Rigmor Newman, behind-the-scenes fixture of the jazz world, dies at 86

She later managed the Nicholas Brothers, a gravity-defying dance duo that dazzled cinema audiences starting in the late 1930s, and became heroes to many Black Americans. Harold Nicholas of the Nicholas Brothers became her second husband.
Advertisement
Among her many professional incarnations, Ms. Newman served as the executive director of Jazz Interactions, a nonprofit organization promoting jazz throughout the New York metropolitan area, which Joe Newman helped found in the early 1960s.
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
After their divorce in the mid-1970s, Rigmor Newman began a relationship with Nicholas in 1979. She also started managing Nicholas and his brother, Fayard.
As a blue-eyed Nordic woman who spent much of her life and career among Black musicians and performers, Ms. Newman found that race was often at the front of her mind, her daughter said.
She married Joe Newman in 1961, at a time when interracial marriage was still outlawed in many states, and she often accompanied him on tour with Basie's band, including bus trips through the Jim Crow-era South.
Advertisement
'She was absolutely aware of the symbolism,' Annie Newman said in an interview. 'It felt very natural to her to do what she thought was right.'
A taciturn Swede, Ms. Newman was not given to grand pronouncements. Instead, she fought intolerance in subtler ways. Among her efforts to bring new exposure to her second husband's dance duo, she helped produce 'Nicholas Brothers: We Sing and We Dance,' a 1992 documentary about the duo that detailed their fight against the racism in Hollywood, which eventually contributed to stalling their career.
The film, which won a CableACE Award from the National Cable Television Association, showcased the brothers' wildly acrobatic tap dance routines, including one in the 1943 film 'Stormy Weather' in which they bounded across table tops to the accompaniment of the Cab Calloway orchestra's performance of 'Jumpin' Jive.'
Interviewed for the documentary, no less than Mikhail Baryshnikov called the brothers 'the most amazing, amazing dancers I've ever seen in my life -- ever.'
Ms. Newman also brought the Nicholas Brothers back into the spotlight by arranging theater, television, and film appearances. The duo ultimately received Kennedy Center Honors in 1991 and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame three years later.
Rigmor Marta Alfredsson was born May 9, 1938, in Udevalla, Sweden, the middle of three children of Alfred and Annie (Angelique) Alfredsson. Her father was an artist.
Growing up in Gothenburg, she was admitted to Sigrid Rudebecks Gymnasium, a prestigious secondary school. In 1957, she represented Sweden in the Miss Europe contest. She met Joe Newman when the Basie band performed in Gothenburg and she asked for his autograph.
Advertisement
Over the years, Rigmor Newman produced concerts in association with George Wein, the Boston-based impresario who all but invented the modern jazz festival. As an independent producer, she mounted jazz, classical, and dance performances at Town Hall, Symphony Space, Lincoln Center, and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.
In the mid-1970s, she opened Storyville, a jazz club on the East Side of Manhattan, with Wein. She eventually took the venue over and booked acts including drummer and composer Max Roach, saxophonist Dexter Gordon, and the Art Ensemble of Chicago.
In addition to her daughter, Ms. Newman leaves a sister, Britt-Marianne Hayes and a grandson. Her son, Fredrik Newman, died in 2020. Harold Nicholas died in 2000.
In a career spent behind the scenes, perhaps Rigmor Newman's most public act was posing with Joe Newman on the cover of his album 'Counting Five in Sweden,' released in 1960. The photograph featured the couple seated and smiling beside a statue in front of an ornate building in Gothenburg while Joe Newman plays with her left hand, as if demonstrating trumpet fingerings.
Given the racial climate of the day, the image was a symbolic triumph. 'They posed together because that was her statement about her belief in civil rights,' Annie Newman said. 'She showed what she believed through her actions.'
This article originally appeared in

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Boston Globe

an hour ago

• Boston Globe

A new theater festival wants audiences to ‘love deeper' in dark times

'Our work aims to change the world,' Bennett said. 'Hopefully, when you leave, you'll feel moved towards creating a more beautiful world in your immediate community.' Advertisement Each work presented by the festival was developed through one of TTO's artist residency programs, which provide resources to queer and trans artists of color who reflect the organization's larger mission: to create art that 'transcends artistic boundaries, celebrates cultural abundance, and dismantles oppression,' as the festival's mission statement puts it. Advertisement 'There are many ways to push against oppressive systems, and I want my work to help people consider their actions and values, and how they want to show up in this world,' said Victoria Lynn Awkward, whose dance piece featured in the festival, 'In the Space Between ," was developed during TTO's 22-month Emergent Artist Residency. Set to an original composition of piano, flute, and percussion, 'In the Space Between' uses aerial movement, audible breathwork, and flowing fabrics to create a dance piece inspired by iconic Black feminist Audre Lorde's writings on power and eroticism. The sensuous nature of the piece is designed to 'build empathy,' Awkward said. 'Empathy is what's needed to bridge divides, and to be able to care for people with different cultures and backgrounds, as well as yourself.' As an organization, the Theater Offensive has been creating and cultivating cutting-edge art by LGBTQ+ makers since 1989, when it was born out of a gay men's guerrilla theater troupe. At the time, founder Over the years, and among other initiatives, TTO went on to produce innovative fringe theater festivals, establish its national award-winning program Advertisement More recently, TTO has evolved to explicitly focus on art by and for queer and trans people of color, who face unique challenges accessing financial backing and other forms of support for their work and are most vulnerable in what the organization calls an ongoing 'battle against authoritarianism, homophobia, transphobia, and racism' in the Trump era. Artists are looking to the past to process this dangerous present, said Bennett, who noted that ancestral connections are a common thread in the festival's performances. 'I live in Harlem, where my great-grandmother moved in the early 1900s and my grandmother and mother were raised,' said Awkward. 'I feel very connected to that lineage, and to the hope and joy they had throughout all the challenges they faced.' She added that the prevalence of textiles in her work is inspired by the legacy of Black quilting, including lore that quilts were used to mark safe houses and provide direction on the Underground Railroad. 'For me, textiles are beautiful and eye-catching — but also deeply entwined with my ancestry and lineage.' Another festival piece, 'The Messenger,' is a coming-of-age play with music about a burgeoning young oracle who takes a spiritual journey with her elders, learning from their wisdom so that she can serve her nation. Playwright and TTO resident artist Cheyenne Wyzzard-Jones said they were inspired by their lineage, including their Wampanoag background, as well as 'conversations with my community of Black diaspora folk, Native American family, elders, [and] medicine workers.' There's also 'Theater of Union ," a three-fold artistic exercise developed by Annalise 'River' Guidry. It is composed of 'Remembrance ," a community-building performance on the festival's opening night that 'explores and honors our many ancestries,' Guidry said, as well as a workshop that explores 'grief as a pathway toward collective liberation.' Both the performance and workshop are additionally preceded by a 'table talk' that expands on the artist's intentions. Advertisement Guidry wants to impart to their audience the notion of 'love ethic,' Black author and social critic bell hooks's framework for considering love as a series of actions and choices, not just a feeling. 'Lovelessness pervades in our society,' Guidry said, pointing to racist, anti-queer, and otherwise oppressive 'systems of domination' that keep Americans divided and at odds. The Queer [Re]Public Festival, then, aims to establish a more perfect union. 'The current culture and systems we are functioning under are not sustainable,' Guidry said. 'I believe in love to transform and save us.' Prices vary, June 26-29, Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow St., Cambridge,

