The all-singing, all-dancing show focuses on the African-American experience with songs on such topics as tenements, slumlords, ghetto life, student protests, black power, and feminism.

The restaged Broadway production, directed by Vinnette Carroll and choreographed by George Faison, opened to acclaim on April 19, 1972, at the Playhouse Theatre, where it ran for two months before transferring to the Edison.

In his review of the opening night, Clive Barnes of The New York Times described it as "a mixture of a block party and a revival meeting" and wrote: "It is the unexpected that is the most delightful.

"[4] The cast included Micki Grant, Alex Bradford, Hope Clarke, and Arnold Wilkerson.

With Vinnette Carroll as director, Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope became the first Broadway play to be directed by an African-American woman, and Micki Grant was the first woman to write both the music and lyrics to a Broadway musical.