A spokesperson describes the event as follows:
“...Tracing the evolution of Black musical theater from its early roots to contemporary works, the exhibition highlights the contributions of groundbreaking artists such as Eubie Blake, Vinnette Carroll, Micki Grant, George C. Wolfe, and Langston Hughes, along with iconic productions including Shuffle Along, Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope, The Wiz, and A Strange Loop.
Highlights include:
Archival footage of performances and interviews with artists
Photographs of artists and performers from 1825 to the present
Original set designs from productions including Shuffle Along and The Wild Party
Costume designs from musicals such as Dreamgirls, Jelly’s Last Jam, and The Color Purple
A scale model of the historic African Grove Theatre, the first known Black theater venue in the United States
Original costumes from The Wiz and A Strange Loop
Although the common nickname for Broadway, “the Great White Way,” refers, historically, to its dazzling lights, the phrase also suggests the ways in which many histories of New York theater center white artists. Black artists, though, have been important shapers of musical theater in the United States before the electric light was ever used on stage. In the early 20th century, Black composers and writers created many popular musicals in New York that helped define the genre, setting it apart from 19th-century traditions. New forms of syncopation, the disruption of the dominant rhythm, and narratives composed and written by Black artists challenged the prevailing sounds and depictions of Black people on stage. These innovations were more than stylistic. They pushed back against exclusion and stereotype, laying the groundwork for generations of Black artists whose contributions have reshaped Broadway. Syncopated Stages spotlights their work, acknowledges the challenges they faced, and celebrates the brilliance of what they made—exploring how Black artists transformed the New York stage and how their work still reverberates today..."
