Billy Porter – Broadway's Best Shows

From Jazz Age to the Modern Stage: A History of Tap Dance on Broadway

Broadway has witnessed the evolution of various dance forms, but none have left as indelible a mark as tap dance. The rhythmic, percussive art of tap dance has not only entertained audiences but has also played a crucial role in shaping the very essence of musical theatre. Today, tap dance takes a starring role in Casey Nicholaw’s Tony Award-winning choreography for Some Like It Hot, and Rodgers & Hart’s classic Pal Joey gets a Savion Glover-powered jazzy choreographic makeover in New York City Center’s revival. In celebration, Broadway’s Best Shows is taking you on a journey through time to explore the rich history of tap dance on Broadway, highlighting shows and artists who have left an impact on the form.

The Birth of Tap Dance

There was no one individual ‘inventor’ of tap dance. Instead its roots can be traced back to the fusion of African, Irish, and British folk dances in the United States. This dance form evolved from the rhythmic body and foot movements of enslaved people from Africa and the “jigs” brought by Irish immigrants. The elements coalesced in Lower Manhattan in the mid-19th century after the abolition of slavery in New York State in 1827. The poorest New Yorkers – the formerly enslaved, and the Irish – were forced to live together in slums, combining their cultural traditions and creating a unique American art form that would eventually find its way to Broadway.

Bill “Bojangles” Robinson: A Pioneering Force

One of the earliest and most influential figures in the history of tap dance on Broadway was Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. Robinson’s legendary career began in vaudeville but quickly transitioned to Broadway, where he starred in the famous “Blackbirds of 1928.” Robinson’s grace, precision, and charisma paved the way for other African-American dancers, challenging racial barriers during a time of segregation.

“Shuffle Along:” A Groundbreaking Musical

“Shuffle Along,” on Broadway in 1921, was a turning point in the history of tap dance. This show, with Broadway’s first all-Black cast and creative team, introduced syncopated tap routines that would become iconic. The choreography by Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake, along with the performances of Paul Robeson, and later on the national tour, Josephine Baker, showcased the energy and innovation of tap dance. It ran for 484 performances 1921-1922, an incredibly long run for the era.

The story of the show’s creation was later chronicled in the 2016 Broadway musical “Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed,” which starred a who’s who of Black Broadway stars including Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Billy Porter, Joshua Henry, Brandon Victor Dixon, Adrienne Warren, and more. It was directed George C. Wolfe and choreographed by the legendary Savion Glover (who we’ll discuss more further down).

Eleanor Powell: The Queen of Tap

Eleanor Powell was another tap sensation who made waves on Broadway during the 1930s and 1940s. Her performances in shows like “At Home Abroad,” among others, and films including “Born to Dance” demonstrated her remarkable technical skills and her ability to tell a story through dance.

The Golden Age of Musicals

The 1930s and 1940s also marked the beginning of the Golden Age of Musicals on Broadway, and tap dance played a pivotal role. Musicals like “On Your Toes” (1936) incorporated show-stopping tap numbers that showcased the athleticism and charisma of their dancers. The choreography of the great George Balanchine, in “On Your Toes,” combined ballet (“Slaughter on Tenth Avenue”) and tap, pushing the boundaries of the art form.

The Nicholas Brothers, Fayard and Harold Nicholas, were two teenagers from Philadelphia, aged 18 and 11, when they were plucked from performing at the Cotton Club in New York City to dancing on the big screen in 1930s MGM musicals. Their influence was far and wide – everyone from Michael Jackson to Mikhail Baryshnikov were fans of their acrobatic, athletic partnered dancing.

Gene Kelly, another important performer of the era, took tap dance to new heights with his athleticism and innovative choreography. His work in “Pal Joey” and “Anchors Aweigh” displayed the versatility and expressiveness of tap dance, bridging the gap between Broadway and Hollywood.