Buzz Feed

2 hours ago

• Buzz Feed

Iconic Characters Who Never Met On Screen

Whether it is movies or TV, we can all agree that great characters make a story great. When a cast is so stacked, it can sometimes be easy to forget that certain characters from the same story never share screentime or interact. Here are 21 examples of famous characters from the same movies and TV shows who somehow never actually met on screen: Doc Brown & Biff in Back to the Future In Back to the Future, the main character Marty McFly shares several scenes with Doc Brown and Biff. Yet, those two characters never interact in the entire first movie. Since Doc was away from the school for all but one scene, it makes sense that he never encounters the high school bully. A back-and-forth with them, past or present, would have been interesting. Jesse Pinkman and Walt Jr. in Breaking Bad The fact that Walter White's "business" partner and his son never shared a scene shouldn't be too shocking, but Pinkman did have other interactions with the family. For full perspective, both characters appeared in ALL 62 Breaking Bad episodes. They never shared a single interaction. Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope That's right. The main hero and villain of the original trilogy never meet on screen. Luke isn't even presented as the hero for the film's first act, and Vader has less than twenty minutes of screentime. Luke witnesses Obi-Wan's demise at Vader's hand, but other than that, these two never share a moment until the third act of Episode V. Ned Stark and Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones They stayed loyal to the book. Game of Thrones almost has too many characters to keep count of, but it's hard to believe two of the most prominent actors never interacted. The two favorites out of the gate, but only one made it past Season 1. Location is no excuse, because these two characters never seem to cross paths. Ned's dislike for the Lannisters could have something to do with it, and it seems, in the end, his head was in the right place to think that. Steve Rogers & Pepper Potts in any of the MCU movies The Marvel Cinematic Universe is so enormous that many characters never share screen time. Still, since Pepper Potts is part of the O.G. Iron Man and plays a pretty large role in Tony Stark's story, it's shocking she never interacted with "The First Avenger." It would have been interesting to see emotionally for Stark's also, there was that whole "Civil War" between the two heroes, so maybe it was for the best. Frank Costanza & Newman in Seinfeld Seinfeld is known for their hilarious one-off characters, but there are some recurring characters that gave memorable moments in the series. There is George Costanza's dad, Frank, who has no "serenity now." And then there's Newman, Jerry Seinfeld's rival and Kramer's friend. Newman and Frank are arguably the two funniest (and unhinged) side characters in the series, but they never share an iconic moment. Arwen, Eowyn and Galadriel inThe Lord of the Rings trilogy Yup. All three prominent women in the LOTR trilogy never interact. Shocking to think about, but since all three are seen along the journey and rarely leave their setting, it's not hard to understand how they never met. The closest we got was the final ceremony for Aragorn, and Eowyn and Arwen are a few yards apart. Perhaps they gave each other a "knowing nod" to say "sup." Michael Scott & Robert California in The Office Fans of The Office were hot (that's what she said) following the departure of Steve Carell's character Michael Scott. James Spader's Robert California still left his mark on the show. While it was not surprising that Michael and his replacement never interacted, a brief encounter was still possible. Michael Corleone and Vito Corleone in The Godfather: Part II This one feels like a cheat, but Al Pacino and Robert De Niro were two of the biggest names in Hollywood at the time. Sure, their characters are in two separate periods, and a time travel moment would have made zero sense, but it's amazing we didn't even get an interaction in that final flashback scene at the end (obviously with Marlon Brando as older Vito). Again, big asterisk with this one, but it still qualifies. Korben Dallas and Zorg in The Fifth