1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,000 Speaker 1: The Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, Hello, and Welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: a show that raises the curtain on everyday history and 4 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:21,599 Speaker 1: lets it take about I'm Gabe Bluesier, And in this episode, 5 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 1: we're reacquainting ourselves with a long overlooked piece of musical 6 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 1: theater history, one that literally changed the face of the 7 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:38,080 Speaker 1: art form, both on stage and in the crowd. The 8 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:45,239 Speaker 1: day was May twenty three, one. The Broadway musical shuffle Along, 9 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 1: debuted at the sixty three Street Music Hall, located about 10 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:53,880 Speaker 1: half a mile north of New York City's Theater district. 11 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 1: The show would have typically been considered off Broadway, but 12 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: because it's ticket prices matched those of other Broadway productions, 13 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 1: it was considered one itself. In the end, Broadway was 14 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:10,040 Speaker 1: lucky to have it, as shuffle Along proved so popular 15 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 1: that police had to convert West sixty three Street into 16 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:18,480 Speaker 1: a one way thoroughfare just to prevent traffic jams before showtimes. 17 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 1: The show's success was all the more notable since it 18 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 1: was the first Broadway musical to be staged with an 19 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:32,320 Speaker 1: all black cast playwright, composer, and lyricist. The review style 20 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:36,960 Speaker 1: show was the creation of four vaudeville veterans, floor Ney 21 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:40,960 Speaker 1: Miller and Aubrey Lyle, who wrote the show's book or script, 22 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 1: You Be Blake, who composed the music, and Noble Sissel, 23 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 1: who penned the lyrics. The quartet first met each other 24 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 1: at an n double a CP benefit event in Philadelphia. 25 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 1: In feeling stifled by the constraints of vaudeville, they decided 26 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: to pull their talents to mount a full fledged Broadway show. 27 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: The story they came up with centers on two unscrupulous friends, 28 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:10,680 Speaker 1: Sam and Steve, who both run for mayor of the 29 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: fictional Jim Town, USA. Each man promises to appoint the 30 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:19,959 Speaker 1: other as chief of police if he wins. There's also 31 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 1: a romantic subplot involving Harry Walton, the friends virtuous opponent 32 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 1: in the election, and a young woman named Jesse. In 33 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 1: a bold break from the tradition of the time, the 34 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 1: romance between two African American characters was treated seriously instead 35 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:40,520 Speaker 1: of being played for laughs. That said, the plot of 36 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: Shuffle Along was pretty bare bones, mostly serving as a 37 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:48,080 Speaker 1: way to showcase the songs and dance numbers. When the 38 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: show opened in May of ninety one, its eventual success 39 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:57,240 Speaker 1: was anything but guaranteed. After holding pre Broadway tryouts in 40 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:00,920 Speaker 1: Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the production lived in New York 41 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 1: with a debt of around twenty thousand dollars the equivalent 42 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 1: of nearly three hundred thousand dollars today. This severe lack 43 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:12,920 Speaker 1: of capital relegated the show to a Rundown theater on 44 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: West sixty three Street, Formerly a lecture hall. The space 45 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:21,280 Speaker 1: had only a small stage and no orchestra pit at all. 46 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:25,880 Speaker 1: It was wedged between two automotive garages and look the 47 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:29,919 Speaker 1: worse for wear inside and out. However, as you Be 48 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:34,640 Speaker 1: Blake later recalled, quote, it wasn't Broadway, but we made 49 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 1: it Broadway shabby theater Aside, there was also the question 50 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:43,480 Speaker 1: of whether the predominantly white audiences of Broadway would be 51 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 1: willing to support an all black show. To increase their odds, 52 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 1: the show's producers included plenty of the demeaning comedy that 53 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: white audiences had come to expect from minstrelsy, including racial 54 00:03:55,960 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 1: stereotypes and even black face. That's right, all the the 55 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 1: cast was made up entirely of African Americans. The two 56 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 1: comic leads still appeared in black face paint to help 57 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 1: white audiences feel more at ease. These decisions may seem counterproductive, 58 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:17,359 Speaker 1: and many black theater goers certainly felt so at the time, 59 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: but those involved in the production saw them as a 60 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:23,920 Speaker 1: necessary evil, a way to get a foot in the door, 61 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 1: so to speak. Thankfully, those concessions, ugly as they were, 62 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 1: did at least achieve the desired effect. Shuffle Along not 63 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 1: only helped legitimize African American musicals, it marked the beginning 64 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:42,039 Speaker 1: of desegregated theaters in America by allowing black audience members 65 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:45,279 Speaker 1: to sit in orchestra seats rather than confining them to 66 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 1: the balcony. To be clear, though Shuffle Along didn't just 67 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 1: coast along on its novelty, it had musical chops as well. 68 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 1: One of the show's hit songs was Love Will Find 69 00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:01,479 Speaker 1: a Way, a heartfelt duet sung are the show's infatuated 70 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:06,359 Speaker 1: couple Harry and Jesse. According to lyricist Noble Sistle, the 71 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 1: song was the subject of concern right up until opening night. 