we used to call the basic step 'the hop' long before lindbergh did HIS hop across the atlantic
I steal formatting from doihearawaltz with reckless abandon! Also I can't get the stupid extra tag things to go awaaaaay.
THE MEME
1. Comment to this post with "I surrender!" and I'll assign you the basis of some TV show idea. (Science fiction show, medical drama, criminal procedure, etc...)
2. Create a cast of characters, including the actors who'd play them
3. Add in any actor photos, character bios and show synopsis that you want.
4. Post to your own journal.
THE PROMPT (via jezrana):
Coming-of-age story set during the Jazz Age?
TYPE:
Hour-long episodes, HBO most likely, 13 episodes per season, EVERYONE ELSE WAS DOING IT. I know there are two seasons, but after that it probably gets canceled.
RATING:
TV-14/M
OPENING CREDITS SONG:
I May Be Wrong (But I Think You're Wonderful) - Doris Day
(Doris Day is slightly too late, but this was the Apollo theatre's theme song in I belieeeeve 1928 on. That's ... also too late, but general ballpark.)
ENDING CREDITS SONG:
Sleepy Time Gal - Art Landry Orchestra (up to 1:30)
SYNOPSIS:
It's 1927, a time of newfound economic prosperity and social change, and the Harlem Renaissance is in full swing. Eighteen-year-old Ruby Bradford spends much of her free time out with friends, dancing the 'Hop' and taking in the sights and sounds of Harlem's terrific nightlife. However, it's not all fun and flapping; as she and her friends become further entangled in the rivalry between the famous Cotton Club and popular Savoy Ballroom, they must each confront the harsh underbelly of Harlem's vibrant nightlife, and decide whether the dreams they have are the ones worth following.
MAIN CAST
Ruby Bradford // Anika Noni Rose
Ruby is eighteen, bright and vivacious (which is a word you get to use in the '20s), and lives in Harlem with her mother Anna, brother Frankie Junior, and Uncle Lloyd. She has a strong moral compass and ambitions of becoming a dancer, singer, and actress. Throughout the series, her desire to pursue these "frivolous" goals brings her into conflict with her mother, while her sense of what's right sets her increasingly at odds with not only her friends, but some of the shadier elements of Harlem's nightlife.
Helen Macauley // Maggie Gyllenhaal
An Irish Catholic and one of Ruby's closest friends; they met at the Savoy soon after its opening. Helen is caustic and clever, with a large, poor family; she is tempted to work at the Cotton Club to help make ends meet, even though she already works after school as a shop girl.
Inez Del Rio // Melonie Diaz
Inez' family moved from Mexico in 1913 and settled in southern California, but Inez has since traveled to New York to make her fortune. Although the same age as Helen and Ruby, she is a talented dancer and a quick learner-- though she is also quick to become frustrated with the prejudices she encounters on the Harlem entertainment scene. Towards the middle of season one, Jimmy convinces her to use her "exotic looks" to get a job as a chorus girl at the Cotton Club; this creates tension between her and Helen due to their mutual attraction to Jimmy.
Anna Zachary Bradford // Sophia Brown
Anna is Ruby's mother, widowed when her husband Franklin Bradford died in WWI. She is not very educated, but intelligent and passionate, and very concerned about her children's futures. She is a member of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids, and often found playing the straight man (or unwilling bad cop) to the rest of the family.
Walter Jones // John Legend
A brilliant jazz pianist, Walter plays with Lloyd's band at the Cotton Club and is a season one love interest for Ruby, although their relationship is somewhat complicated by the fact that he comes to live with her family as a boarder at the end of the pilot episode "Rent Party." He remains a main character into the second season, where he becomes involved in the Cotton Club's bootlegging activities.
SUPPORTING CAST
Owney "The Killer" Madden // Brian Viglione
British immigrant and owner of the Cotton Club, Owney Madden is the only person on this list to have a different formatted character intro a well known gangster and brawler who took over ownership of the Cotton Club while still in Sing Sing. Madden is clever, ruthless, and a sharp businessman, and is very adept at his use of black and "exotic" performers to promote his all-white establishment. Heavily involved in the sale of bootlegged alcohol throughout the city, as well as various other criminal activities.
