The Biweekly Guide to African-American Culture May 10-23, 1994 ·Volume 4 Number 1 $1.00 LISTINGS INSIDE: THEATRE • GALLERIES • MUSEUMS • N E W Y 0 R K CONCERTS • CLUBS • AND MORE! BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC Artistic Director Chuck Davis "YHR ~f l~f (Hil~ - YOUU Of l~f ~fRI(A~ ~IA~PORf A Celebration of African Dance, Music and Spirit. THREE PERFORMANCES THREE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS! BAM Opera House May 28 at 2pm & 8pm May 29 at 3pm DANCEAFRICA Outdoor Bazaar May 28, 29, 30 CALL TICKETMASTER (212) 307-4100 For Information call (718) 636-4100 The 17th Annual Celebration of DANCEAFRICA has been made possible by AT&T. Your True Voice.'" - W/iATs.T ~ Brooklyn Academy of Music ~es!i 30 Lafayette Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11217 PUBLISHER/EDITOR'S NOTE 3 n May 19th, Routes reaches what we have achieved; I hope a milestone: we will enter Routes has contributed to that 0 our fourth year of continu­ knowledge. ous publishing. It has not been easy Apropos contributions, if you to keep Routes coming your way wish to help us celebrate this with regularity, but the rewards anniversary, I suggest once again have been big-not financially, that subscribers renew, extend or because we are still not making a make a gift of Routes. Of course, if profit, but in terms of response from you are not already a subscriber, you, the reader and subscriber. Not a there could be no better time to day goes by that we don't hear some come aboard. word of encouragement, and that is On June 1st, we will celebrate the grist that keeps this mill turning. our anniversary in a wonderful set­ I feel privileged to be at the helm of ting, right in the heart of this publishing adventure, and I am Manhattan's theatre district. B. grateful to the many of you who Smith's, a restaurant that many of make it possible for us to keep going. you are probably familiar with, has I am of course particularly proud to offered to host our party. This fine be the catalyst for a publication that restaurant has supported us from the celebrates the vast achievements of very beginning, and we couldn't African-Americans. Let us never for­ think of a better place to have our get that we have painted bold "do." Actor/Songwriter Joe Seneca strokes on the :international canvas - has agreed to be the chairperson of our creativity has inspired people in this Routes event, and you may con­ every comer of this world, and even tact Kimm Farrish at (212) 243-4967 those who would regard us with dis­ for further information. dain have in some way benefitted from our ideas. We can walk tall RonBunn when we know who we are and Publisher/Editor Step Brother MACEO ANDERSON BY MELBA HUBER n the days when black tap dancers dared not perform south I of the Mason Dixon line, one group broke color barriers so that oth­ ers could follow- the Step Brothers. Only one of the original four sur­ vives, 84-year old Maceo Anderson, and he will be honored on National Tap Dance Day with Gene Kelly and Ann Miller. Maceo will receive the annual Flo-Bert Award for lifetime achieve­ ment in dance at the Haft ROUTES, The Biweekly Guide to African-American Culture, May 10-23, 1994--3 AuditoriUill on May 29, 1994. and dance artist. He was selected to Recently, Maceo almost forleited his tour with her group because he could claim as the only survivor of the illus­ also do some Russian steps. Because trious group in an accident where his the act was integrated, they couldn't car rolled over three times. He said he work below the Mason Dixon line. believes the Lord saved him so that In order to learn new steps, Maceo his ministry to the homeless could would sneak into the movie theatres. continue. He serves as a minister at On weekends the Lafayette Theatre the Holy Tabernacle Outreach had amateur night and he soon dis­ Mission in Las Vegas, Nevada. covered the Hoofers Club which was AB a young boy of six years Maceo located under the Lafayette Theatre. delivered clothes his mother washed There was a restaurant and pool hall and ironed in South Carolina. in the front and a dance floor for tap Because black people were not per­ dancers in the back. The owner loved mitted on the streets after 6 p.m., he tap dancing and tap dancers were would often deliver the clothes in the always welcome. "Bill Robinson early hours of the morning so he would come in, shoot pool, then go wouldn't be picked up. He became to the back, take off his coat and tap," street smart at an early age. Maceo said. "He danced straight up. When a sister sent