Footnotes : : the Black Artists who Rewrote the Rules of the Great White Way

Locations
Call Number: 792.089 Ga, Black Studies 792.089 Ga, Adult Book / Nonfiction / Performing Arts / General / Gaines, Caseen
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Malletts Creek Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	792.089 Ga	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Black Studies 792.089 Ga	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / Performing Arts / General / Gaines, Caseen	4-week checkout	On Shelf

Part 1. The way there -- The blacker the bait, 1885-1915 -- Know your audience, 1915 -- High society, 1915-1917 -- Mo man's land, 1917-1919 -- The Red summer, 1919 -- Part 2. Making it -- Black bohemians, 1921 -- Nevertheless, they succeeded, 1921-1922 -- Vamped by a brown skin, 1922-1923 -- Part 3. Holding on -- Partial ownership, 1923-1924 -- Better than salary, 1924-1925 -- Another second chance, 1925-1933 -- White folks follow, 1933-1952 -- Epilogue: Encores.
"For readers of Hidden Figures and Something Wonderful, Footnotes is the story of New York in the roaring twenties and the first Broadway show with an all-Black cast and creative team to achieve success--and its impact on our popular culture. Amidst a culture actively whitewashing, controlling, or trying to prevent their stories from being told, these artists changed the course of American entertainment. This groundbreaking group of performers and the creators (including composer Eubie Blake and lyricist Noble Sissle) sowed the seeds of the Harlem jazz scene and paved the way for people of color on stage and screen, ultimately leading to productions such as West Side Story, Black Panther, and of course, Hamilton"-- Provided by publisher.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

Library Journal Review
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Summary / Annotation
Table of Contents
Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

One of my top picks for 2022 submitted by Susan4Pax -prev. sueij- on July 19, 2023, 6:29am This was an unexpected find on Audible, and I’m thrilled that I picked it out. It’s a well-researched, well-written, and utterly compelling telling of the story of Shuffle Along, including the histories and influences on and of the four main writers and producers (composers Sissle and Blake and comedians Miller and Lyles), as well as notable stars who got their start in the show. There is plenty of relevant context around the show, from vaudeville and blackface to African Americans serving in WWI, onward to the larger context of Broadway and theater as a whole, and how Shuffle Along changed the art world right up to Hamilton. There are many characters, but I didn’t have trouble keeping them straight, and that’s a testimony to the excellent writing. Many reviews are cited, but they are worked into the narrative in a way that flows.

This is one of my surprise best nonfiction books of 2022 (surprise for me because I am not a theater person, so I wouldn’t have guessed this would end up at the top of my list). Excellent book, and highly recommended.