Grind (musical)

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"Grind" was a Tony-nominated musical that made its Broadway debut in 1985. The music was composed by Larry Grossmann, while Ellen Fitzhugh supplied the lyrics.

"Grind" is a portrait of a largely African-American burlesque house in Chicago in the Thirties. The original cast included included Ben Vereen as a song-and-dance man, Stubby Kaye as a slapstick comic, and Leilani Jones as a stripper named Satin.

The reviews were mixed at best, and "Grind" fared poorly at the box office, but 1985 was a very bad year for Broadway musicals, and only one hit (Big River) had emerged by the time Tony nominations were submitted. Since there was little decent competition, "Grind" received a Tony nomination for Best Musical.

Even critics who hated "Grind" were impressed by Ms. Jones' performance, and she took home the Tony award as Best Featured Actress in a Musical that year.