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 is a long title. It is also a perfect title because it aptly describes act one, Shuffle Along , and act two, all that followed. Conceived by George C. Wolfe , Shuffle Along, or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed tells the story of the groundbreaking musical, Shuffle Along , remarkable because it was New York's first commercially successful musical written, directed, produced by, and starring African-Americans. (It went on to play 504 performances, and throughout the run and subsequent tours, performers included Paul Robeson and Josephine Baker.) The first act focuses on the show coming together. Noble Sissle ( Joshua Henry ) and Eubie Blake ( Brandon Victor Dixon ) are songwriters working the vaudeville circuit. F.E. Miller ( Brian Stokes Mitchell ) and Aubrey Lyles ( Billy Porter ) are a comedy duo also making the vaudeville rounds. The pairs meet at a ...