In History Theatre's new original musical
Whoa, Nellie! this spring, I was introduced to the Black Vaudevillian Bert Williams, one of the most popular and successful performers of his time. And now he deservedly gets a show of his own, the new play with music
Nobody, No Time (named after his most well-known song) written and directed by Illusion Theater's playwright-in-residence Carlyle Brown. It's a multi-layered story of a Black man from the Bahamas achieving huge success in early 20th Century America, while dealing with racism off-stage and leaning into racial stereotypes on-stage performing to White audiences. Set at the end of his life with flashback performances, the play gives us a full picture of the man and the artist. The talented cast brings Bert and his contemporaries to life, and perform over a dozen songs of the era.
Head to Center for Performing Arts now through October 25 to experience this
important part of entertainment history, of American history.
Bert Williams' many accomplishments include co-starring (with his partner
George Walker) in the first Broadway musical written and performed by Black artists (
In Dahomey in 1903), being the first Black performer in the Ziegfield Follies, and being one of the first Black actors to star in a film. But the play isn't a recitation of accomplishments, it's Bert telling stories from his career to his long-time dresser Chappy between shows on what turns out to be his last day performing. Our play begins with Chappy helping Bert remove his costume (an elaborate bird in a tux) and make-up (Bert always performed in blackface), and asking him questions about his life, which Bert is for the first time inclined to answer. He talks about arriving in this country and his first awkward performances, and meeting George and beginning their successful career, performing all over the world together until George's death. As Bert tells a story, he steps onto the stage, often donning his top hat and tails but still in boxers and socks with garters, and performs one of these classic Vaudeville songs, either solo or with George, George's wife Aida, and/or his wife Lottie.
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Chappy (Derrick Moore) and Bert (Shawn Hamilton)
(photo by Lauren B. Photography) |
The clever play-within-a-play structure is mirrored by the set, a stage-within-a-stage (designed by Joseph Stanley). The Vaudeville stage complete with red velvet curtain is elevated off to one side, with Bert's dressing room lower on the other side, complete with vanity and wardrobe. Bert leaves his dressing room, steps up on the stage, and the performance begins, accompanied by Music Director Justin D. Cook on piano and Trenon Graham on percussion and ventriloquist dummy, which adds to the Vaudevillian feel of the performances. The songs are very much of the era, and contain stereotypes that to today's ears are off-putting, but were common at the time. And the performances of Bert and other Black Vaudevillians were nuanced, commenting on these stereotypes they're portraying and thereby subverting them.
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Bert (Shawn Hamilton) performing with his wife Lottie
(Monica Scott) and George and Aida Walker (Dennis Spears
and Regina Marie Williams, photo by Lauren B. Photography) |
Shawn Hamilton returns to #TCTheater after some seven years away (as company member at Houston's Alley Theatre) to play Bert in a beautifully layered performance. We see the world-weary performer at the end of his long career, bitter and angry, who transforms into the young eager entertainer as he steps onto the stage. Shawn portrays both the complex human as well as the iconic stage presence. Making his #TCTheater debut (
I saw him at APT a few years ago) is Derrick Moore as Chappy, a wonderful listener to Bert's stories, standing off to the side watching the performances, but also challenging Bert and getting to perform with him a bit too. The other actors in this strong ensemble only appear on the Vaudeville stage, so we really only see their on-stage personas - Dennis W. Spears as George (with a touching moment as illness overtakes him), Regina Marie Williams as George's wife Aida (who steps in to his role when he can no longer do it), Monica E. Scott as Bert's wife Lottie, and John Middleton as the Broadway producers Ziegfield and Belasco. They're dressed in gorgeous and authentic-looking period costumes (designed by Zamora S.).
Bert Williams' story is an important and fascinating part of our history, that I for one didn't previously know much about. Carlyle Brown has written a great portrait of him that reflects the complexities of the life of a Black performer in early 20th Century America, beautifully brought to life by the cast and creative team.
