Today is bittersweet as we say farewell to one of our most beloved shows, the Broadway hit musical Shuffle Along, Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed. Today the show officially ends its run after playing 38 previews and 100 regular performances.
I must admit, going down 45th street won’t fill me with the butterflies like it did earlier in the year, but I am glad I got to experience that feeling. To know what could be, and how we can continuously work towards making it the norm.
Why life’s but a chance and when time comes to choose,
If you lose, don’t start singing the blues,
But just you Shuffle Along, and whistle a song,
Why sometimes a smile will right every wrong,
Keep smiling and Shuffle Along
The lyrics of the title song, “Shuffle Along”, are perhaps some of the most profound words of advice a show can offer. It’s always a downer when shows close on Broadway, and there are a multitude of factors that go into a show’s closing. However, it doesn’t hurt any less when a show you loved and adored leaves way too soon. But, like the lyrics of the song suggest, “keep smiling and Shuffle Along.”
Shuffle Along, Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed stars Tony Award winners Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Billy Porter. The cast of 34 is rounded out by Tony Award nominees Joshua Henry, Brandon Victor Dixon and Adrienne Warren, and features Broadway Black’s Off-Book The Theatre Podcast host Amber Iman. It was also nominated for several Tonys including Best Musical and also earned George C. Wolfe a Tony nomination for Best Book and Best Direction of a Musical, Ann Roth for Best Costume Design, Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhower for Best lighting Design, Daryl Waters for Best Orchestration and Savion Glover a for Best Choreography.
Still keeping our hopes alive for a cast recording, but till next time dear friends! May God be swift employment and plenty of memories to last a lifetime!
