Vinnette Carroll brought her gospel-themed musicals about African American culture through Philadelphia In the 1970s. We discuss this much-neglected important Black theater artist, in a conversation with Jerrell Henderson.
The continuation of to the story from our previous episode, we talk about the failures, successes - and sometimes the deaths of shows and performers of commercial tryout shows in Philly of the 1970s.
Many hopeful Broadway tryout shows came through Philadelphia during the 1960s. Some shows died in Philly - and some performers and audience members did too!
Plays and musicals often displayed the deep influence of Hollywood! Here's the story of commercial shows coming to Philadelphia on tryout runs in the 1950s.
Post-war theater in Philadelphia reflected the many serious issues the country was facing: Carmen Jones, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Member of the Wedding and Death of a Salesman all had tryout premieres in Philadelphia.
"Pal Joey," "Native Son," "Annie Get Your Gun" - during the years of the Second World War, there was a new surge of exciting Broadway productions trying out in Philadelphia.
Featured are stories about the tightrope sensation El Nino Eddie, "Hitchy-Koo; the Intimate Revue," The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, Timbuktu!, Signor Blitz - and many other tales about Philadelphia theater history.
In the fall of 1915, D.W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation" was booked to play at the Forrest Theatre - but would Philadelphia's city authorities allow it to be shown?
We begin our third season of adventures! Here we learn about the historical origins of the "Tryout Town" in American showbiz of the early 20th Century.
