Leonard Harper (producer) facts for kids

Leonard Harper (born April 9, 1899, in Birmingham, Alabama – died February 4, 1943, in Harlem, New York) was a very important producer, stager, and choreographer. He worked in New York City during the 1920s and 1930s. This time was known as the Harlem Renaissance, a period when African-American art and culture thrived.

Harper's work included many types of entertainment. He worked in vaudeville (a type of variety show), cabaret (shows in restaurants or nightclubs), burlesque (a humorous stage show), and Broadway musicals. He was a talented dancer and owned a dance studio. He coached many famous performers. These included Ruby Keeler, Fred Astaire and Adele Astaire, and even the Marx Brothers.

He created and staged many floor shows and theater revues. These shows were popular both in Harlem and on Broadway. He also helped direct parts of the films The Exile and Darktown Revue. Harper staged the Broadway show Hot Chocolates. He was also the first producer to open the famous Cotton Club. He produced shows featuring the Lindy Hop dance, including "Harper's Lindy Hoppers" at the Savoy Ballroom. You can learn more about him in his biography, Rhythm For Sale.

Early Life and Dance Beginnings

Leonard Harper was born in 1899 in Birmingham, Alabama. His father, William Harper, was also a performer. Leonard started dancing when he was a child. He would dance to attract crowds for a medicine show wagon. He traveled with this show all over the Southern United States.

In 1915, he first visited New York City. Soon after, he moved to Chicago. There, he began creating and performing dance acts. He worked with Osceola Blanks of the Blanks Sisters. They became the first Black act to work for the Shubert Brothers, who were big theater owners. Leonard Harper and Osceola Blanks later married in 1923.

Returning to New York and Big Successes

Harper and Osceola Blanks performed in his first large show, Plantation Days. It opened at the Lafayette Theatre in Harlem in 1922–23. After this, he started producing many floor shows in Harlem and other parts of New York.

From 1923 to 1924, Harper offered the Duke Ellington Orchestra a job as the house band. They played at his speakeasies, Connie's Inn in Harlem and the Kentucky Club in Times Square. Duke Ellington's orchestra played at the Kentucky Club for four years. Ellington and his family even stayed in one of Harper's Harlem apartment bedrooms for a while.

By 1925, Harper owned a dance studio in Times Square. At this studio, Black dancers taught their dances to white performers. As a producer for nightclubs and Broadway, Harper worked with many famous people. These included Billie Holiday, Ethel Waters, Duke Ellington, Bill Robinson, and Count Basie. He also helped introduce Louis Armstrong and Cab Calloway to the New York entertainment scene. He worked with stars like Mae West, Josephine Baker, Lena Horne, Fats Waller, and Eubie Blake.

Harper was a key person when the Deluxe Cabaret became the famous Cotton Club. He produced two of its first shows when it opened. His biggest achievement on Broadway was staging the hit show Hot Chocolates. This show featured classic Broadway songs like "Black and Blue" and "Ain't Misbehavin'". Leonard Harper was one of the main figures who helped make Harlem a major cultural center in the 1920s. His nightclub shows took place at Connie's Inn, the Lafayette Theatre, the new Apollo Theatre, and other New York theaters.

Leonard Harper had a daughter named Jean Harper. He passed away in Harlem, New York, on February 4, 1943. His funeral was held at the Abyssinian Baptist Church, led by Adam Clayton Powell Jr..

Legacy and Recognition

A street in Harlem was named after Leonard Harper on October 10, 2015. This happened because of the hard work of his grandson, Grant Harper Reid. "Leonard Harper Way" is located on 7th Avenue (also known as Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd.) and 132nd Street.

Harper was also recognized as an NAACP History Maker in 2015.

You can find more information about Leonard Harper in the Congressional Record: [1]

In 2022, Leonard Harper was inducted into the ATDF Tap Dance Hall of Fame. This Hall of Fame focuses only on professional tap dancers from the 20th and 21st centuries.