Bubbling Brown Sugar

A Musical Revue in Two Acts, 9 Scenes . Book by Loften Mitchell. Based on a concept by Rosetta LeNoire. Additional music by Danny Holgate, Emme Kemp, Lillian Lopez. Directed by Robert M. Cooper. Choreography and musical staging by Billy Wilson. Musical direction by Danny Holgate. Sets by Clarke Dunham. Costumes by Bernard Johnson. Lighting by Barry Arnold. Projections by Lucie D. Grosvenor, Clarke Dunham. Choral arrangements by Chapman Roberts. Sound design by Joel S. Fichman. A Media House Production. Produced by J. Lloyd Grant, Richard Bell, Robert M. Cooper, Ashton Springer in association with Moe Septee, Inc.

Opened 2 March 1976 at the ANTA Theatre and closed 31 December 1977 (766 perfs).

CAST

(in order of appearance):

Chorus

Musical Numbers.

1. Harlem "70" (Music by Danny Holgate. Lyrics by Loften Mitchell.) - Company
2. Bubbling Brown Sugar" (Music by Danny Holgate. Lyrics by Lillian Lopez and Emme Kemp.) - Company
3. (That's) What Harlem Is to Me" (from CONNIE'S HOT CHOCO-LATES OF 1935) (Music and Lyrics by Andy Razaf, Russell Wooding, Paul Denniker.) - Irene Paige
4. Bill Robinson Specialty - Bill
5. Harlem Sweet Harlem" (Music by Danny Holgate. Lyrics by Loften Mitchell.) - Company
6. Nobody" (interpolated into ZIEGFELD FOLLIES OF 1910) (Music and Lyrics by Axel Rogers and Bert Williams.) - John Sage
7. Coin' Back in Time" (Music by Danny Holgate.) - Bill
8. "Pray for the Lights to Go Out" (Music and Lyrics by Renton Tunnan and Will Skidmore.) - Checkers
9. "I Got It Bad" (from JUMP FOR JOY) (Music by Duke Ellington. Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster.) -
   Ella
10. Harlem Makes Me Feel! (Music and Lyrics by Emme Kemp.) - Charlie
11. "Jim, Jam, Jumpin' Jive" (Music and Lyrics by Cab Calloway.) - Bill, Skip, Young Sage
12. "There'll Be Some Changes Made" (Music and Lyrics by W. Benton Overstreet and Billy Higgins.) - Irene Paige
13. "God Bless the Child" - (Music and Lyrics by Arthur Herzog, Jr. and Billie Holliday.) - Marsha
14. "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" (Music by Duke Ellington. Lyrics by Irving Mills.) - Male Night Club Singer, Waiter, Irene Paige, Company
15. "Some of These Days" (Music and Lyrics by Shelton Brooks.) - Judy
16. "Moving Uptown" (Music by Danny Holgate. Lyrics by Loften Mitchell and Emme Kemp.) - Bill
17. "Strolling"' (Music by Danny Holgate.) - Gene, Laura, Skip, Norma, Young Sage, Helen
18. "I'm Gonna Tell God All My Troubles" (traditional) - Gene
    
    
19. Medley:
    
    His Eye Is on the Sparrow"
    'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" (traditional) - Female Nightclub Singer, Company
    "Sweet Georgia Brown" (Music and Lyrics by Maceo Pinkard, Ben Bernie and Kenneth Casey.) - Marsha, Skip, Young Sage
    "Honeysuckle Rose" (from LOAD OF COAL) (Music by Fats Waller. Lyrics by Andy Razaf.) - Irene Paige, John Sage
    
    
20. "Stormy Monday Blues" (Music and Lyrics by Earl Hines, Billy Eckstine and Bob Crowder.) - Female Nightclub Singer
21. "Rosetta" (Music and Lyrics by Earl Hines and Henri Woode.) - Gene, Skip, Young Sage
22. "Sophisticated Lady" (Music by Duke Ellington. Lyrics by Irving Mills and Mitchell Parish.) - Male Night Club Singer, Helen, Bill
23. "In Honeysuckle Time (When Emaline Said She'd Be Mine)" (from SHUFFLE ALONG) (Music by Eubie Blake. Lyrics by Noble Sissle.) - John Sage, Checkers
24. "Solitude" (Music by Duke Ellington. Lyrics by Eddie DeLange and Irving Mills.) - Marsha, Gene, Skip, Young Sage
25. "C'mon Up to Jive Time" - (Music by Danny Holgate.) - Bill
    
    
26. Medley: - Company
    
    "Stompin' at the Savoy" (Music by Benny Goodman, Edgar Sampson and Chick Webb. Lyrics by Andy Razaf.)
    "Take the "A" Train" (Music and Lyrics by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn.)
    
    
27. "Harlem —Time" (Music by Danny Holgate.) - Bill
28. "Love Will Find a Way" (from SHUFFLE ALONG) (Music by Eubie Blake. Lyrics by Noble Sissle.) - Male Night Club Singer, Ella
29. "Dutch's Song" (Music and Lyrics by Emme Kemp.) - Waiter
30. "Brown Gal" (Music and Lyrics by Avon Long and Lil Armstrong.) - John Sage
    

Scenes and Settings

Act I

Scene 1: Harlem Today. The rest of the action takes place in old Harlem between 1920 and 1940.
Scene 2: Downtown Speakeasy.
Scene 3: 125th Street and Seventh Avenue.
Scene 4: 135th Street and Lenox Avenue.
Scene 5: Harlem Night Spots.
Scene 6: At the Savoy.

Act 2

Scene 1: Lenox Avenue — A few minutes later.
Scene 2: Another street in Harlem.
Scene 3: Small's Paradise.

Discography

Original Broadway Cast Recording: H & L Records 9109 011