Moe Gale // Rodney Eastman
Owner of the Savoy Ballroom and business rival of Owney Madden. The Savoy, his "Home of Happy Feet," caters primarily to a black crowd, but is becoming wildly popular with people from all over the city. An avid sponsor of promising musicians and other groups, Moe's kindness and enlightened outlook may mask a colder, cannier mind beneath: He's rumored to have connections to Al Capone, and events towards the end of season one suggest that his public feud with Owney may not be as genuine as it appears.
Lloyd Zachary // Michael Clarke Duncan
Ruby and Frankie Junior's uncle. Plays jazz trumpet at the Cotton Club in the same band as Walter. Lloyd is outgoing and friendly, with a bright smile for everybody and an overly permissive attitude when it comes to watching the kids. Anna is pretty much constantly exasperated with him, but his unorthodox creativity often benefits the family, such as in the pilot episode "Rent Party": The household is behind on the rent, so Lloyd throws a dance party in their apartment and convinces neighbors to make contributions for the entertainment and alcohol.
Jimmy Fiorina // Danny Nucci
Jimmy is a fast-talking drummer and swing dancer who is usually found running back and forth between the Cotton Club and Savoy. He has a bright smile and a mean Charleston. Inez and Helen are both attracted to him in season one, but he seems to prefer Inez-- though then again, Jimmy has kind of a short attention span when it comes to girls ...
He may also be partially responsible for getting Walter in trouble with Owney Madden at the beginning of season two.
Henry // Lee Thompson Young
A friend and classmate of Lorraine and Ruby's, and season two love interest for Ruby. Henry is a social but not avid dancer and works part-time as a plumber's assistant. He is much more politically aware than most of the girls (except maybe Helen).
Lorraine Williams // Amber Riley
Ruby's best friend from school. Although initially presented as the voice of reason and-- often-- cynicism among the girls, Lorraine has dreams of her own of becoming a singer (which you learn late in season one, when, at a church service, Ruby first hears her voice). Lorraine has a good heart but is very conflicted about doing the right thing and about her own abilities.
Herbert "Whitey" White // Michael K Williams
Ex-wrestler and current bouncer at the Savoy. Whitey's the one who keeps an eye on people, throws out the lowlifes, and generally brings down Moe Gale's hammer. Like Moe, Whitey has a sharp eye for talent and an instinct for publicizing; his creation of an elite, professional group of swing dancers during the second season sparks a war of fancy feet and egos among the Savoy's young talent. In addition, the group's wealthy white patrons create misgivings among the Lindy community at large, as some begin to fear that taking money from whites to put on a show will alter the character of their beloved Hop forever. (Note: Historically, the formation of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers was not until 1935. However, the complaints that arose because of his group are factual. As Lindy Hop evolved, becoming showier and introducing its now-famous aerial moves, the draw to white crowds was a cause of concern among the black community in Harlem. Among Lindy's detractors? Langston Hughes, who argued that black dancers should not be performing for handouts from whites.)
Not Pictured But STILL IMPORTANT: Frankie Junior, Ruby's eleven-year-old brother.
SOUNDTRACK
... Yes. I made a Season One Savoy soundtrack. (As a note: I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE at least clicking on some of these links. The music is actually fabulous, and although it's not alllll pre-1927-- some of it was recorded between 1926 and 1931, and some of it is slightly later versions of the songs that were popular in '27-- I did look up top songs and musical trends and worked pretty hard to make it contemporary.)
Stompin' At The Savoy - Chick Webb & His Orchestra (ETA: This instrumental version has since been removed, but the lyrics from this 1936 Judy Garland recording say a lot about what the Savoy was like.)
Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out - Bessie Smith
I'm Beginning To See The Light - Ella Fitzgerald with Count Basie & His Orchestra
La Vie En Rose - Louis Armstrong
The Finger Breaker - Jelly Roll Morton
It Don't Mean A Thing (If You Ain't Got The Swing) - Duke Ellington and His Orchestra
Black Snake Blues - Victoria Spivey (ETA: Though I am yet again thwarted by YouTube, I offer a replacement: TB Blues, performed live by the woman herself. As she says in her intro, it was written in 1927.)
Strange Fruit - Billie Holiday
Minnie The Moocher - Cab Calloway
Muskrat Ramble - Louis Armstrong
Black Bottom - Joe Candullo and His Everglades Orchestra
Someone To Watch Over Me - Ella Fitzgerald
Wade in the Water (Bonus Track) - Amber Riley (Look, I'M SORRY THIS SONG DOESN'T EXIST YET. AND REALLY, SO ARE YOU.)