for the family, He didn't do that 'dig in' stuff. He Maceo, his mother and sister took a was an elegant tap dancer, one of the cotton boat from South Carolina to greatest names in the business, the Harlem. As a youngster in grand-daddy of tap dancers." Manhattan, he stole newspapers, Maceo observed and danced with slipped nnder the turnstile and rode many famous dancers at the Hoofers to 52nd Street and Broadway. He Club: Eddie Rector, Ralph Cooper, soon lean1ed that he could make 'Snake Hips' Tucker, Chuck Wiggins, more money dancing than from sell­ Steve Condos, and Buck and ingpapers. Bubbles. Bubbles inspired Maceo His mother converted the base­ with new rhythm patterns while ment in their apartment building on Buck did comedy and played piano. 126th Street to a junior hoofer's club. Bubbles often danced with Maceo She would cook large pots of rice and and became Maceo's mentor. beans and feed the children while "Bubbles started dropping heels they practiced their steps. and did a rhythm turnaround," When he was only seven years Maceo recalled. "He also did trick old, Maceo auditioned for Ida Mae turns and then turned back to the Chadwick, a well known white song other way. That was his style, rhythm CoNTEN1S: CoVER S1DRY: STEP BROTHER MACEO ANDERSON BY MELBA HUBER L!snNGS: Theatre, 6; Dance, 7; Film, 7; Galleries, 9; Museums & Cultural Centers, 9; Conference, 11; Street Fairs, 11; Clubs & Cabarets, 11; Concerts, 12; Gospel, 13; Youth, 13; House Tour, 13; Free-For-All, 13. Volume 4, Number 1 Published by OCR for Publishers, Inc. • 521 W. 23rd Street • New York, NY 10011-1105. Annual subscription rate U.S. $18. Send subscription to Routes, The Biweekly Guide to African-American Culture, P.O. Box 20103, London Terrace, NY, NY 10011-0008. ROUTES is published 24 times per year, except January 4- 16, 1994 and August 30-September 12, 1994. For advertising rates call (212) 627- 5241. Publisher/Editor in Chief, Ronald Bunn. Contributing Editorial Staff-Perri Gaffney, Tim Cavanaugh, Horace A. Banbury. Advertising Consultant-Nancie Gray­ Lee; Administrative Assistant-Kimm Farrish. Application to mail at second class postage rate is pending at New Yark, NY. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ROUI'ES, P.O. Box 20103 London Terrace Station, NY 10011-0008. 4 BIRTHDATE: 5/10/1837-PINCKNEY B.S. PINCHBACK, GOVERNOR OF LOUISIANA A scene from the film "When Johnny Comes Marching Home." The Step Brothers. Donald O'Connor center and Maceo Anderson far right. dancing with heels and toes, the 'dig rhythms of Ellington, the elegance of in' stuff, the hard dancing. He is Bill Robinson, the technique of called one of the great rhythm Bubbles and the hoofing from many dancers." others, plus some acrobatics. "We In 1925 Maceo, AI Williams and picked up jazz-tap and put together a Red Walker formed a trio. After danc­ clap-hand beat that would give us ing in a show called "Moon Over style, plus precision," Maceo Alabama," they wanted to dance at explained. the Cotton Club. In order to avoid the They were the first black group to doorman, former heavy weight play the Radio City Music Hall in champion Jack Johnson, they entered New York, the Copa City in Miami through the kitchen. During the Beach and the Chez Paree in Chicago. breaks Duke Ellington walked past They slept on cots in the theatre the kitchen to the water fonntain. The basements when hotels did not admit tap trio showed him their steps and them. Black families cooked their pleaded with him for an audition. favorite foods in homes when they Finally, he agreed, and they audi­ w ere not permitted in restaurants. "I tioned with a military tap routine and didn't think about racial issues," said were hired as the only regular tap act Maceo. "I was more concerned with at the Cotton Club for the next four the performances." years. After Prince Spencer and Rufus In 1927 the trio added a fourth "Flash" McDonald joined the group, member, Sherman Robinson, and they became the first black act to play adopted the name, "Step Brothers." the lido in Paris and the Cafe De They often toured with the Ellington Paree in London where they stayed band. for six years. "Duke Ellington was a wonderful They toured twelve European man, such a gracious man," said countries and received standing ova­ Maceo. "he wrote a tune called 'The tions from kings and queens. In the Mystery Song' for the Step Brothers. United States they were received by It was a tap dance number." Presidents Truman and Eisenhower. The "challenge" dance became The Step Brothers appeared in 40 their trade mark.