{"product_id":"footnotes-the-black-artists-who-rewrote-the-rules-of-the-great-white-way-9781492688815","title":"Footnotes: The Black Artists Who Rewrote the Rules of the Great White Way","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA major contribution to the culture.--Brian Jay Jones, \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eJim Henson: The Biography\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe triumphant story of the all-Black Broadway musical that changed the world forever\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOpening night was going better than any of them could have expected, but the performers knew the rapturous applause was obscuring the truth: there was a good chance someone was going to get killed at any moment, and it was likely to be one of them. When the curtain rose on \u003cem\u003eShuffle Along\u003c\/em\u003e in 1921, the first all-Black musical to succeed on Broadway, no one was sure if America was ready for a show featuring nuanced, thoughtful portrayals of Black characters--and the potential fallout was terrifying. But from the first jazzy, syncopated beats of composers Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake's inspired musical numbers, New York audiences fell head over heels for \u003cem\u003eShuffle Along\u003c\/em\u003e, which was unlike anything they had seen before.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFootnotes\u003c\/em\u003e is the story of how Sissle and Blake, along with comedians Flournoy Miller and Aubrey Lyles, overcame poverty, racism, and violence to harness the energy of the Harlem Renaissance and produce a runaway Broadway hit that launched the careers of many of the twentieth century's most beloved Black performers. Born in the shadow of slavery and establishing their careers at a time of increasing demands for racial justice and representation for people of color, Sissle, Blake, Miller, and Lyles broke down innumerable barriers between Black and white communities at a crucial point in our history. Author and pop culture expert Caseen Gaines leads readers through the glitz and glamour of New York City during the Roaring Twenties to reveal the revolutionary impact one show had on generations of Americans, and how its legacy continues to resonate today.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBefore \u003cem\u003eHamilton\u003c\/em\u003e, before \u003cem\u003eThe Wiz\u003c\/em\u003e, and even before \u003cem\u003ePorgy and Bess\u003c\/em\u003e, there was \u003cem\u003eShuffle Along\u003c\/em\u003e, an unforgettable theatrical achievement that paved the way for innumerable Black actors, dancers, musicians, and composers and left an indelible mark on our popular culture and our lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eShuffle Along\u003c\/em\u003e was the first of its kind when the piece arrived on Broadway. This musical introduced Black excellence to the Great White Way. Broadway was forever changed and we, who stand on the shoulders of our brilliant ancestors, are charged with the very often elusive task of carrying that torch into our present. I am humbled to have been part of the short-lived 2016 historical telling of how far we've come, starring as Aubrey Lyles in \u003cem\u003eShuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed\u003c\/em\u003e--and happy that \u003cem\u003eFootnotes\u003c\/em\u003e further secures his place in history.--\u003cstrong\u003eBilly Porter, Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Award-winning actor\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Sourcebooks\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/25\/2021\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781492688815\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 448\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.25h x 6.25w x 1.50d","brand":"Caseen Gaines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39894508699829,"sku":"9781492688815","price":22.94,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_5730dd32-9705-4d81-9e4b-611f98ab5dc0.jpg?v=1619543584","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/footnotes-the-black-artists-who-rewrote-the-rules-of-the-great-white-way-9781492688815","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}