Monday, April 6, I attended a lavish gala at Carnegie Hall: "FROM HARLEM TO HOLLYWOOD", A TRIBUTE TO THE NICHOLAS BROTHERS, TAP LEGENDS. And, what a spectacular evening it was. Things started with my colleague, Ed LaMance, and I rushing out of the studio to meet our 7:30 call time. As we arrived at the stage door at 56th Street, a small gathering of fans had collected in hopes of catching a glimpse of the many celebrities on the bill. In moments, they got their pay-off. Bill Cosby hopped out of limousine and graciously offered himself up for an autograph.
We were ushered in under intense supervision by a small army of escorts who dared not let us breathe without clearance from upstairs. We filled out the paper work and pasted on the bright orange press passes to our lapels. Cleared and certified, they directed us to the standing room area of the "parquet," section. For a few moments, the house would be
still. My eyes glanced up to the first tier, the second tier, the dress circle and the balcony; all stacked in wedding cake fashion. On the wall before me stood the gilded proscenium, the gateway to some of the world's finest artistic achievements. Below it, the stage was set for this next wave of talent.
For those of you not familiar with their work, the Nicholas Brothers first graced the stage in Philadelphia in 1931. Born to show-biz parents, Fayard picked up a few steps from watching black vaudeville dancers of the 1920s and, then, passed on his skill to younger brother Harold. They worked in vaudeville and soon made their way to Hollywood, first appearing in a Vitaphone short PIE, PIE BLACKBIRD, featuring Eubie Blake and his band. They went on to make a number of films, including KID MILLIONS, THE BIG BROADCAST OF 1936, THE PRIRATE and STORMY WEATHER. Their Broadway credits include ZIEGFELD FOLLIES (1936), BABES IN ARMS and ST. LOUIS WOMAN. Fayard and Harold have kicked up their heels together and separately on stages across the globe. Over the years, the Nicholas Brothers have garnered such accolades as the Ebony Lifetime Achievement Award, Kennedy Center Honors and a Star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. Fayard earned a Tony Award for his co-choreography of BLACK AND BLUE in 1989.
The evening's opening event took place on the large screen looming over the stage. A moving image in black and white appeared. Two young men from a bygone era danced in a style never seen before or since. In a clip from one of their films, ORCHESTRA WIVES, the Nicholas Brothers twist, twirl and tap like live wires cut free in an electrical storm. A combination of suave agility, graceful acrobatics and incredible strength held viewers in amazed enrapture as these whirling dynamos hurled themselves upward, landing in a set of ballet splits, again and again and again. It's a miracle they ever had children.
And, then, the famous brothers appeared on stage. Fayard, 83, and brother Harold, 77, moved a great deal slower than what we had just witnessed. Both needed the use of a cane to get around, their pace hindered by the ravages of time. But, in their faces shined a familiar glow. You could read the years of joy these legends have lived. The Nicholas Brothers had met their divine mission: to entertain. This night was set aside to honor them for a job well done.
After a few kind words, Master of ceremonies, Bill Cosby, escorted the slow-moving gentleman to a small table draped in red, recalling those found at the Cotton Club where the boys once worked along side such luminaries as Duke Ellington and Ethel Waters. A flow of talent graced the stage to pay tribute. Bobby Short told a charming anecdote of Harold's fashion élan. Ben Vereen blasted out a number with trademark force and Jimmy Slyde, a hoofer from way back, demonstrated to all that he's still got it. Savion Glover tapped table-side, presenting a contrast in style: his abstract interpretations emphasized the Nicholas Brothers' genius in form and choreography. Gail Nelson and Kevin Mahogany offered up their sultry voices. Maurice Hines gave us a taste of his up-coming Cab Calloway project. Christian McBride plucked his soothing bass and Dutch musician, Bram Wijnands, pounded out a dynamic rendition of "Dinah" over the ivories. I'm sure I saw the two dewy-eyed now and again.
Not to be outdone, the brothers let the audience know they too had a little of the old stuff in them. Harold stepped up to the microphone to roll off a few choice notes while Fayard conducted the Danny Holgate Big Band with those famous flailing fingers. Yes, he took few steps, leaving that pesky cane to the side. They've yet to hear the proverbial fat lady.
The highlight of the evening was an appearance by their old friend and co-star in STORMY WEATHER, the inimitable Lena Horne. Though she did not grace us with a song, she did fill the hall with love. Brassy as ever, she imparted a tale of their days together in Hollywood when black and white meant more than a mundane choice in film stock. Horne and the Nicholas Brothers were show-biz pioneers. They were among the first black performers to reach out to mass audiences while facing the cold scorn of prejudice along the way. On this night, these legends had come a long way.
So, one might ask, what does the future hold for the Nicholas Brothers? They've done it all and lasted for decades. Is it too much to hope for a new Nicholas routine? The answer is a resounding no. Closing out the evening's festivities was the diminutive tap sensation, the Nicholas Sisters, Fayard's dancing granddaughters. Now, if the brothers didn't prove their talent to be genetic, this succeeding generation certainly did. The girls, roughly the same age as their forebears when they started, mirrored a dynamic dance routine first blazoned by Gramps and Great Uncle Harold in the film BLACK NETWORK. As the movie rolled on the screen hanging above the stage, the tiny tappers kept step like there was no tomorrow. But, clearly, these sweet youngsters demonstrated there most certainly is a tomorrow and they've got two mighty teachers to pass on the Nicholas legacy.
© Russell Bouthiller 1998