie, Benny Goodman and others. It received a nomination for the 2000 Tony Award for Best Musical and other Tony awards. Productions ''Swing!'' premiered on Broadway at the St. James Theatre on December 9, 1999 and closed on January 14, 2001, running for 461 performances. The director and choreographer was Lynne Taylor-Corbett, and the production was supervised by Jerry Zaks. Among the cast were Laura Benanti, Ann Hampton Callaway and Everett Bradley. A US tour began Nov 20, 2000 at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles.McBride, MurdocSwing Closes Jan. 14 on Broadway; Touring Co. Gets Strong Start in L.A. playbill.com, January 14, 2001 The Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera production, directed and choreographed by one of the original cast members, Dana Soli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laura Benanti
Laura Ilene Benanti (née Vidnovic; born July 13, 1979) is an American actress and singer. Over the course of her Broadway career, she has received five Tony Award nominations. She played Louise in the 2008 Broadway revival of '' Gypsy'', winning the 2008 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Benanti then appeared in the Broadway musical ''Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown'' in 2010, winning the Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She played Elsa Schräder in the 2013 NBC television production of '' The Sound of Music Live!'' and, in 2015, began playing twin sisters Alura and Astra in the TV series ''Supergirl''. Benanti appeared as Edie Randall in the TBS comedy '' The Detour'' from 2017 until the show's cancellation in 2019. Since 2016, she has had a recurring role as First Lady Melania Trump on ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert''. Early life Benanti was born in New York City to Linda Wonneberger, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lynne Taylor-Corbett
Lynne Taylor-Corbett is a choreographer, director, lyricist, and composer. She was born in Denver, Colorado. Life Lynne Taylor-Corbett grew up in the Denver, Colorado area, gaining her first exposure to dance through her mother, a pianist for ballet classes. She left Colorado for New York City at the age of 17, where she initially found work as an usher at the New York State Theater (renamed the David H. Koch Theater in 2011), home of the New York City Ballet, shortly before joining the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, where later in her choreographic career as part of the company's Women's Choreography Initiative, she would create her ballet ''Prayers from the Edge'', inspired by her experiences and observations while touring with the Ailey company, particularly of performing in the Middle East and Africa following the Six-Day Arab-Israeli War in 1967. She also danced and choreographed for a small ensemble, The Dance Theatre Collection, where her work garnered enough attention ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lindyhop
The Lindy Hop is an American dance which was born in the Black communities of Harlem, New York City, in 1928 and has evolved since then. It was very popular during the swing era of the late 1930s and early 1940s. Lindy is a fusion of many dances that preceded it or were popular during its development but is mainly based on jazz, tap, breakaway, and Charleston. It is frequently described as a jazz dance and is a member of the swing dance family. In its development, the Lindy Hop combined elements of both partnered and solo dancing by using the movements and improvisation of African-American dances along with the formal eight-count structure of European partner dances – most clearly illustrated in the Lindy's basic step, the swingout. In this step's open position, each dancer is generally connected hand-to-hand; in its closed position, leads and follows are connected as though in an embrace on one side and holding hands on the other. There was renewed interest in t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jumpin' At The Woodside
"Jumpin' at the Woodside" is a song first recorded in 1938 by the Count Basie Orchestra, and considered one of the band's signature tunes. When first released it reached number 11 on the ''Billboard'' charts and remained on them for four weeks. Since then, it has become a frequently recorded jazz standard. Song details The song was recorded on August 22, 1938 for Decca and was released on December 17 of that year. It charted as high as #11 and was on the charts for four weeks. That original 1938 recording features solos by Earle Warren (alto sax), Buck Clayton (trumpet), Lester Young (tenor sax), and Herschel Evans (clarinet). The song is considered one of the Basie band's "signature" tunes, a "favorite", and even "a definition of swing." While many liner notes credit the tune only to Basie, historians and others also credit band member Eddie Durham. Like many Basie numbers of that era, it was a " head arrangement" collaboratively created by the band. Sullivan indicates Du ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Everett Bradley (musician)
Everett Bradley is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, choreographer and playwright. He is currently a touring member of the rock band Bon Jovi. Biography Born in South Carolina, Bradley attended Indiana University on a vocal scholarship. He first came to the East Coast to play with John Eddie. He has toured as a background vocalist and percussionist with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Jon Bon Jovi, and Hall & Oates. His theatre credits include being part of the creative team of ''Swing!'' (Theatre World Award 2000), being the first American to perform with and direct '' Stomp'', for which he was nominated for a Grammy, and performing in the Cotton Club musical revue '' After Midnight''. He has served as musical director for Carly Simon and NBC's ''The Meredith Vieira Show'', for which he also wrote the show's theme song and other music included in the program. He has recorded with GRP Records' Dee Carstensen, Joey Ramone, Polygram act ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ann Hampton Callaway
