Musical Theatre
1800s-Now
Origin
Black musical theatre originated in New York city during the late 1800s. Black people were represented in plays by using blackface. Blackface was a way to degrade blacks people and exclude them from theatre. Musical theatre involves both singing and acting in front of an audience. Dahomey was the first negro musical written and produced by African Americans. Black people were able to change their own narrative in 1903 when this play came out. Now black people are represented in major broadway productions and are getting roles based on their talent.
Famous Black Plays & Performers
Plays:
The Ziegfeld Follies
The Emperor Jones
Shuffle Along
Porgy and Bess
Othello
A Raisin in the Sun
The Wiz
Ma Raineys Black Bottom
Performers:
Taye Diggs
Brandy
KEKE Palmer
Billy Porter
James Monroe Iglehart
Denzel Washington
