NOBODY, The Story of Broadway's Bert Williams

by C. Robert Jones

NOBODY, The Story of Broadway’s Bert Williams
_________
A one-person musical play about Broadway’s first black mega-star who was also one of the most admired men in show business.
__________

By the turn of the 20th Century, Bert Williams—actor, singer, dancer, composer, comedian, playwright—was already established as one of the best-known black performers in the United States, and he soon was to...

NOBODY, The Story of Broadway’s Bert Williams
_________
A one-person musical play about Broadway’s first black mega-star who was also one of the most admired men in show business.
__________

By the turn of the 20th Century, Bert Williams—actor, singer, dancer, composer, comedian, playwright—was already established as one of the best-known black performers in the United States, and he soon was to conquer England, as well. He first gained fame as half of the popular Williams & Walker comedy team with George Walker as his partner.

After Walker’s death, Broadway impresario Florenz Ziegfeld starred Williams in his famous Ziegfeld Follies from 1910 - 1919, and Williams was the first black performer to have this distinction. Though largely forgotten today, Bert Williams was the first major black recording star. He worked exclusively for Columbia Records from 1906 until his untimely death in 1922. His signature song, “Nobody” (1906), even to this day has not been forgotten. It’s been covered by the likes of Carol Burnett, Red Foley, Bing Crosby, Perry Como, Nina Simone, Merle Travis, and Johnny Cash.

In 1916, Williams became the first black actor to star in films. He made two two-reeler silent movies that year, Fish and A Natural Born Gambler. The Biograph Company which produced them felt the public was not yet ready for a black film star. Further, there was great doubt that the South had any cinemas that would take a risk to show the films at all. They were therefore shelved.

The year 2022 marks the centenary of Williams’ death. NOBODY, The Story of Broadway’s Bert Williams includes several of the actor’s comedy routines and chronicles his struggles in an era where black performers were largely invisible in mainstream theatre. He is credited with opening the door for many other black performers, most notably lyricist Noble Sissle and composer Eubie Blake, for their success with Shuffle Along in 1921. He is still regarded as the greatest black mime of all time.

(Note: The play exists in a full-length version and a shorter 1-hour version for touring of schools, etc.)

read more
  • Inquire About Rights
  • Recommend
  • Download
  • Save to Library

NOBODY, The Story of Broadway's Bert Williams

Bert Williams - a one-man show about the famous black mega-star who was an actor, singer, dancer, mime, playwright and composer, The actor playing him must sing (there are ten songs in the play) and dance (the show includes a comic cakewalk.) A knowledge of pantomime is extremely helpful.

“NOBODY, The Story of Broadway’s Bert Williams” “After a struggle to build a successful career—as a comedian, singer, and dancer—Broadway’s first black mega-star weighs the risk of shedding his comedic blackface and bumpkin image to play a serious role (as he really looks) in a play written for him and produced by the famous David Belasco.”

Character Description:

Bert Williams was a tall, elegant man and one of the most dignified figures of his day (1874-1922). Always immaculately dressed and impeccably groomed, he had the grace of a refined man of property. The public did NOT know him this way, however, and would not have recognized him on the street. Early in his career, he and his comedic partner George Walker defined their act (“Williams and Walker: The Two Real Coons”) with Walker as the dandy and Williams as the country bumpkin who wears a tailcoat, too-short pants, a stovepipe hat—and blackface makeup.