Overview
Synopsis
In 1931, nine African-American teenagers, between the ages of 13 and 19 years old, were arrested and charged with the rape of two white women, while traveling through Alabama. With no evidence and no proof, these nine young men were convicted and sentenced to death. Based on this infamous case of miscarried justice, The Scottsboro Boys is a haunting and powerful portrait of bravery in the face of enormous adversity. In John Kander and Fred Ebb’s final, visionary collaboration, the now-dead minstrel form is revived and turned on its head, revealing profound truths about the history of our country in toe-tapping song and dance, and heart-wrenching ballads. Gutsy, passionate, and inspiring, The Scottsboro Boys is a remarkable, true story of a group of young men who changed the course of history.
Show Information
- Book
- David Thompson
- Music
- John Kander
- Lyrics
- John Kander , Fred Ebb
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Mature Audiences (M)
- Number of Acts
- 1
- First Produced
- 2010
- Genres
- Drama, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Satire, Historical/Biographical
- Settings
- Simple/No Set
- Time & Place
- a minstrel show, and 1930s alabama
- Cast Size
- medium
- Orchestra Size
- Medium
- Dancing
- Heavy
- Licensor
- Music Theatre International
- Ideal For
- College/University, Diverse Cast, Mature Audiences, Mostly Male Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Includes Adult, Late Teen, Young Adult, Early Teen Characters, Medium Cast
Context
In 2002, director/choreographer Susan Stroman and book writer David Thompson met with renowned musical collaborators John Kander and Fred Ebb, who have written the music and lyrics for Chicago, Cabaret, and Curtains, among others. The group wanted to create a musical together. In researching famous American court cases, hoping to find fruitful material, they stumbled upon the case of the Scottsboro Boys.
The story of the real-life Scottsboro Boys begins on March 25, 1931 on a boxcar
to read the context for The Scottsboro Boys and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
It’s 1955. As an African-American woman sits on a bench waiting for the bus, memories begin to surface. The scene fades, and a troupe of minstrels arrive (“Minstrel March”). The Interlocutor-- the host of the minstrel show-- arrives and introduces two classic minstrel characters, Mr. Bones and Mr. Tambo, who perform an introductory song-and-dance to set the scene for their story (“Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey”). This is the story of the Scottsboro Boys, a group of young African-American men who are
to read the plot for The Scottsboro Boys and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone, Bass |
|
|
Mr. Bones / Sheriff Bones / Lawyer Bones / Guard Bones / Attorney General / Clerk |
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
Mr. Tambo / Deputy Tambo / Lawyer Tambo / Guard Tambo / Samuel Leibowitz |
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
Songs
- *Minstrel March – Orchestra
- *Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey! – Company
- *Commencing in Chattanooga – Haywood and Scottsboro Boys
- Alabama Ladies – Victoria Price and Ruby Bates
- Nothin' – Haywood
- *Electric Chair – Guards, Eugene, Electrofied Charlie, and Electrofied Isaac
- Go Back Home – Haywood, Eugene, and Scottsboro Boys
- *Shout! – Scottsboro Boys
- *Make Friends with the Truth – Haywood, Billy, and Scottsboro Boys
- That's Not the Way We Do Things – Samuel Leibowitz
- Never Too Late – Ruby Bates and Scottsboro Boys
- Financial Advice – Attorney General
- Southern Days – Scottsboro Boys
- Alabama Ladies (Reprise) – Victoria Price
- It's Gonna Take Time – Interlocutor
- Zat So – Governor of Alabama, Samuel Leibowitz, and Haywood
- You Can't Do Me – Haywood
- *The Scottsboro Boys – Scottsboro Boys
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
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Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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