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| Nichelle Nichols, died at 89 | |
| Posted by: showtunetrivia 04:34 pm EDT 07/31/22 | |
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| Harry and I didn’t know her, but we have some good friends who knew this talented, classy, intelligent, funny lady well, and we mourn with them. She became best known, of course, as Nyota Uhura on the original STAR TREK series, but she got started in musical theatre in Chicago. She was a dancer-choreographer with Duke Ellington, was a dancer (opposite Sammy Davis, Jr.) in the film of PORGY AND BESS, was in a Chicago production of CARMEN JONES, and had the lead role in the 1961 musical KICKS AND CO. that closed before Broadway. She took the role on STAR TREK in 1966, figuring it was a gig before getting back to Broadway. And she was unhappy after the first season, since all her character ever did was “open hailing frequencies.” She brought her letter of resignation to Gene Roddenberry, the show’s creator. He asked her to at least think it over the weekend. She agreed. The next night, she was at an NAACP benefit, and one of the promoters said, “Sorry to interrupt your dinner, but there’s someone here who says he’s your greatest fan.” As she was being escorted away from the table, she suddenly told the promoter, “My greatest fan is going to have to wait. Because that’s Martin Luther King, and I have to meet him.” And Dr. King said, “Miss Nichols, _I_ am your greatest fan.” And here’s her own response: Ms. NICHOLS: And I was speechless. He complimented me on the manner in which I'd created the character. I thanked him, and I think I said something like, Dr. King, I wish I could be out there marching with you. He said, no, no, no. No, you don't understand. We don't need you on the - to march. You are marching. You are reflecting what we are fighting for. So, I said to him, thank you so much. And I'm going to miss my co-stars. And his face got very, very serious. And he said, what are you talking about? And I said, well, I told Gene just yesterday that I'm going to leave the show after the first year because I've been offered - and he stopped me and said: You cannot do that. And I was stunned. He said, don't you understand what this man has achieved? For the first time, we are being seen the world over as we should be seen. He says, do you understand that this is the only show that my wife Coretta and I will allow our little children to stay up and watch. I was speechless. So that Monday, she went back to tell Roddenberry she’d changed her mind. He opened his drawer—her letter had been torn into pieces. MLK’s kids weren’t the only ones watching. Whoopi Goldberg has told the story of seeing Nichols as Lt. Uhura, a senior bridge office in the 23rd century convinced her that she, too, could do or be anything. Goldberg said at her very first sight of Uhura, she ran through the house yelling, “There’s a black lady on tv, and she ain’t no maid!” Nichols would voice Uhura in the animated STAR TREK, and reprised the role in six movies. One of my friends commented, “We are all stardust.” I think some of us shine more brightly than others. Laura in LA |
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| re: Nichelle Nichols, died at 89 | |
| Posted by: dreambaby 10:35 am EDT 08/01/22 | |
| In reply to: Nichelle Nichols, died at 89 - showtunetrivia 04:34 pm EDT 07/31/22 | |
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| Lovely, thanks for this, Laura! | |
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| Nichelle Nichols in "Roar of the Greasepaint" | |
| Posted by: TimDunleavy 09:19 pm EDT 07/31/22 | |
| In reply to: Nichelle Nichols, died at 89 - showtunetrivia 04:34 pm EDT 07/31/22 | |
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| Nichelle Nichols played one of the urchins at the Melodyland Theatre in Anaheim, California. Joel Grey was Cocky, Murray Matheson was Sir, and Richard Kiel was the Bully. The show had a two-week run. It closed on May 1, 1966, and she began filming the first regular season episode of Star Trek on May 24. (Two pilots had been filmed in the previous 18 months, though she was not in them.) |
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| re: Nichelle Nichols, died at 89 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 05:17 pm EDT 07/31/22 | |
| In reply to: Nichelle Nichols, died at 89 - showtunetrivia 04:34 pm EDT 07/31/22 | |
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| Thanks for that wonderful tribute, Laura. I had no idea that Nichelle Nichols got her start in musical theater. Could you have seen ''Reflections,'' her 1990 one-woman tribute to jazz, blues and pop divas, in L.A.? |
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| Link | Nichelle Nichols: 'If He Walked Into My Life' from 'Mame' |
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| re: Nichelle Nichols, died at 89 | |
| Posted by: showtunetrivia 05:31 pm EDT 07/31/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Nichelle Nichols, died at 89 - WaymanWong 05:17 pm EDT 07/31/22 | |
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| I would have loved the chance, but 1990 had us coping with a lot of family tragedies, led by my mom’s death at 50. Some of my friends saw it. She had a lovely voice. Laura in LA, Trekkie from the start |
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| re: Nichelle Nichols, died at 89 | |
| Posted by: Leon_W 05:00 pm EDT 07/31/22 | |
| In reply to: Nichelle Nichols, died at 89 - showtunetrivia 04:34 pm EDT 07/31/22 | |
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| Amazing post, thank you. | |
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