About the work
Musical with music by Eubie Blake, lyrics by Noble Sissle and a book by Flournoy Miller and Aubrey Lyles, premiered on 23 May 1921 at the 63rd Street Music Hall on Broadway.
Plot
In the fictional town of Jimtown, shopkeepers Sam Peck and Steve Jenkins run against each other for mayor, each promising the other the post of police chief. Their feud escalates while the honest rival candidate Harry Walton ultimately wins both the election and the heart of Jessie.
Cultural significance
"Shuffle Along" is regarded as the first Broadway musical in over a decade to be written, composed and performed entirely by Black artists, bringing jazz and ragtime prominently to the mainstream stage. The production launched the careers of Josephine Baker, Florence Mills and Paul Robeson and is credited by theatre historians with helping spark the Harlem Renaissance on stage.