well, That's Show Biz, 02-19-2023 47 Black History Month

Black History Month

“Well, That’s Show Biz!”

02-19-2023

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• Welcome to “well, That’s Show Biz!”. I am your host, Jeremy Freedman, and every week I bring you music from Broadway, Movies, and Entertainers along with some anecdotes, information, and commentary all based on a theme.

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• February is Black History Month so for this show we are going to highlight the history of the African American musical. Since we only have an hour, this will not be a comprehensive list and will only go up through the 1990s.

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• Most people think the African American musical began with Porgy & Bess in 1935 but the first all-black musical goes back to 1897 with the Bob Cole and Billy Johnson musical with the unfortunate title, A Trip To Coontown. This was the first full length New York musical comedy written, directed, and performed exclusively by African Americans. Around 1901, Bob Cole teamed with brothers J. Rosamond Johnson and James Weldon Johnson began to write several popular songs of the day. One of these songs, “Under the Bamboo Tree” was featured in the movie musical Meet Me In St. Louis and we are going to hear this version sung by Judy Garland and Margaret O’Brien. Another of their popular songs was “Louisiana Lize” and we are going to hear a version of this song sung by Melinda Doolittle. Here’s “Under the Bamboo Tree”.

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• You just heard two of Bob Cole’s most famous songs, “Under the Bamboo Tree” and “Louisiana Lize”. Bob Cole was the preeminent leader  in black musical theater. He committed suicide in 1911 after a period of depression.

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• In 1911, Scott Joplin, famous for ragtime, wrote an opera called Treemonisha. It was never officially produced until it got rediscovered and finally produced in 1972. Joplin was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize for music in 1976 for Treemonisha. We are going to hear a selection called “Aunt Dinah Has Blowed the Horn”. In 1921, Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle wrote the Broadway hit, Shuffle Along, which is credited with inspiring the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and ‘30s. It ran for 504 performances which was incredible for the time. We are going to hear their big hit “I’m Just Wild About Harry” from the 1950 revival with composer Eubie Blake on piano and lyricist Noble Sissle singing. And finally in this set, Porgy and Bess was written in 1935 by composer George Gershwin and author and lyricist DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. We are going to hear Sammy Davis Jr. sing “It Ain’t Necessarily So” from the 1959 movie version. Here is “Aunt Dinah Has Blowed the Horn” from Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha.

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• We are celebrating Black History Month today and you just heard “Aunt Dinah Has Blowed The Horn” from Scott Joplin’s 1911 opera Treemonisha, “I’m Just Wild About Harry” from the 1921 hit Shuffle Along, and “It Ain’t Necessarily So” from 1935 opera Porgy and Bess.

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• <PSA>

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• We are looking at a history of African American musicals for Black History Month on this week’s edition of “well, That’s Show Biz!”. 1940 saw the opening of the musical Cabin In The Sky followed in 1943 by the movie version which starred Ethel Waters, Eddie “Rochester” Robinson, and Lena Horne. We are going to hear Ethel Waters sing the hit song “Taking a Chance On Love”. Also in 1943, another movie musical with an all-black cast was released, Stormy Weather starring Lena Horne, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and Cab Calloway. We are going to hear Lena Horne sing a version of “Stormy Weather” which was actually written in 1933 but used in the movie. And finally in this set, Oscar Hammerstein II wrote lyrics for the musical Carmen Jones which was an all-black version of Bizet’s opera Carmen. We will hear the famous Dat’s Love (Habanera) from Carmen Jones. Here’s “Taking a Chance On Love” from Cabin In The Sky.

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• <Underwriting>

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• You are listening to “well, That’s Show Biz!” on [station ID]. We are looking at the history of African American musicals for Black History Month and you just heard “Taking a Chance On Love” from Cabin In The Sky, Lena Horne with Stormy Weather, and Dat’s Love (Habanera) from Carmen Jones.

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• In 1964, Sammy Davis Jr. starred as a boxer in Golden Boy based on Clifford Odets play by the same name with music by Charles Strauss and lyrics by Lee Adams.  We are going to hear “Night Song”. 1967 brought the Jule Styne, Comden and Green musical Hallelujah, Baby! which won the 1968 Tony award for best musical. The show about the early 20th century struggle for African American equality made Leslie Uggams a star. Here she is singing  “Being Good”. 1970s Purlie about a traveling preacher in the Jim Crow era south won Tony Awards for Cleavon Little and Melba Moore. We are going to hear Melba Moore sing the joyful song “I Got Love”. And finally in this set, we are going to hear the “Finale” of the Tony award winning musical of 1974, Raisin based on the play, A Raisin in the Sun about an African American family in Chicago in 1951.  Here’s “Night Song” from Golden Boy.

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• We are looking at the history of African American musicals for Black History Month and you just heard “Night Song” from Golden Boy, “Being Good” from Hallelujah, Baby!, “I Got Love” from Purlie, and the “Finale” of Raisin.

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• <Other show promo>

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• <PSA>

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• If you would like to contribute to future shows you can send me your theme and song suggestions to wruushowbiz@gmail.com. And send the studio an email by contacting the station at WRUU.og to tell them how much you’ve enjoyed today’s show.

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• Closing out our 20th century history of African American musicals, we are going to start with “Everybody Rejoice” from 1975’s The Wiz. Then we are going to hear “The Joint Is Jumpin’” from 1978’s Ain’t Misbehavin’, a review of the music of Fats Waller. Next, Jennifer Holliday from 1981’s Dreamgirls will give us “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going”. Then Gregory Hines will sing “Doctor Jazz” from 1992’s Jelly’s Last Jam, based on the life of Jelly Roll Morton. And finally, Savion Glover and ensemble bring us the title song from “Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk”, a review telling the story of black history from slavery to the present. Here’s “Everybody Rejoice” from The Wiz.

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• You just heard “Everybody Rejoice” from The Wiz, “The Joint Is Jumpin’” from Ain’t Misbehavin’, “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” from Dreamgirls, “Doctor Jazz” from Jelly’s Last Jam, and the title song from “Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk” as we complete our 20th century review of African American musicals for Black History Month. If you would like to help with future shows, send me your theme and song suggestions to wruushowbiz@gmail.com and tell the station how much you enjoyed today’s show by contacting them at WRUU.org. S long ‘til next week.