Six-Time Tony Winner Audra McDonald Will Lead Shuffle Along Musical on Broadway

Who says vaudeville’s dead? Audra McDonald, George C. Wolfe and Savion Glover are teaming up to collaborate on Shuffle Along, Or, The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed. Previews will begin on March 14, 2016 and opening night is set for April 21 at the Music Box Theatre.

McDonald will play 1920s star Lottie Gee. She's won Tonys for Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Carousel, Master Class, Ragtime, A Raisin in the Sun and Porgy and Bess. On screen, she's appeared in The Sound of Music Live!, Annie, Private Practice and Wit.

In May 1921, Shuffle Along, a new musical conceived by Flournoy Miller and Aubrey Lyles with music and lyrics by Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle, became the unlikeliest of hits, significantly altering the face of the Broadway musical as well as that of New York City. By the time Shuffle Along stumbled into town after a back-breaking pre-Broadway tour, it was deeply in debt and set to open at a remote Broadway house on West 63rd Street. In a season full of spectacles, such as Sally—a Ziegfeld musical comedy—and another edition of George White’s Scandals, Shuffle Along’s failure was almost a foregone conclusion. New York City was still in the throes of the Depression of 1920. And despite being celebrated vaudeville performers, Miller and Lyles and Sissle and Blake had never performed on Broadway, much less written a musical.

However, with an infectious jazz score and exuberant dancing, Shuffle Along ignited not just Broadway but all of New York City. George Gershwin, Fanny Brice, Al Jolson, Langston Hughes, and famed critic George Jean Nathan were among the many fans who flocked to see a cast which—during its run of 504 performances—featured such soon-to-be theatrical luminaries as Josephine Baker, Paul Robeson, Florence Mills, Fredi Washington and Adelaide Hall.

Shuffle Along, Or, The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed will have music supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations by Daryl Waters. The production will feature scenic design by Santo Loquasto, costume design by Ann Roth and lighting design by Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer.