Maurice Hines

 ( 1943 Births ) 

Hines directed and choreographed music videos, including one for Quincy Jones. He was the first African American to direct a production at Radio City Music Hall.

Hines only appeared in one feature film: a leading role in Francis Ford Coppola's 1984 film The Cotton Club, in which Maurice and his brother Gregory portrayed the "Williams Brothers", a tap-dancing duo reminiscent of the real-life Nicholas Brothers. Hines also appeared in Oops, Ups & Downs: The Murder Mystery of Humpty Dumpty in 2007. On television, he appeared in Eubie!, Love, Sidney, and Cosby.

Hines played the lead role in Washington, D.C.'s Arena Stage production of the Duke Ellington-inspired musical Sophisticated Ladies at the historic Lincoln Theatre in April and May 2010, featuring teenaged tap-dancing brothers John and Leo Manzari. Sarah Kauffman, "Washington teens John and Leo Manzari have all the right dance moves", "Washington Post", April 30, 2010. The Washington Post review was positive for his role and the show in general.Pressley, Nelson. "Theater review: Arena Stage's 'Sophisticated Ladies' at Lincoln Theatre" Washington Post, April 21, 2010

Hines conceived, directed, and choreographed Yo Alice, an urban hip-hop fantasy written by Lee Summers and staged for a workshop in 2000 and a reading in 2007 at the Triad Theatre.

In May 2013, he performed a tribute to his late brother Gregory, entitled Tappin' Thru Life: An Evening with Maurice Hines, at the Cutler Majestic Theatre, which was reviewed by The Boston Globe as "a class act by a class act". Don Aucoin, "Maurice Hines taps into his history", Boston Globe, May 16, 2013. "Tappin' " went on to Boston and the Manhattan club 54 Below, and opened in November 2013 for a six-week run at the Arena Stage, where The Washington Post wrote, "it's a pleasure to be in the company of a shameless, ebullient vaudeville heart." Nelson Pressley, "In 'Tappin' Thru Life,' Maurice Hines sings his heart out", The Washington Post, November 24, 2013.

The production again featured the Manzari Brothers, D.C. seventh-graders, and identical twins Max and Sam Heimowitz, who tap-danced on stage with Hines. Rebecca Ritzel, "Tap-dancing siblings in 'Tappin' Thru Life', The Washington Post, November 8, 2013.

Originally commissioned by Arena Stage in 2004, Hines conceived and directed Ella, First Lady of Song, a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, for whom he and his late brother Gregory Hines had opened in Las Vegas. The musical was written by Lee Summers and starred Rhythm and Blues/Jazz singer Freda Payne, known best for her 1970 hit, Band of Gold Band of Gold youtube and "Brings The Boys Home". It has had three developmental out-of-town try-outs, which include The Crossroads Theatre First Lady of Song Variety, 2004 and Metro Stage Theatre in Washington, D.C.Semnani, Neda. "Review 'Ella Fitzgerald'" Washingtonian, January 28, 2014 and most recently, the Delaware Theatre Company in 2018.Obenrender, Gail. Delaware Theatre Company presents Maurice Hines's 'Ella: First Lady of Song' broadstreetreview.com, April 2018

In 2019, John Carluccio directed the feature film Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back, Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back a biographical documentary about Hines. The film was awarded the Metropolis Grand Jury Prize at the DOC NYC film festival in fall 2019. The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the film "Digs much deeper than your usual showbiz doc." Joining Hines, the film included appearances by Chita Rivera, Mercedes Ellington, and Debbie Allen.

Hines died in Englewood, New Jersey, on December 29, 2023, at the age of 80.

• I've Never Been in Love Before (Arbors Records, 2001)
• To Nat King Cole With Love (Arbors, 2006)

• Maurice Hines website.
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