Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake at the piano, 1927, Getty Images
Putting It Together....
Al Mayer, Wikipedia
Walter Brooks, Wikipedia
John Cort, May 1910, History Link
Al Mayer was the manager, and Walter Brooks was the director. John and Henry Cort, were convinced by Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake with their the song, "Love Will Find a Way," to produce the production.
Sheet music from "Love Will Find a Way" from Shuffle along, 1921, Detroit Public Library
The Perfect Cast...............
Miller, Lyles, and Sissle were Steve Jenkins, Sam peck, and Tom sharper. Mattie Wilkes played Mrs. Peck, Gertrude Sanders played Ruth Litte, and Lottie Gee was the leading lady. Shuffle Along stood for inclusion and equality, but Black women were cut because the ceative team wanted lighter skinned women for the Chorus. The leading cast were forced perform in Black face.
Mattie Wilkes, 1905, Smithsonian
Gertrude Sanders, 1923, Black Post.
Lottie Gee, 1921, Playbill
Flournoy Miller and Aubrey Lyles performing, 1921, New York Public Library
Harmony Kings, Shuffle Along cast members, 1921,
That's Show Biz..........
The production arrived in New York City, with $21,ooo in debt. Shuffle Along moved into the 63rd Street Theatre, because White theatre owners oposed all Black musicals.
Milton Gosdorfer, Cincinnati Library
Milton Gosdorfer supplied the company with train tickets to New York, gaining a percentage of the productions earnings, eventually becoming CEO of Shuffle Along INC.
"Bandana Days" scene from Shuffle Along, 1921, Md Historical Society Photographs
The song " Bandanna Days" was written after Noble Sissle found polka-dotted frocks, in the producers storage units.
I'm Just Wild About scene from Shuffle Along, 1921, Playbill
“She was going to destroy my beautiful melody. I loved that waltz.” (Eubie Blake)
Sheet msuic from "I"m Just Wild About Harry" from Shuffle Along, 1 January 1921, Library of Congress.
"I'm Just Wild About Harry" was set to a waltz, Lottie Gee wanted it to be an uptempo number. After arguing with Eubie Blake, this change made the song a hit.
Image citation...
"I'm Just Wild About Harry", Youtube
The finacial sucess of the production gave White producers the reassurance that Black performers had a place on Broadway.