YOU'RE WELCOME.
THE MEME
1. Comment to this post with "I surrender!" and I'll assign you the basis of some TV show idea. (Science fiction show, medical drama, criminal procedure, etc...)
2. Create a cast of characters, including the actors who'd play them
3. Add in any actor photos, character bios and show synopsis that you want.
4. Post to your own journal.
THE PROMPT (via jezrana):
Coming-of-age story set during the Jazz Age?
TYPE:
Hour-long episodes, HBO most likely, 13 episodes per season, EVERYONE ELSE WAS DOING IT. I know there are two seasons, but after that it probably gets canceled.
RATING:
TV-14/M
OPENING CREDITS SONG:
I May Be Wrong (But I Think You're Wonderful) - Doris Day
(Doris Day is slightly too late, but this was the Apollo theatre's theme song in I belieeeeve 1928 on. That's ... also too late, but general ballpark.)
ENDING CREDITS SONG:
Sleepy Time Gal - Art Landry Orchestra (up to 1:30)
SYNOPSIS:
It's 1927, a time of newfound economic prosperity and social change, and the Harlem Renaissance is in full swing. Eighteen-year-old Ruby Bradford spends much of her free time out with friends, dancing the 'Hop' and taking in the sights and sounds of Harlem's terrific nightlife. However, it's not all fun and flapping; as she and her friends become further entangled in the rivalry between the famous Cotton Club and popular Savoy Ballroom, they must each confront the harsh underbelly of Harlem's vibrant nightlife, and decide whether the dreams they have are the ones worth following.
MAIN CAST
Ruby Bradford // Anika Noni Rose
Ruby is eighteen, bright and vivacious (which is a word you get to use in the '20s), and lives in Harlem with her mother Anna, brother Frankie Junior, and Uncle Lloyd. She has a strong moral compass and ambitions of becoming a dancer, singer, and actress. Throughout the series, her desire to pursue these "frivolous" goals brings her into conflict with her mother, while her sense of what's right sets her increasingly at odds with not only her friends, but some of the shadier elements of Harlem's nightlife.
Helen Macauley // Maggie Gyllenhaal
An Irish Catholic and one of Ruby's closest friends; they met at the Savoy soon after its opening. Helen is caustic and clever, with a large, poor family; she is tempted to work at the Cotton Club to help make ends meet, even though she already works after school as a shop girl.
Inez Del Rio // Melonie Diaz
Inez' family moved from Mexico in 1913 and settled in southern California, but Inez has since traveled to New York to make her fortune. Although the same age as Helen and Ruby, she is a talented dancer and a quick learner-- though she is also quick to become frustrated with the prejudices she encounters on the Harlem entertainment scene. Towards the middle of season one, Jimmy convinces her to use her "exotic looks" to get a job as a chorus girl at the Cotton Club; this creates tension between her and Helen due to their mutual attraction to Jimmy.
Anna Zachary Bradford // Sophia Brown
Anna is Ruby's mother, widowed when her husband Franklin Bradford died in WWI. She is not very educated, but intelligent and passionate, and very concerned about her children's futures. She is a member of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids, and often found playing the straight man (or unwilling bad cop) to the rest of the family.
Walter Jones // John Legend
A brilliant jazz pianist, Walter plays with Lloyd's band at the Cotton Club and is a season one love interest for Ruby, although their relationship is somewhat complicated by the fact that he comes to live with her family as a boarder at the end of the pilot episode "Rent Party." He remains a main character into the second season, where he becomes involved in the Cotton Club's bootlegging activities.
SUPPORTING CAST
Owney "The Killer" Madden // Brian Viglione
British immigrant and owner of the Cotton Club, Owney Madden is the only person on this list to have a different formatted character intro a well known gangster and brawler who took over ownership of the Cotton Club while still in Sing Sing. Madden is clever, ruthless, and a sharp businessman, and is very adept at his use of black and "exotic" performers to promote his all-white establishment. Heavily involved in the sale of bootlegged alcohol throughout the city, as well as various other criminal activities.
Moe Gale // Rodney Eastman
Owner of the Savoy Ballroom and business rival of Owney Madden. The Savoy, his "Home of Happy Feet," caters primarily to a black crowd, but is becoming wildly popular with people from all over the city. An avid sponsor of promising musicians and other groups, Moe's kindness and enlightened outlook may mask a colder, cannier mind beneath: He's rumored to have connections to Al Capone, and events towards the end of season one suggest that his public feud with Owney may not be as genuine as it appears.
