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retiredlibrarylady's review
4.0
I found this very interesting but sometimes a bit confusing. The time period is the first decades of the 20th century. Some of the names were familiar to me -- Eubie Blake, Josephine Baker, Paul Robeson -- but most were new to me. Basically, the narrative takes us from Black performers unable to work except occasionally in demeaning roles to producing large shows in New York and touring in major cities. The shows were musical comedies and some of the songs are still familiar. I always appreciate learning new things, especially when it comes to the struggles of Black Americans to be appreciated and fully accepted.
lakecake's review
4.0
I won a copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a well-researched, easy to read look at the all-Black Broadway show Shuffle Along from 1921 and the creatives who made it happen. I am not a Broadway aficionado of any sort, so I found everything about this work to be new and fascinating. It is notable for the historical aspect but also brings a timely conversation around racial discrimination and offensiveness to today’s table. In looking at this ground-breaking musical, one must also revisit layers of racism and race-based discrimination that persist even into today. Highly recommend.
This is a well-researched, easy to read look at the all-Black Broadway show Shuffle Along from 1921 and the creatives who made it happen. I am not a Broadway aficionado of any sort, so I found everything about this work to be new and fascinating. It is notable for the historical aspect but also brings a timely conversation around racial discrimination and offensiveness to today’s table. In looking at this ground-breaking musical, one must also revisit layers of racism and race-based discrimination that persist even into today. Highly recommend.
jmutrickster's review
5.0
A well-researched look into the creative forces behind Shuffle Along. The book moves along briskly and, by the end, asks some very poignant questions. As someone who studied MT History in college, this filled in some important gaps in my knowledge of the evolution of the musical. Highly recommended for anyone interested in musicals!
itssthestars's review
im sure its fascinating, but dense books arent the best way i retain information, especially if there isnt an audiobook to go with it.
i wish i could get further into it, but my attention just cant take it
i wish i could get further into it, but my attention just cant take it
evavroslin's review
5.0
In this amazingly comprehensive chronicle of the origins of Black artists in music, theatre, film, and television, Caseen Gaines has laid the groundwork for what should be the essential volume on the subject for many years to come. Tracing the origins of Black performers from the 1830s on to blackface minstrelsy and the nuances of Black and white performers in this regard, Gaines goes into depth about the formation of vaudeville, then later Broadway, and Hollywood. For anyone who wants a definitive text on this subject, they should purchase this book right away.