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In his memoir, Donald McKayle described the show as ultimately unsuccessful: "Some of the songs that emerged were wonderful and the language exquisite, but the play did not hang together." Morrison's stage directions, which she read aloud to audiences at both the 1982 workshop production and the 1984
194:
reported in March 1983 that producer Kevin
Gebhard disagreed with Morrison and McKayle on the direction future rewrites would take, and exited the project. The authors were then seeking new management to continue development. The cost of the 1982 workshop process was $ 150,000.
215:. The production was credited as "By Toni Morrison, with Donald McKayle, music by Sidney Bechet and Jelly Roll Morton, additional music and musical direction by Dorothea Freitag, lyrics by Toni Morrison." The production was directed by
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Morrison wanted to try writing lyrics as well. Paired with
Dorothea Freitag, composer of the 1962 ballet, Morrison wrote lyrics to new songs. The musical also incorporated existing music such as that of
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144:
was announced as a new
Broadway musical, featuring the playwriting debut of Toni Morrison. It was planned to open on Broadway in fall 1982, with Donald McKayle as director and choreographer and
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369:, encouraged McKayle to continue to develop the premise as a musical. With original composer Dorothea Freitag deceased, McKayle began to work with lyricist Pamela Phillips-Oland and composer
345:
staged readings, were "inseparable" to the piece. Without these sections being read, the audience could not access them, and at the same time they could not hold audience attention.
65:
Choreographer and director Donald McKayle first explored the story of New
Orleans' Storyville when he collaborated with composer Dorothea Freitag in 1962, with the influential piece
188:
would not be moving to
Broadway after all, and that Paramount had exited as a backer. Instead, a further workshop would refine the work, funded by an anonymous financial backer.
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73:
in a New
Orleans brothel. It tells the story of a madam, the brothel prostitutes, a jazz horn player and "Little Lou", a child who dreams of being a musician as well.
80:. McKayle directed and choreographed the Buster Davis musical, a production fraught with troubles that included a difficult relationship with producer
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to collaborate on the
Storyville musical. Although she showed interest, she did not commit to the project. Gebhard then suggested novelist
120:. After a promising first meeting, they began to collaborate. "She seemed eager to work on the project," recalled McKayle in his memoir.
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132:. McKayle contributed some input to the songs, and suggested selections of antebellum music that could inform the content.
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177:. "I thought working with other people would be very difficult for me, but something magical has happened," Morrison told
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Race-ing
Justice, En-Gendering Power: Essays on Anita Hill, Clarence Thomas and the Construction of Social Reality
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among her credits because she did not originate the concept. "I wrote the play like an assignment."
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101:, a young producer named Kevin Gebhard approached McKayle. Gebhard had seen the 1980 production of
635:
Hummler, Richard (March 16, 1983). "Workshop productions a growing trend despite inflated costs".
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152:
35:
in 1984 but was never fully produced. It was
Morrison's first venture in the medium of theatre.
38:
Numerous working titles and variations have been used in press coverage of the piece, including
216:
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McKayle returned to similar subject matter and the origins of jazz music with the 1975 musical
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that she did not consider herself a playwright, and also that she intentionally did not list
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A decade later, theatre artist Mark Green, who had attended both workshop and reading of
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called the show "disastrous" and McKayle described it as "an endless series of mishaps."
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109:. He saw the potential of adapting the piece into a full musical and McKayle agreed.
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By
September, the workshop run had concluded. Producer Kevin Gebhard announced that
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Birth of a Nation'hood: Gaze, Script, and Spectacle in the O. J. Simpson Case
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377:. The show received a staged reading in 1994, but was never produced.
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The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations
309:
174:
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went into a six-week workshop production, with a cast that included
31:. Produced in workshop in 1982, it also received staged readings at
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as costume designer. It was producer Kevin Gebhard's first credit.
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155:, announced its backing of several theater ventures, including
151:
In February 1982, Paramount Theater Productions, a division of
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Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination
610:"Broadway has everything - even 'commercial interruptions'"
584:"BROADWAY; Book and lyrics of new musical by Toni Morrison"
326:
Cally's Friends - Terry Burrell, Nora Cole, Carol Maillard
281:
Beau's friends - Ed Love, Chauncey Roberts, Dan Strayhorn
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Lurleen Price (AKA Copperbottom) - S. Epatha Merkerson
449:"Composer of 'Storyville' Plays a Lot of Piano in It"
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1001:
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557:"Paramount Pictures going into legitimate theater"
27:and Dorothea Freitag, set in 1917 in New Orleans'
653:. New York Shakespeare Festival. August 10, 1984.
302:Adella Westwood (AKA Dollar Bill) - Elaine Beener
181:. "I had no idea how infectious this would be."
