Broadway Musicals: The History Of Broadway

Believe it or not, Broadway musicals have not always been as diverse as they are now. Throughout its history, Broadway discriminated against people of color, never dealt with the issue of racism, and had little to no diversity, despite its prominence. Diversity is important because it makes people feel more represented and not worth any less than others. Addressing racial discrimination has helped people to realize that they are not alone in their struggles, and can impact their lives. The history of Broadway has impacted many people’s lives and has evolved to come to be much more diverse and to address racism in a more serious way. Knowing the history of Broadway is important because it can aid one in understanding how it came to be. In
Audience members began to grow more comfortable with seeing African Americans on stage. One tremendously famous black actor was Bert Williams. He played a character who was forlorn and miserable. His character made people more aware of how insignificant African American actors and audience members alike felt. This perception was an extremely important factor on the history of Broadway musicals. In the 1920s and 30s, a period known as the Golden Age, musicals began to become more diverse and cultured, showing how this time period was a time of vast progression in Broadway. The Creole Show was one of the first musicals that had a large impact on Broadway. With its music and dancing, it helped change the perception of African Americans. This led to the development of an even more influential musical, Shuffle Along. Shuffle Along was created by two African American teams and premiered on Broadway in 1921. It led to black performers no longer having to use blackface, and black women began to have more lead roles. Not only did it have a high impact onstage, but it also had a high impact offstage, too. Named after the musical, Shuffle Inn was a club built in Harlem, the heart of the musical. This showed the immense amount of talent and excitement in the city. Because of its success, Shuffle Along inspired people to write more African American