Shuffle Along Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
Shuffle Along Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed - 2016 Broadway History , Info & More
Music Box Theatre (Broadway)
239 West 45th St. New York, NY
In May 1921, the new musical Shuffle Along became the unlikeliest of hits, significantly altering the face of the Broadway musical as well as that of New York City. By the time Shuffle Along stumbled into town after a back-breaking pre-Broadway tour, it was deeply in debt and set to open at a remote Broadway house on West 63rd Street. In a season full of spectacles, such as Sally - a Ziegfeld musical - and another edition of George White's Scandals, Shuffle Along's failure was almost a foregone conclusion. New York City was still in the throes of the Depression of 1920. And despite being celebrated vaudeville performers, Miller and Lyles and Sissle and Blake had never performed on Broadway, much less written a musical. But with an infectious jazz score and exuberant dancing, Shuffle Along ignited not just Broadway but all of New York City. George Gershwin, Fanny Brice, Al Jolson, Langston Hughes, and famed critic George Jean Nathan were among the many fans who repeatedly flocked to West 63rd Street to see a cast which - during its run of 504 performances - featured such incipient luminaries as Josephine Baker, Paul Robeson, Florence Mills, Fredi Washington, and Adelaide Hall. Because of Shuffle Along, Uptown and Downtown met and became one.
Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Billy Porter, Brandon Victor Dixon, and Joshua Henry will star in SHUFFLE ALONG Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed, a striking new production that presents both the 1921 musical itself, and additionally details the events that catalyzed the songwriting team of Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake, and librettists F.E. Miller and Aubrey Lyles to create this ground-breaking work.
SHUFFLE ALONG will have a new book by George C. Wolfe, will be choreographed by Savion Glover, and directed by Mr. Wolfe. SHUFFLE ALONG marks the first time that the writer/director and choreographer will have worked together since their 1996 hit Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk.
Shuffle Along Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed - 2016 - Broadway Cast
PREVIEW Shuffle Along Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed - 2016 - Broadway
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FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Shuffle Along Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
'Shuffle Along' Broadway review: This dream team cast dazzles
9 / 10
This proudly flashy, impressively ambitious show is the very last production to open in the 2015-16 Broadway season. Talk about finishing on a high note...The first act is a particularly fluid dramatization and distillation of a tremendous amount of historical information, presented through a series of razzle-dazzle, tap-heavy production numbers. As might be expected with a show trying to do so much, 'Shuffle Along' sometimes bites off more than it can chew. There are six major characters here...and keeping track of their assorted backstories and rivalries proves daunting. After the rousing first act, the second act seems to meander...And while Wolfe does a fine job conveying the social and cultural complexities of a work like 'Shuffle Along'...some of the essence of the source material is lost...But what a dream team Wolfe has assembled here, and what unadulterated joy they evince at being able to perform together.
Review: ‘Shuffle Along’ Returns to Broadway’s Embrace
7 / 10
So just what is it, this tart and sweet, bubbly and flat, intoxicating and sobering concoction being dispensed from the stage of theMusic Box Theater?...As staged by Mr. Wolfe and Mr. Glover...routines first performed nearly a century ago come across as defiantly fresh...Often you sense that Mr. Wolfe has a checklist of historic points he must, but must, cover before the show's end...The clunky, shoehorned-in exposition doesn't overwhelm the sweeping grace of 'Shuffle Along' whenever it sings or dances...The show's principals...all more or less manage to bend their distinctive charismas into the sinuous contours of early Broadway jazz. But Ms. McDonald is a one-woman time machine de luxe, who translates the precise stylistic quirks of a bygone era into a melting immediacy. She also provides the most fully fleshed character in the show.
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Shuffle Along Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed History
Other Productions of Shuffle Along Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
| 2016 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Shuffle Along Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed - 2016 Broadway Awards and Nominations
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Choreographer | Savion Glover |
| 2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical) | Ann Roth |
| 2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Choreography | Savion Glover |
| 2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical | Ann Roth |
| 2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical | Peggy Eisenhauer |
| 2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical | Jules Fisher |
| 2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Musical | Shuffle Along Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed |
| 2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical | Scott Lehrer |
| 2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Wig and Hair | Mia M. Neal |
| 2016 | New York Drama Critics Circle Awards | Best Musical | Shuffle Along, or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and all that Followed |
| 2016 | Tony Awards | Best Book of a Musical | George C. Wolfe |
| 2016 | Tony Awards | Best Choreography | Savion Glover |
| 2016 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Musical | Ann Roth |
| 2016 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Musical | George C. Wolfe |
| 2016 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Musical | Jules Fisher |
| 2016 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Musical | Peggy Eisenhauer |
| 2016 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed |
| 2016 | Tony Awards | Best Orchestrations | Daryl Waters |
| 2016 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical | Brandon Victor Dixon |
| 2016 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical | Adrienne Warren |
| 2016 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Musical | Santo Loquasto |
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