Sherman houston dudley

The show opened in New Jersey for a mixed audience, and by the time of the final run Aida Overton Walker had joined the cast. By about Dudley was based in Washington D. In he set up S. Dudley Theatrical Enterprises, and began buying and leasing theaters to develop the first black vaudeville circuit, initially around Washington and Virginia; [1] he had bought his first theater, in Baltimore, in His circuit was advertised in a weekly column published in black newspapers, "What's What on the Dudley's Circuit", and by it included over twenty theaters, "all owned or operated by blacks and as far south as Atlanta.

After Dudley devoted himself to producing black musicals, including updated Smart Set productions. He sold his theaters around due to economic forces "beyond his control" [2] , and retired to a farm in Maryland where he bred thoroughbred racehorses. Create your Account. Dudley's Georgia Minstrels", who were performing in Galveston and he was on tour with P. Wright's Nashville Students Company.

He gained a reputation for writing popular coon songs including a hit song called "Mr. When he toured in , it was clear that he was a popular, well-known artist in the South, and was billed as "the Lone-Star comedian". In he married Alberta Ormes, with whom he'd been performing since at least , and was on tour the following year with Richard and Pringle's Georgia Minstrels.

By this time, he received star billing. In the summer of , however, he left that company and moved to Chicago to take over the leading role in Gus Hill's Smart Set. The show opened in New Jersey for a mixed audience, and by the time of the final run Aida Overton Walker had joined the cast. By this time, Dudley was widely known as the "Lone Star Comedian" and had begun to expand his business ventures, moving into theater in an attempt to have a Black-owned and operated string of venues around the United States.

By more than twenty-eight theaters had joined the Dudley circuit, which extended into the East, South, and Midwest. The circuit enabled Black entertainers for the first time to secure contracts for an eight-month season through one office. Dudley retired from the stage after and devoted himself to producing musicals.

He regularly updated his Smart Set productions, which continued to be popular with Black audiences. This show was one of a number of musicals written by Blacks in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries that departed from the older minstrel show. Dudley was a pioneer in writing works about Black life that included seriously considered plots and rounded characterization. He was married to the actress Alberta Bertie Ormes and was a friend of heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson, with whom he was once in business.

Dudley sold his theaters after the onset of the Great Depression and retired to his farm in Maryland, where he raised thoroughbred cattle and racehorses. He died there on March 1, , and was buried in Harmony Cemetery.

He was survived by a son. James V. Publications,