and magazines; and for availing me of his vast knowledge of black music and
its impact on the musical stage.

To my sister, Lena McPhatter of New York City, for her generous support
of this project in every way, for keeping me informed of all dramatic events in
the New York City area that came to her attention through the media and the
mails, and for the many boxes of magazines and newspaper clippings mailed to
me during the period that I have been working on this book.

To Claude Green, Administrative Librarian of the G. R. Little Library, Eliz-
abeth City State University, and to the following members of his excellent library
staff: Patricia Hines, Jutta Chaudhury, Odessa Williams, Kathy Turner, Berthel
Penrose, Rebecca Ware, Burnella Griffin, Brenda Sawyer, David Bibb, Cornelius
Goodwin, Michael Williams, James Blount, Reginald Riddick, Jackie King, and
Frieda Burke -- for loan of books, periodicals, and research materials from that
library and from other libraries in the University of North Carolina Library System
through interlibrary loan; and for making available to me their personal assistance
in the location of information needed for this book.

To my colleagues (past and present) in the Department of Language, Literature
and Communication at Elizabeth City State University, for their encouragement,
support, and assistance in all phases of this research; and for the use of photo-
copying, typing, and other facilities within the Department: Anne M. Henderson,
Chairperson; her secretary Robin Beamon Joyner; and the following faculty
members: Robert E. Thorne, Hazel G. Spellman, Venus E. and Carlton Deon-
anan, Glenda Davis, Samuel C. Moore, Shawn Smith, and Stephen S. Marsh.

To my good friend and colleague, Carol C. Jones, Director of the University
Honors Program of Elizabeth City State University, and to her secretary Edna
Bonds, for many services, including the use of photocopying facilities.

To Gladys Banks for photocopying services; to James B. and Anne M. Law
for research and typing, respectively; to Augustus Sutton and Russell A. Gray,
for research assistance; to Casper McDaniel, my principal researcher during the
past eight years -- especially for his donation of black magazines and clippings
of daily newspapers on the black musical stage; and to Larnell Sutton and Jessie
Wrighten for clerical assistance.

To the following patrons and benefactors whose financial assistance and other
support made it possible for me to get through the rough times: William T. and
Dorothy Skinner, William Hartsfield, Herman H. Barrow, Jr., Robert D. Wil-
liams, my sister Lena McPhatter and her mate Roger Gore, Russell Gray, and
my beloved brother-in-law Dr. Kermit O. Cockrell.

And, finally, I wish to extend a special thanks to my excellent production
editor, Margaret Hogan, and to my extremely careful and precise copy editor,
Juanita Lewis, for their meticulous care in reviewing and editing my manuscript.
By pointing out numerous inconsistencies and inaccuracies in titles of shows,
production dates, theatrical names, and use of abbreviations, which they insisted
that I correct, I believe that they (along with Marilyn Brownstein) deserve credit
as true collaborators in the creation and refinement of this encyclopedia. I,
nevertheless, take full responsibility for all errors that remain.

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