African American Musical Theater - Lew Leslie's Blackbirds

Lew Leslie's Blackbirds

In 1928, white producer and director Lew Leslie staged the first of a popular series of Blackbirds revues, featuring such talents as singers Ethel Waters and Lena Horne, and dance legend Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and top-flight funnymen like Tim Moore (comedian). Further Blackbirds revues were staged in 1930, 1933, and 1939. The key to Leslie’s success was the awesome talent he found. “Leslie managed to build his black revues around one or more dynamic performers, who could carry a modest show to success.” Although these productions showcased black talent, they were almost completely created by white writers and composers. In an interview, Leslie made a fascinating claim that “They (white men) understand the colored man better than he does himself. Colored composers excel at spirituals, but their other songs are just 'what' (dialect for 'white') songs with Negro words."