Micki Grant: “I Wanted to Open Eyes”
The composer and lyricist, who died at 92, was a trailblazer in virtually every field she touched.
Theater in Manhattan was bristling with Black voices in the early 1970s, but these tended to be heard in smaller spaces like the New Federal Theater, the Negro Ensemble Company and the Urban Arts Corps. Micki Grant’s “Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope” spent time in such theaters before winding its way to Broadway in 1972, making it the first time a woman had written the book, music and lyrics to a Broadway musical.
The result — four Tony Award nominations, a run of more than two years — was a testament to Grant, a trailblazer in virtually every field she touched. She died on Aug. 21 at 92. But the success of the show also stemmed in part from its image of Black America, one that Grant created through a blend of conviction and calculation…
Continue reading at the source: The New York Times – Micki Grant: “I Wanted to Open Eyes”
Visit Micki Grant’s Author Bio page on the Broadway Play Publishing site.
