Lorraine Vivian Hansberry

In 1973, Neminoff and Charlotte Zaltzberg adapted Hansberry’s first play, A Raisin in the Sun, into a musical entitled Raisin, which won the Tony Award as the best musical and ran on Broadway for nearly three years.

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RASIN Playblll

After the success of A Raisin in the Sun on the Great White Way, Nemiroff teamed up with Charlotte Zaltzberg to write the book for a musical adaptation of Hansberry’s groundbreaking play. Judd Woldin and Robert Brittan wrote the score, a mix of jazz, blues, gospel and of course, traditional musical theater. “It is a strange [musical] but a good one,” The New York Times reported. “It warms the heart and touches the soul.” Starring Joe Morton as Walter Lee, Ernestine Jackson as Ruth and Virginia Capers as Mama Lena, Raisin won two Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

Debbie Allen, Ernestine Jackson and Joe Morton in a scene from the show (Photo: Martha Swope)

After the success of A Raisin in the Sun on the Great White Way, Nemiroff teamed up with Charlotte Zaltzberg to write the book for a musical adaptation of Hansberry’s groundbreaking play. Judd Woldin and Robert Brittan wrote the score, a mix of jazz, blues, gospel, and of course, traditional musical theater. “It is a strange [musical] but a good one,” The New York Times reported. “It warms the heart and touches the soul.” Starring Joe Morton as Walter Lee, Ernestine Jackson as Ruth and Virginia Capers as Mama Lena, Raisin won two Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

Debbie Allen, Ernestine Jackson, and Virginia Capers in a scene from the show (Photo: Martha Swope)

Debbie Allen, Ernestine Jackson, and Virginia Capers in a scene from the show (Photo: Martha Swope)

Ralph Carter, (foreground), and Virginia Capers along with Ernestine Jackson, (R), his proud grandmother and mother, are shown watching him in this church scene in the new musical Raisin which premiered on October 18, 1973, at the 46th Street Theater. Donald McKayle was the director-choreographer. Robert Nemiroff was the producer.

Ralph Carter, (foreground), and Virginia Capers along with Ernestine Jackson, (R), his proud grandmother and mother, are shown watching him in this church scene in the new musical Raisin which premiered on October 18, 1973, at the 46th Street Theater. Donald McKayle was the director-choreographer. Robert Nemiroff was the producer.

Ralph Carterand Ernestine Jackson

Ralph Carter and Ernestine Jackson

Joe Morton and Ralph Carter

Ernestine Jackson, Virginia Capers and Helen Martin.

Ernestine Jackson, Joe Morton, Richard Sanders, Debbie Allen, Ralph Carter and Virginia Capers 
Martha Swope (Photos)

Raisin was revived in 1981, when Claudia McNeil, who had played Lena in the original 1959 production, helped recreate the musical adaptation.

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ARCHIVIST, EDUCATOR, HISTORIAN, and ARTiST
Dale Ricardo Shields is a 2017 winner of The Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award®, 2017 and 2015 Tony® award nominee for the Excellence in Theatre Education Award, the 2017 AUDELCO/"VIV" Special Achievement Award, 2020, 2021, and 2022 ENCORE AWARD / The Actors Fund and winner of the 2022.

Recently, he won the 2022 Legend Award from his alma mater Ohio University.

He is the 2021 winner of the Paul Robeson Award, presented (jointly) by the Actors Equity Association and the Actors Equity Foundation.

Research Accomplishments:
His extensive professional credits as a Director, Stage manager, and Actor (Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway, and Regional) As an actor he has appeared on Saturday Night Live, Another World, Guiding Light, The Cosby Show, and the ITV television series "Special Needs" and commercials and film.

Professor Shields is a member of the Actors Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and the American Guild of Musical Artists performance unions and an associate member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.

He began his artistic academic career in New York City at Playwrights Horizon, The South Bronx Action Theatre, and Mind Builders, and then was invited to join the teaching staff at the Joseph Papp Public Theatre (New York Shakespeare Festival). He represented the United States for Theatre Young Audiences at the ASSITEJ Theatre Festival in London, England.

He has been a Professor and Visiting Artist at Ohio University, The College of Wooster, Denison University, Macalester College, Randolph- Macon College, Susquehanna University, and SUNY Potsdam.

He holds B.F.A and M.F.A, Degrees from Ohio University.

Website(s)

Iforcolor.org [Research]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Ricardo_Shields [Career]