Available:*
Material Type | Library | Call Number | Item Barcode | Location |
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Book | Searching... Billerica Public Library | 792.08996/LANE 2015 | 33934003710598 | Searching... Unknown |
Book | Searching... Methuen - Nevins Memorial Library | 792.089 LAN | 31548002859776 | Searching... Unknown |
Book | Searching... North Andover - Stevens Memorial Library | 792.089 LANE | 31478010047604 | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
The African-American actors and actresses whose names have shone brightly on Broadway marquees earned their place in history not only through hard work, perseverance, and talent, but also because of the legacy left by those who came before them. Like the doors of many professions, those of the theater world were shut to minorities for decades. While the Civil War may have freed the slaves, it was not until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s that the playing field began to level. In this remarkable book, theater producer and historian Stewart F. Lane uses words and pictures to capture this tumultuous century and to highlight the rocky road that black actors have travelled to reach recognition on the Great White Way.
After the Civil War, the popularity of the minstrel shows grew by leaps and bounds throughout the country. African Americans were portrayed by whites, who would entertain audiences in black face. While the depiction of blacks was highly demeaning, it opened the door to African-American performers, and by the late 1800s, a number of them were playing to full houses. By the 1920s, the Jazz Age was in full swing, allowing black musicians and composers to reach wider audiences. And in the thirties, musicals such as George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess and Eubie Blake's Swing It opened the door a little wider.
As the years passed, black performers continued to gain ground. In the 1940s, Broadway productions of Cabin in the Sky, Carmen Jones, and St. Louis Woman enabled African Americans to demonstrate a fuller range of talents, and Paul Robeson reached national prominence in his awarding-winning portrayal of Othello. By the 1950s and '60s, more black actors--including Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, and Sidney Poitier--had found their voices on stage, and black playwrights and directors had begun to make their marks.
Black Broadway provides an entertaining, poignant history of a Broadway of which few are aware. By focusing a spotlight on both performers long forgotten and on those whom we still hold dear, this unique book offers a story well worth telling.
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Filled with black-and-white photos and illustrations, this richly informative book by six-time Tony Award-winning Broadway producer Lane honors the legacy of determined African-American performers and ground-breaking productions, spanning from the polarizing early years of the minstrel shows through the vaudeville heyday of the 1880s and to the glittering Jazz Age of the 1920s, the post-World War II era of the 1950s, and the 1960s. The book, supported by a foreword by noted Broadway producer Kenny Leon, highlights such entertainers as Ira Aldridge, Bert Williams, George Walker, the Whitman sisters, Scott Joplin, Paul Robeson, Eubie Blake, Noble Sissle, Ethel Waters, Florence Mills, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Sidney Poitier, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, August Wilson, Gregory Hines, and Audra McDonald, all dedicated to altering social and political attitudes. With photo stills and original theater-bill cover art, this is a wonderful, insightful history of black theater. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
For African Americans, the stage has held as much challenge, struggle, and triumph as other aspects of American life and culture. In this wonderfully illustrated and researched book, Tony Award-winning producer Lane chronicles the evolution of black theater from the 1700s to today. It is a history of finding creative expression in the midst of social constraints and massive cultural and political changes. Lane details the efforts of black Americans to carve out a place for themselves to showcase their lives and experiences, from the African Grove Theatre in the 1800s, the first theater known to have been established by African Americans in New York, to the Broadway musicals and dramas of the modern stage. Lane profiles an assortment of black actors, composers, lyricists, and playwrights who brought the African American experience alive in the theater. Among those profiled are Ira Aldridge, Bert Williams, Ella Fitzgerald, Ethel Waters, Ruby Dee, and Ossie Davis. Lane explores the changes in American culture that were reflected on stage, from the demeaning minstrel shows to the bold dramas of the 1960s.--Bush, Vanessa Copyright 2014 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Starred Review. The history of the participation of African Americans on the Broadway stage as actors, directors, producers, composers, and playwrights is presented in this handsomely illustrated volume. Ranging from William Alexander Brown's founding of the African Grove Theatre in 1816 through Stephen Byrd and Alia Jones-Harvey's revival of Horton Foote's The Trip to Bountiful with an African American cast in 2013, award-winning Broadway producer (Thoroughly Modern Millie; La Cage Aux Folles) and author (Jews on Broadway; Let's Put on a Show!) Lane gives an impressive overview with rare production stills, playbills, and posters making his study an essential reference work. Of particular note are the individual short essays on such stage pioneers as Charles Sidney Gilpin, who originated the eponymous role in Eugene O'Neill's The Empreror Jones and a lovely tribute to Diana Sands, whose credits include the original production of A Raisin in the Sun and The Owl and Pussycat. Of interest to students is the time line of African American history running at the bottom of each page and providing valuable social and cultural context. VERDICT This volume's superior presentation of visual theatrical elements make it essential for any theater collection.-John Frank, Los Angeles P.L. (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.