Lloyd Zachary // Michael Clarke Duncan
Ruby and Frankie Junior's uncle. Plays jazz trumpet at the Cotton Club in the same band as Walter. Lloyd is outgoing and friendly, with a bright smile for everybody and an overly permissive attitude when it comes to watching the kids. Anna is pretty much constantly exasperated with him, but his unorthodox creativity often benefits the family, such as in the pilot episode "Rent Party": The household is behind on the rent, so Lloyd throws a dance party in their apartment and convinces neighbors to make contributions for the entertainment and alcohol.
Jimmy Fiorina // Danny Nucci
Jimmy is a fast-talking drummer and swing dancer who is usually found running back and forth between the Cotton Club and Savoy. He has a bright smile and a mean Charleston. Inez and Helen are both attracted to him in season one, but he seems to prefer Inez-- though then again, Jimmy has kind of a short attention span when it comes to girls ...
He may also be partially responsible for getting Walter in trouble with Owney Madden at the beginning of season two.
Henry // Lee Thompson Young
A friend and classmate of Lorraine and Ruby's, and season two love interest for Ruby. Henry is a social but not avid dancer and works part-time as a plumber's assistant. He is much more politically aware than most of the girls (except maybe Helen).
Lorraine Williams // Amber Riley
Ruby's best friend from school. Although initially presented as the voice of reason and-- often-- cynicism among the girls, Lorraine has dreams of her own of becoming a singer (which you learn late in season one, when, at a church service, Ruby first hears her voice). Lorraine has a good heart but is very conflicted about doing the right thing and about her own abilities.
Herbert "Whitey" White // Michael K Williams
Ex-wrestler and current bouncer at the Savoy. Whitey's the one who keeps an eye on people, throws out the lowlifes, and generally brings down Moe Gale's hammer. Like Moe, Whitey has a sharp eye for talent and an instinct for publicizing; his creation of an elite, professional group of swing dancers during the second season sparks a war of fancy feet and egos among the Savoy's young talent. In addition, the group's wealthy white patrons create misgivings among the Lindy community at large, as some begin to fear that taking money from whites to put on a show will alter the character of their beloved Hop forever. (Note: Historically, the formation of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers was not until 1935. However, the complaints that arose because of his group are factual. As Lindy Hop evolved, becoming showier and introducing its now-famous aerial moves, the draw to white crowds was a cause of concern among the black community in Harlem. Among Lindy's detractors? Langston Hughes, who argued that black dancers should not be performing for handouts from whites.)
Not Pictured But STILL IMPORTANT: Frankie Junior, Ruby's eleven-year-old brother.
SOUNDTRACK
... Yes. I made a Season One Savoy soundtrack. (As a note: I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE at least clicking on some of these links. The music is actually fabulous, and although it's not alllll pre-1927-- some of it was recorded between 1926 and 1931, and some of it is slightly later versions of the songs that were popular in '27-- I did look up top songs and musical trends and worked pretty hard to make it contemporary.)
Stompin' At The Savoy - Chick Webb & His Orchestra (ETA: This instrumental version has since been removed, but the lyrics from this 1936 Judy Garland recording say a lot about what the Savoy was like.)
Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out - Bessie Smith
I'm Beginning To See The Light - Ella Fitzgerald with Count Basie & His Orchestra
La Vie En Rose - Louis Armstrong
The Finger Breaker - Jelly Roll Morton
It Don't Mean A Thing (If You Ain't Got The Swing) - Duke Ellington and His Orchestra
Black Snake Blues - Victoria Spivey (ETA: Though I am yet again thwarted by YouTube, I offer a replacement: TB Blues, performed live by the woman herself. As she says in her intro, it was written in 1927.)
Strange Fruit - Billie Holiday
Minnie The Moocher - Cab Calloway
Muskrat Ramble - Louis Armstrong
Black Bottom - Joe Candullo and His Everglades Orchestra
Someone To Watch Over Me - Ella Fitzgerald
Wade in the Water (Bonus Track) - Amber Riley (Look, I'M SORRY THIS SONG DOESN'T EXIST YET. AND REALLY, SO ARE YOU.)
YOU'RE WELCOME.