Musical Theater!
Origins
Musical theater originated before the late 1890’s and was developed due to the participation of African Americans in broadway shows. The origin of blacks in broadways and minstrel shows were used as way mock blacks, but as time progressed, African Americans began to perform and host the own broadway shows.
Influences
The first all black musical presented on broadway was Clorindy, o The Origin of the Cake Walk in 1898, by Will-Marion Cook and Bob Cole. Some very influential black musicals include:
- The Wiz
- Purple Rain
- Sparkle
- Fame
- Carmen Jones
Important Artist
Will-Marion Cook and Bob Cole were the first to bring blacks musicals to broadway., who made many musicals.
Conlcusion
Originally, blacks performed in musical theater as way to mock ourselves and entertain white people, but at time progressed that began to change. Black began to make musical theater into there own, and since then many black broadway productions has created so many memorable musicals, such as Dreamgirls, The Wiz, and Sparkle.
