Eubie! is a toe-tapping revue of Eubie Blake songs. Blake was a composer, lyricist and performer who broke down racial barriers on the Broadway stage in the 1910s and '20s. With his frequent partner, Noble Sissle, Blake wrote the groundbreaking show, Shuffle Along, which was the first American musical directed, produced, written and performed by African Americans to appear on the Broadway stage. Eubie! strings together some of Blake's best known tunes with an ensemble of eleven to twenty actors. Each song is part of a vignette that deals with the themes of the song and the time period when Blake was at his peak, as well as relationships. The songs appear in the following order:
Act One
"Goodnight, Angeline" / "Charleston Rag"
"Shuffle Along"
"In Honeysuckle Time"
"I'm Just Wild about Harry"
"Baltimore Buzz"
"Daddy"
"I'm a Great Big Baby"
"My Handyman Ain't Handy Anymore"
"Low Down Blues"
"Gee, I wish I Had Someone to Rock Me in the Cradle of Love"
"I'm Just Simply Full of Jazz"
Act Two
"High Steppin' Days"
"Dixie Moon"
"Weary"
"Roll Jordan"
"Memories of You"
"If You've Never Been Vamped by a Brownskin, You've Never Been Vamped at All"
"You Got to Git the Gittin' While the Gittin's Good"
"Oriental Blues"
"I'm Craving for That Kind of Love"
"Hot Feet"
"Goodnight, Angeline"
Woman #1
A sweet ingenue type. Music selections include "I'm Just Wild about Harry."
Gender: female
Vocal range top: F5
Vocal range bottom: A3
Woman #2
A wonderfully-skilled dancer. Music selections include "Weary."
Gender: female
Vocal range top: A5
Vocal range bottom: B3
Woman #3
A sexy, slinky type that is also wide-eyed and innocent. Music selections include "Daddy, Won't You Please Come Home" and "I'm Craving for That Kind of Love."
Gender: female
Vocal range top: F5
Vocal range bottom: G3
Woman #4
A classical beauty and legit singer. Music selections include "Cradle of Love" and "Memories of You."
Gender: female
Vocal range top: G5
Vocal range bottom: G3
Woman #5
An earthy siren with a strong character belt. Music selections include "If You've Never Been Vamped By a Brownskin, You've Never Been Vamped at All."
Gender: female
Vocal range top: F5
Vocal range bottom: Bb3
Woman #6
A gospel singer with a big, soulful belt. Music selections include "My Handy Man Ain't Handy Anymore" and "Roll Jordan."
Gender: female
Vocal range top: G5
Vocal range bottom: A3
Man #1
A smooth dancer with lots of style. Music selections include "Honeysuckle Time."
Gender: male
Vocal range top: F4
Vocal range bottom: A2
Man #2
A flashy dancer with supreme tap skills. Music selections include "You've Got to Get the Gittin'."
Gender: male
Vocal range top: F#4
Vocal range bottom: A2
Man #3
A clean-cut, wholesome type. Music selections include "Dixie Moon."
Gender: male
Vocal range top: F4
Vocal range bottom: A2
Man #4
A Blues singer and character dancer with great tap skills. Music selections include "Low Down Blues" and "Hot Feet."
Gender: male
Vocal range top: Ab4
Vocal range bottom: A2
Man #5
An overweight but loveable man with a character voice. Despite his ample size, he has great tap skills. Music selections include "Great Big Baby" and "Oriental Blues."
Gender: male
Vocal range top: A4
Vocal range bottom: A2
Inspiration
Eubie! is a revue of the music of composer, lyricist and pianist, Eubie Blake. Theatre director, Julianne Boyd, conceived the idea behind the revue; each song was part of a vignette that deals with the themes of the song and the time period when Blake was at his peak, as well as relationships. Boyd brought together a collection of Blake's most famous songs, along with lyrics from his
"Blake's compositions, obviously boosted by Sissle's (and in several instances Andy Razaf's) lyrics, are done with brilliantly humorous style and taste."
– Variety
Inspiration
Eubie! is a revue of the music of composer, lyricist and pianist, Eubie Blake. Theatre director, Julianne Boyd, conceived the idea behind the revue; each song was part of a vignette that deals with the themes of the song and the time period when Blake was at his peak, as well as relationships. Boyd brought together a collection of Blake's most famous songs, along with lyrics from his
"Blake's compositions, obviously boosted by Sissle's (and in several instances Andy Razaf's) lyrics, are done with brilliantly humorous style and taste."
– Variety
Billing
Requirements
Video Warning
The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibitedIncluded Materials
| Resource | Quantity |
|---|---|
| LIBRETTO/VOCAL BOOK | 15 |
| PIANO CONDUCTOR'S SCORE | 2 |