Katherine Dunham "BAL NEGRE" Eartha Kitt / Dance Revue 1946 Broadway Playbill

This is a rare November 18th, 1946 playbill from the Original Broadway production of the dance revue "BAL NEGRE" at the Belasco Theatre in New York City. (The production opened November 7th, 1946 and ran for 52 performances.) ..... The revue starred KATHERINE DUNHAM and the Dunham Dancers, Singers and Musicians including EARTHA KITT, LUCILLE ELLIS, LENWOOD MORRIS, VANOYE AIKENS, LAWAUNNE INGRAM, RICHARDENA JACKSON, GLORIA MITCHELL, EDDY CLAY, BYRON CUTLER, JAMES ALEXANDER, RONNIE AUL, WILBERT BRADLEY, DOLORES HARPER, OTHELLO STROZIER, ROXIE FOSTER, EUGENE LEE ROBINSON, JESSE HAWKINS, JEAN LEON DESTINE, ROSLIE KING, MARY LEWIS, MARIAM BURTON, GORDON SIMPSON and RICARDO MORRISON. The native drummers included ROSA ESTRADA, CANDIDO VICENTY and JULIO MENDEZ ..... Side note: KATHERINE DUNHAM has been called the "Matriarch of Black Dance." Her unprecedented blend of cultural anthropology with the artistic genre of dance in the early 1930's, produced groundbreaking forms of movement, and in the United States, established black dance as an art form in its own right. Her professional troupe, formed in the early 1940's, was a first for African Americans, and led the way for future notables of dance the likes of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and Arthur Mitchell's Dance Theatre of Harlem ..... CREDITS: Costumes designed by EDITH LUTYENS; Orchestra conducted by GILBERTO VALDES; Choreographed and Staged by KATHERINE DUNHAM; Book Directed by MARY HUNTER; Produced by KATHERINE DUNHAM and NELSON L. GROSS in association with DANIEL MELNICK ..... DETAILS: The 36 page playbill measures 6 1/2" X 9" inches and includes full production credits, cast list, scenes, musical numbers and an extensive bio and two photos of KATHERINE DUNHAM (both shown in the scanned images) ..... BONUS: Includes a second playbill cover (cover only) from a different week of "Bal Negre" (last scanned image) ..... CONDITION: With the exception of slight surface rubbing to the front cover and light edge wear, this rare playbill is in excellent condition and will make a wonderful addition to the collection of any musical theatre or dance aficionado or historian. This item will be carefully packaged in a protective, carded sleeve and backed by stiff cardboard.