Dunbar Theatre (Philadelphia)

They performed Shuffle Along at Dunbar, before moving to Broadway where it premiered as the first all-black cast and production.

[2] Brown and Stevens ran into financial difficulty and in September 1921[3] the theatre was acquired by businessman John T. Gibson, who bought it for $420,000,[4] offering a 10% share to another partner.

[2] As early as October 1928 it was announced that Irvin C. Miller would take over the theatre, known at the time as the Gibson.

[8] It flourished as a jazz venue in the 1930s and 1940s with performances from the likes of Duke Ellington, Lena Horne and the Nicholas Brothers.

[2] Today there is a historical marker sign at 500 South Broad Street on the southwest corner of Broad and Lombard Streets in the city remembering the theatre and its role in history as a successful venue for black performers of the 1920s to 1940s.