Ann Hampton Callaway (born May 30, 1958) is an American jazz singer, songwriter, and actress. She wrote and sang the theme song for the TV series ''The Nanny''. Career A native of Chicago, her father, John Callaway, was a journalist and her mother was a singer, pianist, and vocal coach. She learned scat singing from her father and a love of jazz from his record collection, and she learned classical music from her mother. Her sister, Liz Callaway, is a singer and actress on Broadway. Callaway performed in musicals at New Trier High School in Winnetka. After graduation, she studied acting for two years at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She moved to New York City in 1979. During the 1980s, she worked as a cabaret singer accompanying herself on piano, performing jazz, traditional pop, and standards from the Great American Songbook. Songwriting While contributing to a CD reissue of songs by Cole Porter, she received permission from the Porter estate to compose music ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jerry Zaks
Jerry Zaks (born September 7, 1946) is an American stage and television director, and actor. He won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play and Drama Desk Award for directing ''The House of Blue Leaves'', ''Lend Me a Tenor'', and ''Six Degrees of Separation'' and the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical and Drama Desk Award for ''Guys and Dolls''. Early life Zaks was born in Stuttgart, Germany, the son of Holocaust survivors, Lily (Gliksman) and Sy Zaks, a butcher. His family immigrated to the United States in 1948, finally settling in Paterson, New Jersey, where he graduated from Eastside High School in 1963. He graduated from Dartmouth College and received a Master of Fine Arts from Smith College. Career ;Stage He made his Broadway acting debut in the original production of '' Grease'' as "Kenickie" and appeared in ''Tintypes'' in 1980. He made his directing debut in 1981 with the off-Broadway production of Christopher Durang's '' Beyond Therapy'', which co-star ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ryan Francois
Ryan Francois is a swing dancer, choreographer and actor, who played a central part of the revival of the Lindy Hop . Specialising in dances related to the Jazz & Swing era - including the Lindy Hop, Charleston, Tap and Authentic Vernacular Jazz, Ryan has over 30 years dance experience. Ryan learned from and danced with Frankie Manning as well as Pepsi Bethel, George Lloyd and Mama Lu Parks. Biography Choreography for the UK TV shows: * ''Strictly Come Dancing'' * ''So You Think You Can Dance'' (UK Series 1) * ''So You Think You Can Dance'' (UK Series 2) Founder and artistic director of the dance companies: Swing X-Treme and Zoots and Spangles. Choreographed the swing dance Jitterbug Stroll (1992). Appeared in the musical ''Swing!'' by Paul Kelly. Co-choreographer for Feelin In The Mood' musical. Movies * Malcolm X * Idlewild * Swing Kids * The Polar Express * Lackawanna Blues * Shore Leave Awards Twice winner of the U.S. Open and American Swing Dance Champion. Nomin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tony Award For Best Musical
The Tony Award for Best Musical is given annually to the best new Broadway musical, as determined by Tony Award voters. The award is one of the ceremony's longest-standing awards, having been presented each year since 1949. The award goes to the producers of the winning musical. A musical is eligible for consideration in a given year if it has not previously been produced on Broadway and is not "determined... to be a 'classic' or in the historical or popular repertoire", otherwise it may be considered for Best Revival of a Musical.Staff (undated)"Rules & Voting" tonyawards.com. Retrieved September 13, 2013. Best Musical is the final award presented at the Tony Awards ceremony. Excerpts from the musicals that are nominated for this award are usually performed during the ceremony before this award is presented. This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Musical. Winners and nominees †indicates the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama *indicates a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jump For Joy (Cannonball Adderley Album)
''Jump for Joy'' (1958) is the final album by jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley released on the EmArcy label and featuring Adderley with an orchestra arranged by Bill Russo.Cannonball Adderley discography accessed 19 October 2009 Reception The review by Stewart Mason states: "Something of a companion album to the earlier '' Julian Cannonball Adderley and Strings'', ''Jump for Joy'' sounds like it could be outtakes from the same sessions in terms of its orchestral-quality arrangements, but this is very muc ...[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charlie Christian
Charles Henry Christian (July 29, 1916 – March 2, 1942) was an American swing and jazz guitarist. Christian was an important early performer on the electric guitar and a key figure in the development of bebop and cool jazz. He gained national exposure as a member of the Benny Goodman Sextet and Orchestra from August 1939 to June 1941. His single-string technique, combined with amplification, helped bring the guitar out of the rhythm section and into the forefront as a solo instrument. For this, he is often credited with leading to the development of the lead guitar role in musical ensembles and bands. John Hammond and George T. Simon called Christian the best improvisational talent of the swing era. In the liner notes to the album '' Solo Flight: The Genius of Charlie Christian'' (Columbia, 1972), Gene Lees wrote that "Many critics and musicians consider that Christian was one of the founding fathers of bebop, or if not that, at least a precursor to it."Liner notes. '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harlem Nocturne
"Harlem Nocturne" is a jazz standard written by Earle Hagen (music) and Dick Rogers (lyrics) in 1939 for the Ray Noble orchestra, of which they were members. The song was chosen by the big-band leader Randy Brooks the next year as his theme song. The version by the Viscounts has the distinction of being released twice and rising high on the ''Billboard'' charts each time: first in 1959, when it peaked at #53, and again in 1966, peaking at #39 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. "Harlem Nocturne", in a version with Bud Shank on alto sax, was the theme song of the television series '' Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer'' and ''The New Mike Hammer''. Harold Faltermeyer recorded a version for the soundtrack to the film '' Tango & Cash''. In 1990, the pianist Kofi Wilmot gained popularity in the instrumental world for his cover version from the album of the same name, ''Harlem Nocturne''. Danny Gatton released a version in 1993 on his album ''Cruisin' Deuces'' (Elektra/Rhino). The So ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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