91:In 1981, shortly after the opening of McKayle's
970:(co-edited with Claudia Brodsky Lacour) (1997)
423:"DANCE; For Donald McKayle, the Dance Goes On"
759:
8:
975:Remember: The Journey to School Integration
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752:
744:
348:In 1986, nearing the premiere of her play
293:Rochelle La Fort (AKA Rat) - Terry Burrell
723:"THEATER; An Old Show Kicks Off New Ones"
708:Transcending Boundaries - My Dancing Life
666:Transcending Boundaries - My Dancing Life
516:Transcending Boundaries - My Dancing Life
501:Transcending Boundaries - My Dancing Life
354:, Toni Morrison noted to a reporter from
69:, a ballet inspired by the early life of
386:
287:Gloria Moon (AKA Mouth) - Ann Duquesnay
530:"Toni Morrison to make Broadway debut"
475:"'Doctor Jazz' Opens at Winter Garden"
681:"Toni Morrison Takes a Dramatic Turn"
397:A Critical Companion to Toni Morrison
7:
421:Anawalt, Sasha (December 15, 1991).
56:New Orleans: the Storyville Musical.
608:Lawson, Carol (September 6, 1982).
400:. Facts on File, Inc. p. 258.
296:Patricia Diamond (AKA Bad Blood) -
17:New Orleans: the Storyville Musical
721:Klein, Alvin (February 20, 1994).
555:Lawson, Carol (February 6, 1982).
335:Stage Manager - Elizabeth Holloway
107:Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
14:
447:Dunning, Jennifer (May 9, 1980).
52:N'Orleans: the Storyville Musical
679:Fleming, Jon (January 2, 1986).
473:Barnes, Clive (March 20, 1975).
332:Stage Directions - Toni Morrison
329:Percussionist - Leopoldo Fleming
97:, a revue based on the music of
582:Lawson, Carol (July 23, 1982).
503:. Routledge. pp. 243–245.
1:
616:. New York Times News Service
563:. New York Times News Service
284:Knockout - Charlaine Woodward
33:New York Shakespeare Festival
373:on a production that became
278:Jessica Five - Elaine Beener
207:produced staged readings of
1062:Musicals set in New Orleans
946:(compiled materials) (1974)
317:Trick Baby 1 - Pam Portillo
314:Clarence Deal - Ken Brawner
1083:
962:(edited collection) (1992)
394:Gillespie, Carmen (2007).
1067:Musicals set in the 1910s
710:. Routledge. p. 282.
668:. Routledge. p. 281.
518:. Routledge. p. 281.
706:McKayle, Donald (2002).
664:McKayle, Donald (2002).
514:McKayle, Donald (2002).
499:McKayle, Donald (2002).
614:Sarasota Herald-Tribune
1057:Works by Toni Morrison
250:Sandra Reaves-Phillips
651:Program - New Orleans
983:The Origin of Others
305:Vesuvius - Nora Cole
157:District Storyville.
94:Sophisticated Ladies
536:. November 21, 1981
298:Carol Lynn Maillard
268:S. Epatha Merkerson
167:Carmen de Lavallade
112:McKayle approached
103:District Storyville
67:District Storyville
44:District Storyville
29:Storyville district
871:God Help the Child
274:Charlaine Woodward
179:The New York Times
153:Paramount Pictures
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534:The Afro American
248:Ana La Premier -
126:Jelly Roll Morton
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685:Deseret News
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1032:(1998 film)
1021:Adaptations
935:Non-fiction
908:New Orleans
367:New Orleans
360:New Orleans
232:Larry Riley
209:New Orleans
205:Joseph Papp
186:New Orleans
163:New Orleans
161:That July,
78:Doctor Jazz
61:Development
48:New Orleans
1046:Categories
732:24 October
691:24 October
620:24 October
593:24 October
567:24 October
540:24 October
484:24 October
458:24 October
432:24 October
381:References
244:Tico Wells
142:Storyville
82:Cyma Rubin
40:Storyville
924:Desdemona
890:Recitatif
774:Works by
260:Geneva -
230:Johnny -
217:Ron Himes
140:In 1981,
892:" (1983)
839:Paradise
815:Tar Baby
272:Elise -
236:Cally -
1029:Beloved
855:A Mercy
823:Beloved
637:Variety
561:The Day
266:Faye -
242:Beau -
211:at the
192:Variety
994:(2019)
986:(2017)
978:(2004)
954:(1992)
927:(2011)
919:(1986)
911:(1982)
874:(2015)
866:(2012)
858:(2008)
850:(2003)
842:(1997)
834:(1992)
826:(1987)
818:(1981)
810:(1977)
802:(1973)
794:(1970)
783:Novels
404:
375:Shimmy
340:Legacy
310:Odetta
175:Odetta
84:. The
1002:Other
900:Plays
687:. UPI
863:Home
847:Love
831:Jazz
799:Sula
734:2023
693:2023
622:2023
595:2023
569:2023
542:2023
486:2023
460:2023
434:2023
402:ISBN
128:and
54:and
356:UPI
105:at
50:,
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