"For readers of Hidden Figures and Something Wonderful, Footnotes is the story of New York in the roaring twenties and the first Broadway show with an all-Black cast and creative team to achieve success--and its impact on our popular culture. Amidst a culture actively whitewashing, controlling, or trying to prevent their stories from being told, these artists changed the course of American entertainment. This groundbreaking group of performers and the creators (including composer Eubie Blake and lyricist Noble Sissle) sowed the seeds of the Harlem jazz scene and paved the way for people of color on stage and screen, ultimately leading to productions such as West Side Story, Black Panther, and of course, Hamilton"-- Gaines provides an in-depth look into the rise of the 1921 Broadway hit, Shuffle Along, the first all-Black musical to succeed on Broadway. No one was sure if America was ready for a show featuring nuanced, thoughtful portrayals of Black characters-- and the potential fallout was terrifying. But from the first jazzy, syncopated beats of composers Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake, New York audiences fell head over heels. It became a runaway Broadway hit that launched the careers of many of the twentieth century's most beloved Black performers. Gaines reveals the revolutionary impact one show had on generations of Americans, and how its legacy continues to resonate today. -- adapted from jacket Provided by publisher.

Part 1. The way there -- The blacker the bait, 1885-1915 -- Know your audience, 1915 -- High society, 1915-1917 -- Mo man's land, 1917-1919 -- The Red summer, 1919 -- Partnered, 1919-1921 -- Part 2. Making it -- Black bohemians, 1921 -- Nevertheless, they succeeded, 1921-1922 -- Vamped by a brown skin, 1922-1923 -- Part 3. Holding on -- Partial ownership, 1923-1924 -- Better than salary, 1924-1925 -- Another second chance, 1925-1933 -- White folks follow, 1933-1952 -- Epilogue: Encores.