| Shuffle Along | |
| Music | Eubie Blake |
|---|---|
| Lyrics | Noble Sissle |
| Book | F. E. Miller Aubrey Lyles Paul Gerard Smith |
| Productions | 1921 Broadway 1933 Broadway revival 1952 Broadway revival |
Shuffle Along was the first major African American hit musical. James Hubert Blake ( February 7, 1887 &ndash February 12 1983) was a Composer, Lyricist, and pianist of Ragtime Noble Sissle (b July 10 1889, Indianapolis Indiana - d December 17, 1975, Tampa Florida) was an American Flournoy E Miller ( 14 April 1887, Nashville Tennessee - 6 June 1971, Hollywood California) was an African American Aubrey Lyles (1883 Jackson Tennessee - 28 July 1932, New York City) was an African American songwriter lyricist and Vaudeville Paul Girard Smith ( 14 September, 1894 &ndash 4 April, 1968) was an American Screenwriter. Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located A revival is a restaging of a former hit play at a later date Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located A revival is a restaging of a former hit play at a later date African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Musical theatre is a form of Theatre combining Music, Songs spoken Dialogue and Dance. Written by Flournoy Miller and Aubrey Lyles, with music and lyrics by Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake, the musical premiered on 23 May 1921 on Broadway and ran for 504 performances. Flournoy E Miller ( 14 April 1887, Nashville Tennessee - 6 June 1971, Hollywood California) was an African American Aubrey Lyles (1883 Jackson Tennessee - 28 July 1932, New York City) was an African American songwriter lyricist and Vaudeville Noble Sissle (b July 10 1889, Indianapolis Indiana - d December 17, 1975, Tampa Florida) was an American James Hubert Blake ( February 7, 1887 &ndash February 12 1983) was a Composer, Lyricist, and pianist of Ragtime Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located
Contents |
Plot
There was a slip of a plot involving a mayoral race in "Jim Town" but it was essentially a revue showcasing songs by Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake. Judged by contemporary standards, much of Shuffle Along would seem offensive. List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that Each of the leading male characters was out to swindle the other, and the show closed with one character explaining that the lighter the skin, the more desirable an African American woman was. High yellow, occasionally simply yellow ( dialect: yaller, yeller) is a term for very light-skinned multiracial people who also have African African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa
Performers
- Florence Mills (lead)
- Adelaide Hall
- Paul Robeson
- Josephine Baker (chorus)
- William Grant Still (orchestra)
- Hall Johnson (orchestra)
Songs
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Historical Effect
According to the Harlem chronicler James Weldon Johnson, the 1921 musical revue Shuffle Along marked a breakthrough for the African-American musical performer and made musical theatre history. Florence Mills, born Florence Winfrey ( January 25, 1896 - November 1, 1927) known as the "Queen of Happiness" was an American Adelaide Hall ( 20 October 1901 &ndash 7 November 1993) was an American -born British Jazz Singer Paul LeRoy Bustill Robeson ( April 9, 1898 &ndash January 23, 1976) was a multi-lingual American Actor, athlete Josephine Baker (or Joséphine Baker in Francophone countries ( June 3, 1906 &ndash April 12, 1975) was an American-born William Grant Still ( May 11, 1895 - December 3, 1978) was an African-American classical composer who wrote more than 150 compositions Hall Johnson ( March 12, 1888 - April 30, 1970) was one of a number of American composers and arrangers -- including Harry T " I'm Just Wild About Harry " (1921 is a song written by Eubie Blake (music and Noble Sissle (lyrics for the Broadway production of Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, long known as a major African American cultural and business center James Weldon Johnson ( June 17, 1871 – June 26, 1938) was an American author politician diplomat critic journalist poet anthologist A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical Entertainment that combines Music, dance and sketches. This revue legitimized the African-American musical, proving to producers and managers that audiences would pay to see African-American talent on Broadway. Consumers refers to individuals or households that use goods and services generated within the economy.
The musical brought black actors back to Broadway after a 10-year absence during a time when the prominent black actors and producers of the day had retired and/or passed away. Shuffle Along also brought black audiences to the orchestra rather than being relegated to the balcony, and featured the first sophisticated African-American love story. An orchestra is an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string brass woodwind sections and possibly a percussion section as well In Architecture, a mezzanine or entresol is an intermediate Floor between main floors of a Building, and therefore typically not counted Moreover, Shuffle Along laid the foundation for public acceptance of African-American performers in other than burlesque roles. Burlesque is theatrical entertainment of broad and parodic humor which usually consists of comic skits (and sometimes a strip tease)
The impact of Shuffle Along rippled through Broadway, with nine African-American musicals opening between 1921 and 1924. For the next few years, black theatre would pioneer several "firsts. " In 1928, the first edition of Lew Leslie's Blackbirds featured Bill "Bojanles" Robinson as the first black dance star on Broadway. Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Lew Leslie (1888-1963 was a Broadway writer and producer Although white, he was the first to present black artists on stage Bill "Bojangles" Robinson ( May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949) was a pre-eminent African-American tap dancer In 1929, Harlem, a drama by Wallace Thurman and William Rapp, introduced the Slow Drag, the first African-American social dance to reach Broadway. Wallace Henry Thurman (1902&ndash1934 was an American Novelist during the Harlem Renaissance. Social dance is a major category or classification of Danceforms or dance styles where sociability and socializing are the primary focuses of the dancing
As scholar James Haskins noted, Shuffle Along "started a whole new era for blacks on Broadway, as well as a whole new era for blacks in all creative fields. " Loften Mitchell, author of Black Drama: The Story of the American Negro in the Theatre, credits Shuffle Along with launching the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was named after the anthology The New Negro, edited by Alain Locke in 1925
Attempted Revivals
- Road versions toured successfully throughout the country up to 1924. Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
- In 1932, the show was revived at the Mansfield Theatre but closed after seventeen performances. Year 1932 ( MCMXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar.
- In 1933 Blake, Sissle, Miller, and Lyles reunited but the production was not met with critical success. Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
- A 1952 revival, starring Sissle and Blake and choreographed by Henry LeTang, was also unsuccessful. Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Henry LeTang ( June 19 1915 - April 26 2007) was an American Theatre, Film, and Television
Trivia
President Harry Truman chose the Shuffle Along song "I'm Just Wild About Harry" for his campaign anthem. " I'm Just Wild About Harry " (1921 is a song written by Eubie Blake (music and Noble Sissle (lyrics for the Broadway production of A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a specific group
External links
- Musicals 101 listing
- Shuffle Along, 1921 at the Internet Broadway Database
- Shuffle Along, 1933 at the Internet Broadway Database
- Shuffle Along, 1952 at the Internet Broadway Database
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