shuttleworth

They have revived the show it is now called memories of the minstrels.
Without the black face obviously.
It has been running a couple of years now and plays to packed house during the summer months.
This year will be the 50th anniversary tour.

Alexis

I never sat and watched it, if that's what you mean, because it simply wasn't my cup of tea. If memory serves me right it was on Saturday evenings and there were at least 1001 more interesting things to do.

tvden

the only problem now is that no members of the forum seem to have a copy of the Black and White Minstrel Show !!! I would dearly love to watch an episode for old times sake, if anyone does have a copy please PM me

tvden

just bumping this post as still no episodes have surfaced forum members did have this but have since become inactive which is a real shame

JohnB_Toronto

There's quite a lengthy Black & White Minstrels section in the Tommy Steel film "It's All Happening". I have it on DVD. I've sent you a P.M.

Norma Wisdom

If you are interested, I have the BBC Black and White Minstrel Show Book. It has some wonderful stuff re: the history of the show. My late mother really enjoyed it - and as a kid it never occurred to me that it was anything other than perfectly innocent musical entertainment.

bonnie

Good morning members, this is my 1st day as a new member. I have read with interest all the comments about the Black & White Minstrels. I was in the show for over 20 years as a performer and I knew everyone personally who were involved in and with the show and I can hand on heart say we never considered it to be racist. We thought the standard of the entertainment was world class as it proved to be when we won the Golden Rose of Montreux. It was designed as a good family entertainment with something for everyone and the music was always outstanding. As for the black make-up, well in the early days it was on a black & white tv and the cast did not black up until the Finale where green filters were put over the camera to make everyone on the set go black, this was a Minstrel medley but the rest of the show was white and showed music and dance in all caterogies. George Mitchell always wanted the BBC to change the format to white faces but the ratings were so high the BBC wanted to keep it the same. We did do other TV shows without the make-up namely "Round the World in song". "Music Music Music" and a Country and Western Show with the same choirs, soloists, dancers etc but they never got the viewing figures the BBC wanted by comparison to the Blacked up show. No disrespected to black people was ever intended, indeed on the tour throughout the UK the audience was made up by a high percentage of black people who became ardent fans. Thank you for reading this

marker

Welcome to the site and thanks for a very interesting first post

Cheers Marker

bonnie

Hi Marker, Many thanks for your interest and welcome to the site. I have no understanding of this site but it would be nice to talk to anyone with any interests in the "business" but I don't know how to use this site, have you any suggestions that might help? Cheers Bonnie

bonnie

Hi, Having read the comments from you concerning memories of the minstrels, I would like to point out that this show has nothing at all to do with the original Black & White Minstrel Show. It is a poached show taking one or two of the original cast and setting them up in a end of the pier type show principly to make money. Please do not think this show has ANY connection to the REAL thing.

Steve Crook

Just keep doing what you're doing, send in messages and reply to existing messages. If there are a few different conversational threads happening on the same page then it usually helps to use the button so that people can see what you're responding to.

Steve

bonnie

Thanks Steve. How do I do a thread ? and what is it? I've never done any forums before and it looks sooooo complicated. Enjoy your Sunday

bonnie

Thanks Norma for your kind comments, I'm glad all the work we did was appreciated.

bonnie

Sorry to have to correct that statement the REAL Black & White Minstrel IS celebrating its 50th Anniversary but NOT this end of the pier non show making money on the back of the original one. But enjoy this other show cause you will still get wonderful songs but remember nobody can do a copy like the REAL George Mitchell Minstrels.

julian_craster

Do check out the Optimum Region 2 DVD release IT'S ALL HAPPENING (rent/buy) as you will see many of your old friends in the 10 minute GMM sequence (no black face makeup...)