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Maurice Hines started performing at the age of 5 with his younger brother Gregory. Together the brothers played on Broadway, toured the world, and made 35 appearances on “The Tonight Show.” Mr. Hines' solo career has included a starring turn in the national tour of Guys and Dolls and numerous roles on Broadway. Hot Feet, a musical collaboration with Maurice White of “Earth, Wind & Fire” that Mr. Hines co-conceived, directed, and choreographed, is currently premiering at the National Theatre in Washington DC and will open on Broadway this month. Our correspondent Neal Freeman spoke with him by phone from Washington.

Neal Freeman: How did Hot Feet come about?

Maurice Hines: Maurice White was working on his autobiography and he thought he'd like to do a theatre piece. My agent recommended me to him, and I went out to California to meet him. I'd been using the song “September” to audition dancers for 10 years, not thinking I would ever work with this great man. I told him my idea for a show [based on the story "The Red Shoes"] and he loved it because it wasn't a fluff story. We did a workshop, and 5 months later we were in New York City rehearsing for the full show.

What is it about the “Earth, Wind & Fire” music that speaks to you?

The music is so versatile that it forces you as a choreographer to go in many different directions. I like versatility. My brother and I were raised in a time when everybody wanted to be Sammy Davis Jr., so we sang, danced, tapped, did comedy, and played instruments. That transfers to my choreography. I don't like doing just one thing, so in the show there's krumping, jazz, hip hop, African dance, even ballet.

What will happen to the show between your engagement in Washington, DC and opening night on Broadway?

There's loads of rehearsals. That's the first thing. You see what you feel is wrong with the show and you fix it. We have a dramaturg working to help flesh out the book. I always over-choreograph, so now I can start to cut some of it. Maurice [White] will come in and we may change or cut some of the music. We tweak here, we tweak there. It's a big long process and that's why you go out of town. We're very lucky to have been able to do that.

You have worked in film but your heart is on the stage. What is so special about performing for a live audience?

I'm not a movie guy. I don't like sitting around. You do 30 seconds of dialogue then sit around for 4 hours waiting for the lighting to get set up. I love the live theatre because I love the audience getting the show that I want to give them that night. Here in Washington people always come up to me after the show and thank me for bringing it to town. I love that. The other day, a tiny little black woman pulled on my coat from behind and said “I love this boogieland show!” I asked how old she was. She said 91! One of the things that my brother and I learned from performers like Sammy Davis Jr. and Judy Garland is that no matter what anybody says about what you're doing, the audience must leave saying, “Baby, I had a good time!” When they say that, it's worth everything. That's why I do it.

You originally started performing with your brother at a very young age, but you ultimately took different paths.

Yes. Gregory and I started as tap dancers at ages 5 and 3. We worked many years together, but we ultimately wanted to grow in different ways. Gregory wanted to go in the movies and I wanted to stay in the theatre. Gregory did come back to performing live before he passed away so I was very happy about that.

You've had such a long and varied career. What have you learned along the way?

I've learned first to follow your own dreams, and never limit yourself. Never. There were so many people wanting to limit both Gregory and myself. Gregory never thought he could sing, and he wound up singing with Luther Vandross. Once, we were going to open for Ella Fitzgerald and we had a choreographer that couldn't come. My brother said, “Maurice, YOU can choreograph this,” and I did. So we inspired each other. I always tell kids not to limit themselves, because everybody else around you will try to limit you. As long as you have your own sense of who you are and follow your vision, that's the most important thing. It will make you feel great inside.

View a list of Maurice Hines' Broadway credits.

Get information and tickets to Hot Feet.

Since 1949, Clark Transfer has kept Broadway on the road.

Legend has it that Jim Clark and Louis “Whitey” Molitch, founders of Clark Transfer, Inc., first worked together hauling bodies after the influenza epidemic of 1917. This unusual partnership led to the development of a small trucking company that carried movie prints to and from the motion picture palaces that were springing up all over the country. Eventually the company expanded to haul magazines and newspapers, allowing it to stay active and afloat during the depression. After World War II, Clark Transfer was in prime position to capture a brand new market – hauling theatrical cargo.

Because of government regulations in place until the late 1940s, Broadway shows traveled the country by train and were limited to those cities and theatres with nearby rail access.

After the war this all changed, and due in no small part to the persistence of Whitey Molitch and Jim Clark, Clark Transfer was granted rights by the Interstate Commerce Commission to carry theatrical goods by truck. By 1954, the company was transporting 11 national tours across the country. These “Bus and Truck” tours, with the show packed into a handful of trucks and the cast and crew riding on a bus, became the new standard. As touring Broadway flourished, Clark Transfer trucked shows to more and more cities every year, and remained “in the family” through it all; Norma Deull, Clark Transfer's President since 1991, is the daughter of founder Whitey Molich.

“Our company is built on the notion that the show must go on,” says Jonathan Deull, Executive Vice President of Clark Transfer. “When you're moving lettuce, it doesn't matter if it gets there at 2 o'clock or 4 o'clock. Without the chandelier in The Phantom of the Opera, however, you don't have much of a second act. It simply must get there on time.”

Because of the rigid theatrical schedules and inevitable weather problems, road closings, and equipment breakdowns, creative problem-solving is part of the business.

“We recently had a problem with a truck from the national tour of Chicago that was traveling to Calgary,” says Mr. Deull. “Borders are always a challenge, and in this case the truck carrying the bandstand, which is the centerpiece of the set, was just not going to make it on time. We ended up chartering a C130 Hercules airplane to transport the load, and we made it.”

This ability to improvise on short notice is part of the tradition at Clark Transfer. Clark currently runs a fleet of over 300 trailers and has transported hundreds of major national tours. In the early days, a show might fit in 2-3 trailers, while more recent shows have filled more than 30. Trucking all this material quickly and efficiently requires a certain expertise and experience unique to touring theatre, and is what has kept Clark Transfer going for over 50 years. Says Norma Deull: “We love what we're doing, and we're committed to serving this industry. It's in our DNA.”

Visit Clark Transfer on the web.

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-Some of New York's favorite personalities were recently filmed discussing what Broadway means to them for PSA spots on WABC-TV. If you missed seeing them, you can view the spots with Joe Torre, Tiki Barber, and Ed Koch by clicking here.

-Last week, the League of American Theatres and Producers released its latest biennial economic impact study, “Broadway's Economic Contribution to New York City" for the 2004-2005 season. The report reveals that the impact on New York City derived from Broadway-related spending has reached $4.8 billion – a 4% inflation-adjusted increase from 2002-2003. This figure includes $3.1 billion spent in New York by Broadway tourists and $1.7 billion spent by shows and theatres.

-The League also recently announced the 2006 recipients of the League Educator Apple Award. This year's four award recipients have been recognized for their leadership and creativity, as well as their dedication in bringing arts education into the classroom. The 2006 recipients are Anita Winstead of Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, in Louisville, Kentucky; Elizabeth Brooks-Gordon of Kennedy Middle School, David Jester of J.T. Williams Middle School, and Kim Hotchner of Northwest School of the Arts in Charlotte, North Carolina; Tara Kissane of Paradise Valley Unified School District in Phoenix, Arizona; and Phyllis Roy and Lisa Stewart from Overton High School in Memphis, Tennessee. Congratulations to these outstanding educators!