Jettisoning the lush oriental context and physical production of the original, a restaging re-titled as "Timbuktu!" opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on March 1, 1978 and ran for 243 performances. This version, with a new book by Luther Davis, set the story in Africa, with minimalist settings and an all-Black cast. Plot emphasis was shifted, with increased emphasis given to Lalume (renamed Shaleem-La-Lume), played by Eartha Kitt opposite William Marshall and Melba Moore. Two new songs were written for the production: "Since the Beginning, Women" and "Golden Land, Golden Life."