Once Upon A Time In Harlem: A Jitterbug Romance Annotated "Radio" play edition

This is the annotated "radio" reading edition of the award-winning play, reimagined as a live radio broadcast from the swinging 1930's. First performed at the prestigious National Black Theatre in Harlem in March 2012 (www.ouatih.com). It's perfect for the high school and college classroom-- especially during Black History Month-- because the annotations explain period slang, and add historical context. It also comes with a map showing the actual places mentioned in the play. Based on a nearly forgotten part of black entertainment history, it weaves a fictional love story between the lives and times of legendary black entertainers, black and white thugs, and the common man in swinging 1930's Harlem. It takes place when 22-year-old Cab Calloway is at the beginning of his long and storied career and Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, already over 50, is still unknown to most people outside of New York. "Air steps," Jujitsu type dance moves, are just making the scene. The white and black gangland violence in the play? It all happened in an almost forgotten time in America's most mythic city: Harlem.