[1] Created by African-Americans and featuring African-American entertainers, the work is set in Abyssinia (now referred to as the Ethiopian Empire) and was inspired by the events of the First Italo-Ethiopian War in 1896-1897 and the sustained sovereignty Ethiopia maintained through the leadership of Menelik II at that point in history.
It is an early work that consciously departed from the racial stereotypes typically found in other musicals of that period, and emphasized themes of social justice, "black self determination" and "African resistance" while still at its core being a tremendously funny comedy.
Indeed, the score, predominantly orchestrated by Cook, was operatic in significant proportions and utilized conventions of that genre.
Ultimately, the reaction from white critics negatively impacted audience attendance at the production had a relatively short run on Broadway.
The production transferred twice during its initial Broadway run, first to the West End Theatre in April 1906 and then the Grand Opera House where it closed in August 1906 after 48 performances.