72 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:14,159 Speaker 1: As he later recalled quote, we were afraid that when 73 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 1: Lottie g and Roger Matthews sang it, we'd be run 74 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 1: out of town. We were standing near the exit door, 75 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:23,839 Speaker 1: with one foot inside the theater and the other pointed 76 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:27,599 Speaker 1: north toward Harlem. Imagine our amazement when the song was 77 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 1: not only beautifully received, but encord Unfortunately, there was no 78 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:37,479 Speaker 1: cast recording from that original production, but here's a clip 79 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: of the song from a demo recording that Blake and 80 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 1: Secle made in ninety in hopes of drumming up interest 81 00:05:43,839 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 1: in a revival of the show. Another standout number from 82 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:06,800 Speaker 1: Shuffle Along was I'm Just Wild About Harry, a jazzy, 83 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 1: up tempo foxtrot that became a hit not only with 84 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 1: theater goers but with the general public as well. The 85 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 1: song even got a new lease on life in ninety eight, 86 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 1: when President Harry Truman used it as the anthem of 87 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:25,480 Speaker 1: his reelection campaign. Once again, we only have instrumental recordings 88 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 1: from the show's original run, so here's a sample from 89 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:34,479 Speaker 1: that nineteen fifty demo, You're Just wild about Harry and 90 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:48,680 Speaker 1: her wild heavenly bliss of it, just like you like 91 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:55,920 Speaker 1: from a You're Just Wild About Hary and the Wile 92 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 1: Hannah Do without Everywhile. One of the other lasting contributions 93 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 1: of Shuffle Along was that it introduced the world to 94 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 1: a host of gifted black artists, including Florence Mills, Paul Robeson, 95 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 1: Adelaide Hall, and of course, Josephine Baker. She joined the 96 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:20,239 Speaker 1: cast when she was just sixteen years old, and later 97 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 1: went on to become the first black woman to play 98 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 1: the leading role in a major motion picture that would 99 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 1: be the Silent Film Siren of the Tropics. In later years, 100 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:35,440 Speaker 1: Baker became just as well known for her work as 101 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 1: a civil rights activist. An outspoken opponent of segregation and 102 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 1: other forms of racial injustice, Baker worked with the n 103 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 1: double a c P, led impromptu protests, and even gave 104 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 1: a speech at the historic March on Washington in nineteen 105 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:53,960 Speaker 1: sixty three. She and Daisy Bates were the only women 106 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 1: to address the audience that day. By that point, Baker 107 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:01,360 Speaker 1: had been a world renowned entertainer for decades, but it 108 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 1: was the often overlooked Shuffle Along the provided her big 109 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 1: break in the nineteen twenties. Despite the prejudices of the era, 110 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:12,960 Speaker 1: the show managed to win over critics and audiences alike, 111 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:17,000 Speaker 1: and ultimately ran for five hundred and four performances and 112 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 1: indisputable success by the standards of the day. After it 113 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:25,560 Speaker 1: closed on Broadway, In July of nineteen twenty two, Shuffle 114 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:29,080 Speaker 1: Along kicked off a three year tour across the United States, 115 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:32,480 Speaker 1: becoming the first black musical to play in many of 116 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:36,840 Speaker 1: the nation's theaters. The show briefly returned to Broadway in 117 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:40,440 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty three and then again in nineteen fifty two, 118 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 1: but neither production left much of an impression, causing the 119 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:47,000 Speaker 1: show to slip into obscurity for the better part of 120 00:08:47,120 --> 00:08:52,840 Speaker 1: sixty years. At last, though, in sixteen, Shuffle Along returned 121 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:56,679 Speaker 1: to prominence when esteemed playwright and theater director George C. 122 00:08:56,960 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 1: Wolf mounted a reimagined version of the show. His production 123 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:06,040 Speaker 1: told two stories, the show's original plot and the behind 124 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:09,599 Speaker 1: the scenes tale of the real life artists and performers 125 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 1: who first brought that groundbreaking show to life. The buzz 126 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:18,600 Speaker 1: around Wolf's reimagining rekindled interest in the original show. It 127 00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:22,439 Speaker 1: also helped a new generation understand the impact that show 128 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:25,680 Speaker 1: had not only on musical theater, but on the black 129 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 1: experience and the development of American culture as a whole. 130 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:34,680 Speaker 1: The original Shuffle Along maybe more offensive than entertaining to 131 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:39,599 Speaker 1: the average audience today, but the progress it represented, while imperfect, 132 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:45,240 Speaker 1: is something we should never forget I'm gay, Bluesier, and 133 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:49,280 Speaker 1: hopefully you now know a little more about history today 134 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:52,720 Speaker 1: than you did yesterday. You can learn even more about 135 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 1: history by following us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at 136 00:09:56,679 --> 00:10:00,840 Speaker 1: t d i HC Show, and if have any comments 137 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:03,880 Speaker 1: or suggestions, you can send them my way at this 138 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:07,720 Speaker 1: Day at I heart media dot com. Thanks to Chandler 139 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:10,840 Speaker 1: Mays for producing the show, and thanks to you for listening. 140 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 1: I'll see you back here again tomorrow for another day 141 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 1: in history class.