Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death is a musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Melvin Van Peebles. The Fantasticks was the longest-running musical in history. ... Melvin Van Peebles, as pictured on the movie poster for Melvin Van Peebles (born August 21, 1932 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American actor, director, screenwriter and composer, and the father of actor and director Mario Van Peebles. ...

It is comprised of a series of politically outspoken and sexually charged monologues that explore the negative aspects of African-American street life and the ghetto experience. In a tumultuous world of pimps, prostitutes, drag queens, lesbians, looters, junkies, bag ladies, corrupt cops, disgruntled postal workers, and death row prisoners, each has a story to tell in narratives and funk-inflected songs. An African American (also Afro-American or Black American) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... A ghetto is an area where people from a specific racial or ethnic background or united in a given culture or religion live as a group, voluntarily or involuntarily, in milder or stricter seclusion. ... A pimp finds and manages clients for a prostitute and engages them in prostitution (in brothels in most cases and some cases street prostitution) in order to profit from their earnings. ... Prostitution is the sale of sexual services (typically manual stimulation, oral sex, sexual intercourse, or anal sex) for cash or other kind of return, generally indiscriminately with many persons. ... Drag queens Luc DArcy and Jerry Cyr and friend at Montreals 2003 Divers/Cité pride parade. ... A lesbian is a female emotionally and/or sexually attracted only to other females. ... Looting (which derives via the Hindi lut from Sanskrit lunt, to rob), sacking, or plundering is the indiscriminate taking of goods by force as part of a military or political victory, or during a catastrophe or riot, such as during war [1], natural disaster [2], rioting [3], or terrorist attack... Drug addiction, or dependency is the compulsive use of drugs, to the point where the user has no effective choice but to continue use. ... A homeless person in Paris. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Small-town post office and town hall in Lockhart, Alabama A post office is a facility (in most countries, a government one) where the public can purchase postage stamps for mailing correspondence or merchandise, and also drop off or pick up packages or other special-delivery items. ... For information about the Record company see Death Row Records For information about the computer game see Deathrow (game) Death Row is a term which refers to the section of a prison that houses individuals awaiting execution. ... Funk is an African American musical style. ... A song is a relatively short musical composition for the human voice (commonly accompanied by other musical instruments), which features words (lyrics). ...

After ten previews, the Broadway production, directed by Gilbert Moses, opened on October 20, 1971 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, then transferred to the Ambassador, for a total run of 325 performances. The cast included Bill Duke, Albert Hall, Garrett Morris, and Beatrice Winde. Broadway theatre[1] is often considered the highest professional form of theatre in the United States. ... October 20 is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 72 days remaining. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is located in New York City, on 243 W. 47th St (between 8th Avenue and Broadway). ... The Ambassador Theatre is located at the top of OConnell Street in Dublin. ... Bill Duke (born February 26, 1943) is an American actor and film director. ... Albert P. Hall (born November 10, 1937 in Boothton, Alabama) is an African-American actor. ... Garrett Morris (born February 1, 1937) is an American comedian and actor from New Orleans, Louisiana. ... Beatrice Winde (January 5, 1924 - January 3, 2004) was an American actress. ...

An original cast recording was released by A&M Records. A cast recording or original cast recording is a recording of a musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. ... A&M Records is a record label formed in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss. ...

Song list

• Just Don't Make No Sense
• Coolest Place in Town
• You Can Get Up Before Noon Without Being a Square
• Mirror Mirror on the Wall
• Come Raising Your Leg on Me
• You Gotta Be Holdin Out Five Dollars on Me
• Sera Sera Jim
• Catch That on the Corner
• The Dozens
• Funky Girl on Motherless Broadway
• Tenth and Greenwich
• Heh Heh (Chuckle) Good Mornin' Sunshine
• You Ain't No Astronaut
• Three Boxes of Longs Please
• Lily Done the Zampoughi Every Time I Pulled Her Coattail
• I Got the Blood
• Salamaggi's Birthday
• Come on Feet Do Your Thing
• Put a Curse on You

Awards and nominations

• Tony Award for Best Musical (nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical (nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Original Score (nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Winde, nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Scenic Design (nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Lighting Design (nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical (nominee)
• Theatre World Award (Winde, winner)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design (winner)
• Drama Desk Award for Most Promising Book (winner)
• Drama Desk Award for Most Promising Director (winner)

What is popularly called the Tony Award (formally, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) is an annual award celebrating achievements in live American theater, including musical theater, primarily honoring productions on Broadway in New York. ... The Theatre World Award is an American honor given annually to an actor or an actress in recognition of an outstanding breakout performance in their New York City stage debut. ... Created in 1955, the Drama Desk Award was created to recognize Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway shows in addition to Broadway shows. ...

External link

Internet Broadway Database listing