Element The Fifth Element isn't the only film in which the hero and villain don't share screen time, but it stands out more than others. And by stand out, their lack of confrontation proves the film carries itself through story and action well enough to go unnoticed. Vegeta and Chi-Chi in Dragon Ball Z Dragon Ball Z fans know just about every fight like the back of their hand, but it often goes unnoticed that two major players never meet. Vegeta appears in 129 episodes while Chi-Chi appears in 109, yet they never have a meaningful interaction in the original series. Other series don't allow that to happen again. The two share a few moments in shows like Dragon Ball Super. Steve Murphy and Pablo Escobar in Narcos Another one with decent logic behind it. Detective X looks for Suspect Y. With the plot of the show in mind, it makes total sense that we never see a scene with Steve Murphy and Pablo Ecscobar. Draco Malfoy & Sirius Black in the Harry Potter franchise You can put Harry Potter character names outside of the core three on a dart board, and there is a good chance they never interacted. So, in my very Jeremy way of deciding things, I picked the adult and student who had a lot of importance to the plot, but never shared a scene. That's right, Malfoy's father will be hearing about how he never came face-to-face with Harry's (almost wrote uncle, lol) godfather, Sirius Black. Stringer Bell & Bubbles in The Wire The Wire is another show where you could pick several characters, but for this list, I picked Stringer and Bubbles. Stringer appeared in 37 episodes, while Bubble appeared in 52. Through all the episodes their appearances crossed over, they never once had a scene where they interacted. Frozone and Syndrome in The Incredibles So much for top-shelf monologuing. The interaction between Frozone and Syndrome would have been hilariously legendary. Obviously, Syndrome is aware of Frozone and even targets him in the final fight, but they never share a meaningful scene. It's a shame; they are both big personalities. (Still waiting on that Frozone spinoff) The Wizard and the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz "Her sister was a witch!"In the Wizard of Oz, we get one scene with Glinda and the Wicked Witch of the West, but we never see the green nightmare meet the green fraud. We never even see their "real world" selves cross paths. Both are HUGE to the plot, but the Wizard's true form is hidden throughout the film until she melts, so it makes sense. Hannibal Lector and Detective Crawford in The Silence of the Lambs Of everything on this list, this entry makes the most sense. Crawford almost immediately eludes to Clarice that he wouldn't get the information needed from Hannibal since he knew him and hated him. Hannibal had little screen time generally, but a run-in between these two would have been interesting. Barbosa and Davey Jones in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise The two main non-ETC villains in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy are Captain Barbosa and Davy Jones. Both have a large presence in the third installment, yet we never get to see them go toe-to-toe. They stand across from each other in At World's End, but these two juggernauts never interact. All three leads in No Country for Old Men This example isn't by accident, and it's what makes the story of No Country for Old Men so special. Other than the motel shootout scene, Anton Chigurh and Llewyn Moss never share a scene together, despite them being the main protagonist and antagonist. Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, on the other hand, can't seem to catch up. Max and Will in Stranger Things Stranger Things features many young characters from "The Party" members to other students, whom we all watched grow up over the seasons. With all the turmoil Will went through in the first season and Max in the second, it feels like there is a story somewhere there, but neither has shared a meaningful interaction leading into the final season. Who knows, maybe Stranger Things 5 will see them off on a quest where they can bond over their struggles. I haven't seen every TV show or movie, so can you think of two characters you love who never interacted despite being in the same story? Comment below!

