Sylvia Lewis Nightclub Acts

Sylvia began her nightclub career as a headliner act at Mexico City's El Intimo...

Promo

"From the moment I arrived in Mexico, I was drawn to the Cuban music, and began to learn a few songs phonetically. It was those songs, (plus a few Doris Day hits for a while) that they flipped over. A Gringa, singing in their language and apparently well enough to satisfy their musical taste that won me almost instantaneous celebrity."

Returning to California, Sylvia formed an act with "Luigi," who would go on to become a choreographer and a legendary dance teacher...

"Most of our material was Afro-Cuban or Latin, which I brought back from my year performing in Mexico.  We first worked at a very "in" club in Palm Springs called the Chi Chi..." 

Watch a video of dance legend Jacques d'Amboise discussing Sylvia's and Luigi's nightclub act

"...then came back to LA for a lengthy run at a Latin club in Santa Monica called The Macayo.  It was very useful because we were both able to work in the daytime on whatever jobs were available.  I know we were both on Singing In The Rain during that period.  I shudder now to think how many hours a day (and night) and how hard we worked then.  We must have both been in incredibly great shape.  We weren't simply putting in hours, we were dancing very difficult and challenging stuff... hours on end."

"The Bullfight" at The Macayo

Publicity shot by "Bernard of Hollywood" for the club act

"To me this conveys the affection Weegie and I had for one another..."

Larry Potter's Supper Club, Studio City

Jewel Diehl, Dolly Sheehan,
Sylvia Lewis, Sheree North

"They kept a line (4) of girl dancers, a comic, a small band and usually a second rate vocalist. It wasn't exactly Ciro's, but hey, it paid the rent.   

The woman who put together the lines of girls was a wacky old character named Lottie Horner.  Old Lottie provided the dances and costumes for her girls, and  with a name like "Lottie Horner," you might imagine what the comics did with that. They always introduced us as "The Lotta Horny Dancers."  That'll toughen a girl in a hurry.  Bear in mind, those night jobs allowed us to do modeling and dance jobs in the day."

"Sheree North was my old school chum and ballet classmate; she was real piece of work and would do anything for attention.  We were waiting backstage when a photographer appeared with a camera and Sheree grabbed a cigar from some guy and of course, got the photog's attention. My reaction was honest."

David Mills photo of Sylvia & Sheree backstage, entitled "Final Touch"

1957: The Tropicana, Las Vegas

Afro Cuban number with drummer
Jack Costanzo, "Mr. Bongo"

 

 

 

 

Backstage, Tropicana

 

"Four months after my daughter was born... Well, I whipped into shape in very short order, and as you can see from that costume, I couldn't hide anything.  I stayed in the show for its run (about 10 weeks). Carol Channing was the headliner."