New York Times obituary for Harold J.Cromer

Harold J. Cromer, Vaudeville Duo’s Stumpy, Is Dead
by Bruce Weber, The New York Times, June 13, 2013

Tap, tap, tap...checking, checking...

AMERICAN TAP DANCE FOUNDATION

presents its Second Annual SOUND CHECK: A Tap Dance Journey

April 14-18 
Wednesday-Saturday, 8pm; Saturday & Sunday, 2pm

at Dance Theater Workshop

219 West 19th Street, Manhattan 
Reservations: 212-924-0077 or www.dtw.org

(For information and reservations for the Thursday, April 15 benefit--including performance and pre-show champagne toast reception--call ATDF at 646-230-9564.) 

Producer Tony Waag, director of American Tap Dance Foundation, announces the second annual SOUND CHECK, a tap concert series with the singular purpose of highlighting the vast breadth and scope of tap, from improvisation to new choreography, solo to group dances, classical to rhythm tap. With a cast of choreographers that includes Brenda Bufalino, Barbara Duffy, and Tony Waag; direction by Waag and Bufalino, and musical direction by Bernice "Boom Boom" Brooks, SOUND CHECK brings together the musical feet of an eclectic cast, including:

Tony Waag
Brenda Bufalino

The New American Tap Dance Orchestra
Harold Cromer

Barbara Duffy and Company
Cartier Williams
Ranya Renee (Middle Eastern dance)
Aurora Reyes (Flamenco dance)

with musicians Jonny Pieffer (piano and melodica), Charlie Tokarz (reeds), musical director Bernice "Boom Boom" Brooks (drums), Basilio Georges (guitarist/singer)

Tony Waag debuted his new concept, SOUND CHECK, last year with the goal of developing and presenting conceptual tap works--dances that use story lines or dramatic themes, involve a more theatrical process, even include singing and acting.

The program will also feature two major Bufalino revivals: The Haitian Fight Song and Buff Loves Basie Blues, both created for the American Tap Dance Orchestra in the 1980's.

Completing the program will be two films: the new Footage by Waag and "remixed" segments from Bufalino's classic tap dance documentary Great Feats of Feet.

For more information about this and other programs of the American Tap Dance Foundation, click here.

Cookin' in The Kitchen

It's a Shim Sham shame if you did not get to see, just to name a few, Sarah Reich, Michaela Lerman, Jason Samuels Smith and--be still, heart--Tamango, tap's sly master of grace and fluidity, cooking up a mess of tap dance at The Kitchen. All that plus the irrepressible MC-ing, storytelling, opinionating, mesmeric performing and overall moral leadership of Harold Cromer, who commanded the night like a five-star general. Can we maybe seriously pressure curator Rashida Bumbray to schedule this Shim Sham jam more than just once per season? Not enough. Not nearly enough joy in our lives these days.