Bertice Reading "THE JAZZ TRAIN" Mervyn Nelson 1955 London Cast Playbill

Description

This is a rare August 1st, 1955 programme (playbill) from the Post-West End engagement of the MERVYN NELSON and J. C. JOHNSON musical "THE JAZZ TRAIN" at the Streatham Hill Theatre in South London. (The production opened April 26th, 1955 and ran for 111 performances before going on the road.) .....
The Jazz Train
, strangely billed as 'The Broadway Smash Hit' despite the fact that it had only been seen in a New York night-club,
was a moderate success, running for 111 performances at the Piccadilly Theatre.
At first sight it was simply a continuation
of the "Blackbirds" tradition
of Afro-American revue, but in the three decades that separated the shows important social
and political events had occurred giving pride to the Black people of America.
The cast impersonated many great Black performers: impressions of Paul Robeson, Florence Mills, Louis Armstrong, Ethel Waters and Bessie Smith
were featured in a section called 'Stars', and in the 'Show Car' there were excerpts from
Porgy and Bess, Carmen Jones
and the original
Blackbirds.
The show introduced the great BERTICE READING to English audiences, singing the tale of "Frankie and Johnny" and impersonating Bessie Smith; LUCILLE MAPP was another name which would soon become familiar to London theatregoers. Of the men, EDRIC CONNOR
stood out as the preacher in the 'Holy Roller' car, and as the whiskered Mr. Interlocutor in the 'Minstrel' car. ISABELLE LUCAS, at this point in her career still in the chorus,
would develop into a respected performer. (
Taken from the liner notes to the Sepia Records reissue of the Parlophone recordings.) Others in the cast included ROY CARR, BOSCOE HOLDER, RICHARDENA JACKSON, HERBERT HARPER, TONY SCOTT, CYRIL LAGEY, THESLEY BEVERLY, VALENTINA RICHMOND, LUCY GUANNEL, SHEILA CLARKE, ANITA FARR, ROY BARTLEY, FREDYE MARSHALL, URIEL PORTER, RANDOLPH MACKENZIE, PAUL BLACK, EDDIE WEST, JAMES WALKER and APSITA
..... CREDITS: Original Songs composed by J. C. JOHNSON; Original Book by MERVYN NELSON; Sets and Costumes designed by LOUDON SAINTHILL; Choreographed by HERBERT HARPER; Orchestra conducted by PETER KNIGHT; Directed by MERVYN NELSON; Produced by MAX MORGAN PRODUCTIONS LTD. ..... DETAILS: The twelve page program measures 4 7/8" X 7 1/4" inches and includes full production credits, cast list, scenes and musical numbers, but no cast photos or bios. Includes a dedication of appreciation to a number of composers and choreographers including HAROLD ARLEN, IRVING BERLIN, EUBIE BLAKE, VERNON DUKE, W. C. HANDY, JOHN LATOUCHE, JOHNNY MERCER, NOBLE SISSLE and THOMAS "Fats" WALLER (last scanned image) ..... CONDITION: With the exception of light corner creases and minor edge wear, this playbill is in excellent condition and will make a wonderful addition to the collection of any musical theatre aficionado or historian. This item will be carefully packaged in a protective, carded sleeve and backed by stiff cardboard.