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symbolizes the end of the black musical tradition that flourished in the early part of this century. The play showed the height of white appropriation of what had previously been a black cultural form. All the creative talent backstage was white. This development ....

Middle of Essay
.... cities, managed to blend music into its structure. In the 20's many of the dramas that had to do with black life, music became a necessity. In the 30's this trend prevailed, musical elements of Afro-American culture were showcased primarily in dramas rather than in musicals. In Hall Johnson's "Run, Little Chillun!", a folk drama about the conflict between the Christian and African religious heritage in black life, critics praised the marvelous choral music. While Johnson called his work a drama, Time suggested that he had written an opera, something rarely achieved or even considered by black artists working on Broadway. Although the tho ....