Caseen Gaines - Footnotes: The Black Artists Who Rewrote the Rules of the Great White Way

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Completing this project required me to flex researching and writing muscles I didnt know I possessed, and it feels like it took forever and no time at all. I am so blessed to have had thoughtful, patient, brilliant, and excited folks who have helped me along the way. I truly could not have told this story without you.

Footnotes began as several different projects, with its most immediate predecessor being one about Broadways 2016 season overall, of which George C. Wolfes Shuffle Along was a part. However, the universe continued steering me toward this one. Peter Steinberg, my fantastic literary agent, was by my side through it all. Its a clich, but he believed in this project even when I had my doubts, and for that I am forever indebted. Thank you for recognizing the value and worth of these phenomenal artists. Similar thanks are owed to Grace Menary-Winefield, who acquired this for Sourcebooks and whose enthusiasm was present in my mind throughout the writing process. Thank you for being champions of this project!

Additionally, to Anna Michels, my wonderful editor, thank you for your patience, support, keen eye, and shepherding to help me tell the account of these artists that I wanted to tell. This book would not exist were it not for your advocacy and belief in the importance of telling this story. To Liz Kelsch, BrocheAroe Fabian, Shana Drehs, the amazing teams who worked on the beautiful cover and interior design, the folks in sales and marketing, and everyone else at Sourcebooks who had a hand in crafting and promoting this work, thank you for helping to put this story in front of as many eyes as possible.

I have to take a moment to thank Jen Hale, my friend in Canada, where people havent completely lost their minds as of the time of publication, for being an amazing reader for this bookand for taking a chance on me in 2009. It was an absolute pleasure to get to work with you again, especially on a project that means so much to me. I cannot thank you enough for your characteristically astute observations, great catches, and tracked changes that kept me laughing even when I was dead exhausted. While on the topic, can I thank the makers of Caf Bustelo and the Keurig? But seriously, thank you a million times over for being there this time and all times. Additionally, I am a firm believer that everything I write has benefited from everything Ive written, so to the editors of the other books Ive written, Kate Napolitano and Chris Prince, thank you as well.

The research process on this book was different from what I was used to, which was initially intimidating, but I soon discovered how exciting it can be paging through old newspapers and photographs, feverishly transcribing audio and video recordings in a public library, and screamingsilently, like a proper person sifting through archiveswhen youve found the perfect primary source and a piece of it has cracked, broken off, and been forever lost to time. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, right? Id like to thank the archivists and librarians who have been helpful to me in this endeavor, particularly but not limited to: Micah Connor, Mallory Herberger, and Leslie Eames at the Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore, Maryland; Kathleen Shoemaker at the Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia; Anne Rhodes at Yale Universitys Oral History of American Music in New Haven, Connecticut; George Feltenstein at Warner Archive Collection; and Alexsandra M. Mitchell and Tiana M. Taliep at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Cultures Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books Division at the New York Public Library in Harlem. Special thanks also go to John Duke Kisch at Separate Cinema, Todd Ifft and Derek at Photofest, and Kira Jones and Julienne Grey for their research help.

I had the pleasure of interviewing several folks for this project to help fill in background information or put events in their proper context. First and foremost, thank you to Noble Sissle Jr. for repeatedly taking time out to chat with me about his dad. It was an honor getting to know you and hearing your stories. Your generosity and participation mean so much to me; I hope you feel this does your dad justice. Additionally, thanks to Daniel Bernardi, William Bolcom, Thomas F. DeFrantz, Robert Kimball, and Cyma Rubin for making time for me as well.

To Laurie Gwen Shapiro and Brian Jay Jones, thank you for helping me at moments when I was particularly up against a wall. Your practical suggestions and author therapy were much needed and helped to get me out of my head and across the finish line. Extra special thanks to Christopher Ryan, my friend, colleague, and former teacher, for giving me a great writing tip that, truthfully, I dont know how this book would have been written in time without. I am so thankful to have fellow writers I can reach out to for support, guidance, a sounding board, a gripe session, or some combination of the aforementioned, like Mathew Klickstein, J. M. Lee, Toney Jackson, Jeff Ryan, Ryan Britt, Blake J. Harris, Alex Simmons, and Omar Holmon. Thank you all for your wisdom and for telling your stories.

As I write this, Broadway is dark due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. It is incredibly frustrating and harrowing to live fourteen miles away from Times Square and be unable to comfortably grab a bite, have a drink, and meander down the streets. There were many times when I wanted to venture to where the Sixty-Third Street Theatre once stood, walk through Harlem, and most frequently and regularlygo see a show.

I miss live theater more than I can express, and while Im sure it will be back and better than ever in no timehopefully by the time youre reading this!working on this project caused me to reflect on all the amazing Black actors whose representation on the Broadway stage left a lasting impression on me. I hope I always remember how I felt when I unexpectedly saw Michael Luwoye, who, I believe, was an understudy, step onstage as Alexander Hamilton. I looked around as if to make sure everyone else was seeing what I was, and by the end of the opening song, tears had formed in my eyes. I was watching the most groundbreaking Broadway show in at least a generation, and a Black man was at the center of it, playing one of the nations Founding Fathers. Representation matters, so to the following, all of whom I have had the amazing opportunity to see onstage and take note of, this book is also for you: Danielle Brooks, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Ariana DeBose, Daveed Diggs, Brandon Victor Dixon, Cynthia Erivo, Rene Elise Goldsberry, Joshua Henry, Jennifer Hudson, Christopher Jackson, LaChanze, Kimberly Marable, Audra McDonald, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Leslie Odom Jr., Billy Porter, Anthony Ramos, Lance Roberts, Adrienne Warren, Christian Dante White, Elisabeth Withers, and Rachel Zegler, just to name a few.

A world of thanks, gratitude, appreciation, and love goes out to my wife, Johanna Calle, who was the backbone of this book. She has seen me at my peaks and valleys with this project, and more than anyone, she knows how pleased I am that this now exists in the world. Thank you for being understanding of why I have been locked in my office for more time than I can keep track of. Talking through issues I was having or plot points I was excited about always made the book better. You know its trueFootnotes would not have happened without you.

Several of my friends have also been part of my amazing support system. First off, special thanks to Wendy Salkin for brainstorming the title over pancakes and conversationI think you were the one who came up with it!and the rest of the Wednesday night music crew for helping to keep me sane throughout the quarantine and unknowingly forcing me to take a break from finishing the book: Gaby Alvarez, Josh Bellocchio, Gary Eggers, Angela Glassman, and Katie OConnell. The following friends are also sincerely appreciated for checking in about how writing was going, expressing their enthusiasm about the project, and/or being understanding as to why I completely had fallen off the grid: Leila Amirhamzeh, Felicia Benson-Kraft, Phil Brophy, Daniel Carola, John and Rose Frontignano, Tim and Casey Hoffman, Rasha Jay, Gregory Liosi, Laura Martin, Jensyn Modero, Maddie Orton, Vanessa Curly Fries Perez, Fiona Sarne, Stephanie Shaw, Michele Stein, Tom Terzano, Jared Wexler, and Anthony Zisa. Additionally, thanks to Rosemary Flowers-Jackson and the late Reverend Toney E. Jackson Sr., who provided some encouragement when I needed it.