The Nicholas brothers’ most famous routine, from the 1943 movie Stormy Weather:

“42nd Street:” A Tap Extravaganza

The 1980 Broadway production of “42nd Street” took tap dance to a whole new level. This musical, choreographed by Gower Champion, featured extravagant tap numbers that became legendary in their own right. The opening sequence alone, with a chorus line of over 60 dancers, is still celebrated as one of the most iconic tap dance moments in Broadway history. The long-running revival of the musical that opened in 2001 further cemented its place in dance history.

Savion Glover: Revolutionizing Tap Dance

In the modern era, Savion Glover emerged as a revolutionary force in tap dance. Known for his lightning-fast footwork and innovative choreography, Glover has been a driving influence on the art form. He gained recognition for his work in several Broadway productions, including “Black and Blue” (1989) and “The Tap Dance Kid” (1983). Opening on Broadway in 1983, “The Tap Dance Kid” is a musical about a 10-year-old New Yorker who longs to be a dancer like his uncle and grandfather and his attorney father who forbids him from dancing. Choreographer Danny Daniels won the Tony Award and Astaire Award for his work. A year into the show’s run, a 10-year-old dancer Savion Glover took over the role of Willie. In 2022, Glover directed the Encores! Presentation of the show.

Glover’s exceptional talent and contributions to the Broadway stage were further highlighted when he won a Tony Award for his choreography in “Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk” (1996), a groundbreaking production that fused traditional and modern tap. His performance in the show also earned him a Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Musical.

Savion Glover’s continued dedication to preserving and advancing tap dance has solidified his status as a legend of the art form. His unique style and storytelling through rhythm have influenced countless tap dancers and choreographers. Recently, his work on the revisal of “Pal Joey” fused tap, ballet, and traditional Broadway.

The history of tap dance on Broadway is a testament to the power of creativity, diversity, and innovation within the world of musical theatre. It continues to captivate audiences and inspire new generations of performers and choreographers, ensuring that the rhythm of Broadway will always be one filled with the joy and energy of tap dance.

Broadway’s Best Directors Who Started As Actors

By Katie Devin Orenstein

Which Broadway directors gave onstage performances before leaping to the other side of the table? Find out below!

George Abbott

The larger-than-life Abbott, who lived until he was 107, directed over 50 Broadway shows, including the original productions of Pal Joey, On the Town, The Pajama Game, Once Upon a Mattress, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. He made his Broadway debut as an actor in The Misleading Lady all the way back in 1913.

Michael Arden

This year’s Tony winner for Best Direction of a Musical for Parade, Arden made his Broadway debut as an actor in the 2003 revival of Big River, and also performed in Twyla Tharp’s The Times They Are A-Changin’.

Vinnette Justine Carroll

Vinnette Carroll became the first Black woman to be nominated for a directing Tony in 1973, for Micki Grant’s Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope. She was nominated for both directing and writing the book of Your Arms Too Short to Box With God in 1976. Her numerous acting credits include the 1961 revival of The Octoroon.

Gower Champion

Champion was the original director and choreographer of hits like Bye Bye Birdie, Hello, Dolly!, and 42nd Street. He got his start as a dancer in 1940s revues like The Streets of Paris.

David Cromer

In between directing The House of Blue Leaves and The Band’s Visit on Broadway, Cromer found time to play racist Homeowner’s Association member Karl Lindner in Kenny Leon’s revival of A Raisin in the Sun, as well as appear opposite Jeff Daniels in the pilot of HBO’s The Newsroom. He is also currently starring in an off-Broadway production of Uncle Vanya.

Graciela Daniele

Graciela Daniele started her career as a dancer for legends like Bob Fosse and Michael Bennett – she was in the original company of Follies, and was the original Hunyak, a.k.a. Uh-Uh in “Cell Block Tango,” in Chicago. She’s since choreographed 9 Broadway shows, and directed and choreographed another 6, including Once on this Island. She is the only Latina nominee in history for Best Choreography and Best Direction of a Musical at the Tonys, and she won a Lifetime Achievement Tony in 2020.

