May 23 marks the anniversary of the original Broadway production of Shuffle Along, a revue-style musical that was one of the first all-Black Broadway hits in history . The production was forced to open at a remote theatre on West 63rd Street, and yet became such a hit that the show was known for causing traffic jams at the stage door after curtain call.
In 2016, Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed premiered on Broadway, a reworking of the original Shuffle Along that included Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle's original songs and aspects of Flournoy Miller and Aubrey Lyles' original book, retooled in a new book by George C. Wolfe. The production opened at the Music Box Theatre on April 28, 2016, starring Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Brandon Victor Dixon, Billy Porter, and Joshua Henry. Shuffle Along played 38 previews and 100 regular performances before closing on July 24, 2016, and was nominated for ten Tony Awards.
Flip through photos from Shuffle Along below:
