The Cotton Club Boys were nationally acclaimed American chorus line entertainers who, from 1934, performed class act dance routines - that is, precision unison dance drills - as part of musical revues produced almost exclusively by the Cotton Club in New York until 1940 - when the Broadway Cotton Club closed - then as part of Cab Calloway's Revue on tour, until the end of 1942. They debuted in the 24th edition of Cotton Club Parade, spring 1934 -- (i) a period that marked the beginning of the swing era, (ii) the post-Harlem Renaissance, (iii) about a year after the Prohibition, and (iv) the trough of the Great Depression. The chorus line name often included a prefix that reflected the number of members; viz., "The Six Cotton Club Boys," "The 12 Cotton Club Boys," and the like.
Video Cotton Club Boys (chorus line)
History
Some of the alumni went on to become major influences in American arts and entertainment, which, in the case of Cholly Atkins, extended to, among other things, Motown (1965-1971), musical theatre, and film. The performing artists were African American. Yet, their home venues - the Uptown Cotton Club, and later, Broadway Cotton Club - maintained a whites-only policy for patrons.
The original Cotton Club, Harlem (1923-1936)
The Cotton Club first opened in 1923 in Harlem on the 2nd floor of a building at 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue, Harlem, Manhattan -- not far from Sugar Hill. The space had been formerly leased and operated by Jack Johnson, the boxer, as the Club Delux, an intimate supper club. Owney Madden, a bootlegger and gangster, had taken over the lease in 1923 after serving time in Sing Sing. He was the head of the syndicate owners that included beer baron Bill Duffy, boxer Tony Panica (né John Francis Panica), known in the boxing world as Tommy Wilson, and Harry Block. Madden redecorated the space and changed the name to the Cotton Club. The Cotton Club sold liquor during the Prohibition, which lasted until 1933. Madden ran it as a whites-only club. When it opened, George "Big Frenchy" Demange (1896-1939) was the manager. Walter Brooks (1884-1968), who had brought Shuffle Along to Broadway in 1921, served as front (slang for "nominal owner").
The Savoy Ballroom, which, unlike the Cotton Club, always had a no-discrimination policy, was one block south at 596 Lenox. Smalls Paradise, which also had a no-discrimination policy, was 7 blocks south and 1 avenue west, at 2294 Seventh Avenue.
The old home of the Harlem Club (at 142nd and Lenox) was re-opened in May 1937 as the Plantation Club.
Shift of jazz venues from Harlem around 1935
Following the repeal of the prohibition in 1933 and the Harlem riot of 1935, jazz venues began shifting from Harlem to Midtown (52nd Street) and Downtown
The New Cotton Club, Midtown (1936-1940)
The new Cotton Club opened September 24, 1936, at Broadway and 48th Street, in the Great White Way area of the Theater District near Times Square. The original Cotton Club had been closed for a season (1936) while its owners planned for the move. During the interim, some of the performers from the original club performed in productions billed as the Cotton Club Revue at the Alhambra.
Closing of the Cotton Club (1940)
The last show in the Cotton Club ran Saturday night, May 15, 1940. The timing occurred just before Madden left New York. It was reported in 1940 that the Cotton Club had suffered from competition from the World's Fair. Another impetus for the closing was likely the result of demands by Local 802 (New York chapter of the American Federation of Musicians) for back pay, specifically salaries owed to Andy Kirk's band. The location subsequently became the Latin Quarter.
Maps Cotton Club Boys (chorus line)
Selected productions
Selected personnel
Influences
- John Tiller (1854-1925), a pioneer of so-called precision dancing, influenced The Cotton Club Girl and Boys, who performed can-cans
Notes and references
Notes
Inline citations
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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