Graciela Daniele’s Tony-nominated choreography:

Bob Fosse

Before he was the legendary director-choreographer of Pippin, Chicago, The Pajama Game, Sweet Charity, and the director of movies like Cabaret and All That Jazz, he made his Broadway debut as a dancer in the forgotten 1950 revue Dance Me a Song. He understudied the role of Joey in the 1953 Pal Joey revival that turned it into a hit, and played the role at City Center in between choreography jobs in 1963.

Maria Friedman

Friedman will direct this fall’s upcoming revival of Merrily We Roll Along. She is a celebrated Sondheim interpreter, and earned Olivier awards for her performances as Fosca in Sondheim’s Passion, as well as Mother in Ahrens and Flaherty’s Ragtime.

Tony Goldwyn

Tony Goldwyn is co-directing the upcoming Pal Joey rework at City Center, but he’s best known to television audiences as Scandal’s President Fitz, and he’s also going to appear this summer in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.

Kenny Leon

While Kenny Leon was the artistic director of Atlanta’s Alliance theater in the 1990s, he also found time to act in a number of TV shows– including The Rosa Parks Story, starring Angela Bassett. He won his Tony for directing A Raisin in the Sun in 2014, and is next represented on Broadway with Purlie Victorious, opening this fall.

Patrick Marber

Marber actually began his career in British sketch comedy. He then began writing for the English stage, and wrote and directed Closer, which transferred to Broadway in 1999 and was turned into a film directed by Mike Nichols in 2004. He is now known best for his work directing Tom Stoppard plays, including 2017’s Travesties and this season’s Leopoldstadt, for which he won his first Tony award.

Jerry Mitchell

Jerry Mitchell started dancing on Broadway as a replacement in A Chorus Line. He worked his way up to being Jerome Robbins’ assistant on Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, and choreographed You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown in 1999. His first time directing on Broadway was the beloved Legally Blonde.

Casey Nicholaw

Nicholaw, who won a Tony this year for choreographing Some Like It Hot, was an ensemble member in 8 Broadway shows, including dancing Susan Stroman’s choreography in Crazy For You, and understudying Horton the Elephant in the original Seussical. Those performance chops came in handy this March, when Nicholaw went on as an emergency understudy in Some Like It Hot.

Nicholaw in the ensemble of *Seussical* (far right).

Jerome Robbins

Robbins, the legend at the helm of West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, and Gypsy, was born Jerome Rabinowitz, and began his career as a dancer in the 1920s in Yiddish modern dance companies. He was also a soloist with American Ballet Theatre in the early 1940s, and danced in George Balanchine’s Broadway revues. He choreographed Fancy Free for ABT, which he and Leonard Bernstein then transformed into his first Broadway choreography credit, On The Town.

Ruben Santiago-Hudson

Santiago-Hudson was Tony nominated for his direction of August Wilson’s Jitney, and has acted in three other Wilson plays on Broadway. He also wrote, directed, and starred in his one man show Lackawanna Blues.

Jessica Stone

Stone made her Broadway directing debut this year with Kimberly Akimbo, but her many credits as a performer include Frenchy in the 1994 Grease revival and replacing Sarah Jessica Parker as Rosemary in the 1996 revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Her next project is directing the Broadway-bound Water for Elephants, which just premiered at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta.

Susan Stroman

Five-time Tony winner Susan Stroman, represented on Broadway this year with New York, New York, made her debut as a dancer in the country Western musical Whoopee! in 1979.

Schele Williams

Schele Williams, who will direct the upcoming revivals of The Wiz and Aida, was an ensemble member in the original production of Aida in 2001.

Williams understudied the title role in Aida – here she is singing “Easy as Life” from that show:

Jerry Zaks

Jerry Zaks is a four-time Tony winning director, including for his Broadway directing debut, The House of Blue Leaves. He’s also known for lavish revivals like Hello, Dolly! and The Music Man. His Broadway resumé goes back quite far – he originated the role of Kenickie in Grease.