After seeing the Federal Theatre Project's Chicago run of "The Swing Mikado", an adaptation of the Gilbert and Sullivan opera "The Mikado" with an all African-American cast conceived by Harry Minturn, Todd decided to do his own version on Broadway, "The Hot Mikado", despite protests by the FTP. "The Hot Mikado", starring Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, opened on Broadway March 23, 1939. The subsequent success of Todd's production, at the expense of the Chicago production, contributed to the financial crisis and ultimate demise of the Federal Theatre Project unit in Chicago.