History The Jazz Singer (play)

al jolson s blackface performance in robinson crusoe, jr. inspired raphaelson s story , play.

on april 25, 1917, samson raphaelson, native of new york city s lower east side , university of illinois undergraduate, attended performance of musical robinson crusoe, jr. in champaign, illinois. star of show thirty-year-old singer, al jolson, russian-born jew performed in blackface. in 1927 interview, raphaelson described experience: shall never forget first 5 minutes of jolson—his velocity, amazing fluidity shifted tremendous absorption in audience tremendous absorption in song. explained had seen emotional intensity jolson s among synagogue cantors. few years later, pursuing professional literary career, raphaelson wrote day of atonement , short story young jew named jakie rabinowitz, based on jolson s real life. story published in january 1922 in s magazine.

raphaelson rewrote story play, sold in may 1925 producing team of albert lewis , max gordon. after previews in several cities, broadway production opened @ fulton theatre on september 14, 1925. play ran @ fulton 2 months, transferred cort theatre, ran until june 5, 1926. production had total of 303 performances between 2 theaters.

in 1927, revival production staged @ century theatre, ran 16 performances.