Delaware Theatre Company Welcomes Back MAURICE HINES IS TAPPIN' THRU LIFE

Refusing to end their 2017/2018 season, Delaware Theatre Company reprises their hit production Maurice Hines is Tappin' Thru Life. Happy to be performing for Wilmington audiences again, tap dancing legend Maurice Hines will wow audiences for one weekend only, Friday, June 1 to Sunday, June 3, 2018.

Enjoy Maurice Hines as he brings his personal life and treasured performance moments to the stage through heartwarming montages and musical numbers. Dazzling with vaudevillian nostalgia, Tappin' Thru Life also features a new generation of tap dancing extraordinaires, The Manzari Brothers, as well as music by the all-female big band Diva Jazz Orchestra. With Maurice at the helm of this superb performance team, Tappin' Thru Life promises to dance its way into audiences' hearts.

Through song and dance, Hines pays tribute to his brother and longtime dance partner, the late Gregory Hines, by taking the audience on a journey through his incredible career in show business. Along the way, Hines pays homage to a number of inspiring showbiz legends, including Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Lena Horne, and Judy Garland, among others. The result is a high-energy production that mixes vaudeville with Vegas and will leave audiences smiling from ear to ear.

"Get ready to laugh, smile and tap your feet to the infectious song and dance of Maurice Hines," says Director Bud Martin. "We are honored to bring back such an electrifying and touching production." "Delaware Theatre Company continues to be the only theatre in the State of Delaware developing and producing new works for Broadway, and it is works like Tappin' Thru Life that make this vision worth it. I know you'll enjoy it."

Performances are held on Delaware Theatre Company's stage, located at 200 Water Street in Wilmington, DE, just feet from the beautiful Riverfront. Maurice Hines is Tappin Thru Life runs for one weekend only Friday, June 1 to Sunday, June 3, 2018. Tickets are on sale now starting at $25 and can be purchased online at DelawareTheatre.org or by calling the Box Office at (302) 594-1100.

Performance Schedule of Maurice Hines IS TAPPIN' THRU LIFE

Friday, June 1st, at 8:00pm,

Saturday, June 2nd, at 8:00pm,

& 2:00pmSunday, June 3rd, at 2:00pm

Cast of TAPPIN' THRU LIFE Maurice Hines

Maurice Hines Maurice Hines, at the age of five, studied tap at the Henry LeTang Dance Studio in New York City. Along with his brother, Maurice appeared in Broadway and touring productions as the opening act for such headliners as Lionel Hampton and Gypsy Rose Lee. Their father then joined the act and Hines, Hines, & Dad performed to rave reviews in New York, Las Vegas and Europe. He made 35 appearances on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson. Maurice starred as Nathan Detroit in the national touring company of Guys and Dolls and then appeared on Broadway in the hit musical Eubie! (1978-79) He co-starred in Bring Back Birdie with Chita Rivera and Donald O'Connor and starred in Charles Randolph Wright's Sophisticated Ladies. Maurice made his screen debut in Francis Ford Coppola's The Cotton Club. He created the dance company Ballet USA with Mercedes Ellington. Maurice conceived, directed, and choreographed the musical Uptown...It's Hot! which played for 17 sold-out weeks in Atlantic City. He joined the cast when the show moved to Broadway and received a 1986 Tony Award nomination as Best Actor in a Musical. He co-directed and choreographed the national tour of the musical Satchmo produced by Kenneth Feld. Maurice directed, choreographed and starred in the national tour of the musical Harlem Suite with successive leading ladies Jennifer Holiday, Stephanie Mills and Melba Moore. Maurice has directed and choreographed many music videos, including "I'll Be Good to You," the first release off of Quincy Jones' "Back on the Block" album. Maurice became the first African-American director for Radio City Music Hall when he directed The Radio City Spectacular. Maurice starred as Jelly Roll Morton in the forty city first-class national tour of the musical Jelly's Last Jam (1994-95). In 2006 Maurice collaborated with Maurice White to choreograph and direct the hip-hop Broadway musical Hot Feet featuring the music of Earth, Wind, and Fire. Maurice's latest album on Arbor Records "To Nat 'King' Cole, With Love" was released to critical acclaim. Recently, he choreographed productions of Hairspray in Santo Domingo, Arena Stage's Sophisticated Ladies at The Lincoln Theatre, as well as new show called Dance, Dance, Dance Snap. He also directed MetroStage's Ella: First Lady of Song starring Freda Payne. Maurice is the recipient of the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Choreography for Cool Papa's Party at MetroStage. Maurice most recently was seen performing his biographical one-man-show, Maurice Hines is Tappin' Through Life, at Arena Stage, ALLIANCE THEATRE, The Wallis Annenberg Center, Cleveland Playhouse, Delaware Theatre Company, and in New York at New World Stages.

John Manzari is an Ovation Award and Helen Hayes Award nominated artist. Stage: Off-Broadway production Maurice Hines is Tappin' Thru Life, The Wiz is 40: A Celebration in Dance and Music, Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies, Ellington Songbook and Sacred Concert, and Apollo Club Harlem. Television: "The View," the PBS special "Michael Feinstein at the Rainbow Room," "The Mo'Nique Show," "The Jerry Lewis Telethon," BeBe Winans' special "America, America," and the Season 7 finale of "So You Think You Can Dance." In addition, John was awarded the Shirley Chisholm Trailblazer Award from the National Congress of Black Women.

Leo Manzari Originally from Washington DC, Leo Manzari is a Lucille Lortel award nominated tap dancer. As part of a duo act called The Manzari Brothers, Leo has headlined in the touring and Off-Broadway productions of Maurice Hines is Tappin' Thru Life, featured Guest Artist on "So You Think You Can Dance," "The Mo'Nique Show," "PBS News Hour," "The Jerry Lewis Telethon," and ABC's "The View." Other credentials include a recurring role in Showtime's television show "Homeland" and lead writer and vocalist in the AllBe band.

DR. Sherrie Maricle (Music Director/Drums) is the leader of The Diva Jazz Orchestra, a percussionist with The New York Pops and also a published composer/arranger. DIVA was featured on the soundtrack for the 2014 Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular, CBS Sunday Morning and TCM's broadcast of the 25th Anniversary of the Kennedy Center. DIVA is also featured in the award-winning film The Girls in the Band. Sherrie has received several awards; most notably the 2014 Ovation award for "Best Music Direction" for TAPPIN THRU LIFE and the 2009 Mary Lou Williams Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kennedy Center. DIVA's latest Cd, "A Swingin' Life," was recorded "live" at Lincoln Center. www.divajazz.com