Time Business News

12 hours ago

• Time Business News

IPTV in Norway: The New TV Norm – From General to Absolutely Awesome

Before we zoom in on specific providers, let's take a quick look at the IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) phenomenon itself and why it's taking Norway by storm. Simply put, IPTV delivers TV signals over the internet instead of via traditional terrestrial, satellite, or cable networks. This transition represents a significant shift from old broadcasting models. The fact that IPTV services have gained such a strong foothold is largely because we consumers demand more: more flexibility, better content, and lower prices. Norway, with its extremely good internet infrastructure, is perfectly suited for this. Think of it as upgrading from a Nokia 3310 to the latest smartphone – there's just more of everything, and it works better. It's not just in Norway that things are heating up. The entire Nordic region is seeing a massive increase in IPTV usage. This is no longer a niche; it's mainstream. People are tired of being tied down by rigid broadcast schedules and expensive packages. Massive Selection: Talk about freedom of choice! Often thousands of channels from all over the world, plus a VOD (Video On Demand) library that makes Netflix look small. Flexibility: Watch what you want, when you want, on almost any device – Smart TV, mobile, tablet, PC. Price: Often much cheaper than traditional TV packages, plus multiple streaming services. Picture Quality: Potential for crystal-clear HD and 4K, assuming a good connection and provider. Nothing's perfect, right? Stable Internet is a Must: No good connection, no good IPTV. A minimum of 20-25 Mbps for HD/4K is a good rule of thumb. Quality Variations: The market is large, and not all providers are equally reputable. Some might promise the moon but deliver choppy pictures and terrible service. The market can be described as 'chaotic' with many unreliable providers. IPTV isn't one-size-fits-all, but it's definitely a game-changer for many. Travel a lot for work or leisure? With a good IPTV Norway service, you can take your favorite Norwegian channels and series with you anywhere in the world, as long as you have internet. No more FOMO on the latest episode of your favorite show when you're on the road! This is a no-brainer. Imagine having access to all the sports channels you dream of – Premier League, Champions League, Formula 1, NHL, UFC – often included in the price, without expensive add-on packages. Users of quality IPTV report saving hundreds, if not thousands, of kroner each year just on sports. This is massive value! Forget scrolling endlessly to find something to watch. With VOD libraries that can contain an enormous number of films and series through leading IPTV Norway providers, you have entertainment for the rest of your life (almost). Okay, enough general talk. What makes certain IPTV Norway services stand out and be considered leaders in the Nordics? Let's look at the features. It's not just about the number of channels. A top IPTV Norway service distinguishes itself with a complete package: Massive Content: Over 33,000 TV channels and a VOD library with over 180,000 movies and around 28,000-30,000 series are not uncommon among the best. A focus on Nordic, UK, USA, Canada, and European channels is also a plus. Quality: HD and 4K streaming should be standard, with a promise of minimal buffering. Stability: A strong focus on uptime and automatic server updates for optimal performance is critical. Support: 24/7 customer service that actually responds and helps you when you need it. User-Friendliness: Easy setup (often via M3U link or account in 5-10 minutes) and broad device compatibility (Smart TV, PC/Mac, mobile, streaming devices, consoles) are expected. Extra Features: EPG (Electronic Program Guide), Catchup function (watch programs on replay), and in premium packages, often including integrated VPN and free activation of a premium player app. Big promises must be backed by solid delivery. Users of such high-quality IPTV Norway services regularly report a crystal-clear picture in Full HD and 4K without buffering, assuming a stable internet connection. Stability, even during major sports events, is often highlighted as a big plus in a market where many struggle. This indicates a solid investment in infrastructure and backend management. Price is always a factor when looking for the best IPTV subscription. The leading IPTV Norway services often claim to offer significant savings compared to subscribing to traditional platforms separately. There's talk of potential savings of up to a couple of thousand kroner per month . That's a deal that's hard to ignore. The last thing you want is to spend hours on a complicated setup. The best IPTV Norway providers make it easy, and users confirm that installation can take as little as 5 minutes. Broad device compatibility and responsive customer service (with reported wait times down to 10 minutes) build a positive user experience. Ready to Take the Plunge? Get the Most Out of Your New IPTV Subscription Whether you choose a top-rated IPTV Norway solution or another IPTV service, there are a few things you can do to ensure the best possible experience. We can't say it enough: Good and stable internet is key. Check that you have the speed needed for the quality you want (HD/4K). A good quality router, and perhaps even a wired connection to your streaming device, can work wonders. Even if the provider often has its own apps, or you use a generic M3U player, dedicated IPTV apps can really enhance the user experience with better interfaces and functionality. There's no doubt: IPTV Norway is here to stay. With superior flexibility, an insane content selection, and the potential for significant cost savings, it's easy to see why so many Norwegians are ditching traditional TV in favor of IPTV. For those of you hunting for the best IPTV subscription, and specifically considering the IPTV Norway landscape, services like the one we've described, offering the features mentioned above, emerge as very strong candidates. You can explore the possibilities and find a solution that fits your needs via reputable portals – for example, start your research at This company has definitely set the bar high for what you can expect from modern IPTV entertainment TIME BUSINESS NEWS