Towards the end of "Shuffle Along, or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed," Harlem Renaissance era photographer and artist Carl Van Vechten (portrayed by Brooks Ashmanskas) sings to the teams who wrote the 1921 musical Broadway musical "Shuffle Along," Sissle (Joshua Henry) & Blake (Brandon Victor Dixon) and Miller (Brian Stokes Mitchell) & Lyles (Billy Porter) that no one will remember them; no one will remember the show; and, it will fade into obscurity. That song strikes a higher cord. With the surprise announcement from the producers that they would close the show as soon as six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald (Lottie Gee) left at the end of July, the accomplishments of the current "Shuffle Along" and its entire company felt unfinished.
When you are watching a musical about the struggles the creators that first African-American Broadway musical faced and then the musical is cut short of ever reaching it true potential on Broadway today, one wonders what will the future hold for this "Shuffle Along..." as well? How will it be remembered? Will it also fade into obscurity? I hope not.
Robbed from earning any Tony Awards, especially for best choreography, producers claimed poor sales after the announced exit of McDonald, and decided to close the show early, but in reality, they did not allow the show to speak for itself. The musical is strong even without McDonald. Although she was exceptional, so was her understudy Darlesia Cearcy. The story stands on its own, and with all the other powerhouse performances from the leading cast and ensemble, anyone who saw the show would agreed and question why did it close so early?
As I was watching these incredible gifted actors giving it their all through the stories of Sissle, Blake, Miller and Lyles, I could not help but wonder were they projecting their frustrations with the politics of Broadway onto their characters. And if so, I wouldn’t blame them.
Here you have a musical that speaks of the accomplishments of the original production of "Shuffle Along." Yes, the musical would be considered racist by today’s standards, of course, especially because of its use of Blackface. But as an audience member, you can clearly understand why that was relevant then. But more importantly, as an audience we should be able to see the historical significance of the first Broadway show to be produced, written and performed by Black artists, and that should take precedence. We should be able to look past the racial divide of those times and recognize the musical's accomplishments given the 1920’s. We should be able to see these stories on stage today and celebrate its influences and how far we’ve come.
"Shuffle Along" was truly a gift to Black Theatre today. With incredible choreography by Savion Glover, dynamic performances by all cast members, and a hard, but true story of strife and struggle that artists behind the original "Shuffle Along" faced, it did not get the credit it deserved. Had "Shuffle Along..." opened next season, and had it not ran against its counterpart "Hamilton," I am sure it would have swept the Tonys.
"Shuffle Along, or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All that Followed" Directed by George C. Wolfe. Music and Lyrics by Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake. Original Book by F.E. Miller and Aubrey Lyles; New Book by George C. Wolfe. Choreography by Savion Glover; Music Supervision and Orchestrations by Daryl Waters, Set Design: Santo Loquasto. Costume Design: Ann Roth. Lighting Design: Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer. Sound Design: Scott Lehrer. Production Stage Manager: Penelope Daulton. The Music Box 239 W. 45th Street, New York City. Ran from March 15 - July 24, 2016.
Daphnie Sicre is a full-time instructor at BMCC-CUNY, where she teaches courses in theatre, social justice, and advanced public speaking. Some of her NYC directing credits include: "Shower Me" at FringeNYC, "Stranger" for Stage Black where she won a Best Director Award and the Audelco nominated "Not About Eve."
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