Photo by Julieta Cervantes
Every so often a strange case of circumstances evolves on the Great White Way where a much-hyped show, which is playing to sold-out houses night after night, has to post an early closure notice. Sadly this has been the fate of the Broadway premiere of our #ShowOfTheWeek - Shuffle Along, Or, The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed - which has been forced to shutter on 24th July 2016.
It has been well-documented that the show's shining attraction - six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald - has had to pull out of the show early due to her becoming pregnant with her second child. Although producers originally announced Grammy winner Rhiannon Giddens as a replacement until Ms McDonald would return from her maternity leave, they recently decided to pull the plug on the whole operation instead. They feared that box office attendance would fall so dramatically that they would not be able to financially survive until Ms McDonald's return. I had heard rumblings of negotiations with the likes of Vanessa Williams to take over and I am saddened that producers weren't able to find an appealing enough substitute to keep this momentous show alive.
So if you haven't yet seen this piece of musical theatre history documenting a forgotten yet important piece of musical theatre history, then it's last chance saloon and you need to get yourselves down to the Music Box Theatre before those "Broadway Blues" kick in!
I have seen a lot of theatre in my time, yet I had never seen a new show in the form of a documentary chronicling the making of a show almost 100 years ago and using predominantly the same score. Written and directed by George C. Wolfe, this production is such a unique and creatively genius vehicle to showcase one of the first Broadway musicals to feature an entirely African American cast, that broke through and shattered the glass ceiling of Broadway theatre. We meet the main players responsible for its original staging, the obstacles they overcame and the relationships they formed along the way. We experience exerts of the original show itself and discover the fallout of where these important pioneers ended up. This production is education and entertainment in a country that, still to this day, sadly needs to be reminded that #BlackLivesMatter.
Another outstanding selling point is the relentless, jaw-dropping choreography performed by one of the most capable ensembles on the Great White Way and brought to you by Tony winner Savion Glover. Their phenomenal performance at this year's Tony Awards was a mere taster of the dance numbers on offer throughout the duration of the evening.
Click HERE to read our interview with Savion Glover.
Who knows when there will be another opportunity to see so many members of Broadway royalty in the same show at the same time. The bond that Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Brandon Victor Dixon, Billy Porter and Joshua Henry share on stage is palpable and the cherry on top of the cake is the breakthrough, stunning performance by Tony nominee Adrienne Warren. I am grateful that I got to witness this piece of history repeating and I wish the cast and crew all the very best with their next endeavours.
Click here for tickets to Shuffle Along for performances through to 24 July 2016 at Broadway's Music Box Theatre.
Brandon Victor Dixon & Audra McDonald in Shuffle Along More Production PhotosOriginally published on