One of the greatest jazz singers of all time intimately shares her loves and her losses. It was a hard trip, too, judging from the bruised and fragile state we find her in now at rep stage, courtesy of lanie robertsons fine 1986 playwithmusic, lady day at emersons. Lady day at emersons bar and grill postponed, presented by. Audra mcdonald in lady day at emersons bar and grill the. Lady day at emersons bar and grill was initially introduced to atlanta audiences in 1986. Garry marshall theatre presents the tony awardwinning broadway play lady day at emersons bar and grill by lanie robertson, starring deidrie henry as billie holiday. With humor and hopefulness, the legendary singer takes us on a journey through the highs and lows of her tumultuous life. Audra mcdonald received her eighth tony award nomination for playing the alcoholic, heroinaddicted and pioneering jazz singer billie holiday, in lady day. Eleanora fagan april 7, 1915 july 17, 1959, professionally known as billie holiday, was an american jazz singer with a career spanning nearly thirty years.
Jul 18, 2017 lady day at emersons bar and grill is a play with music featuring a 44 yearold billie holiday giving one of her last live shows in march 1959 before passing away four months later. Apr 30, 2017 the events of lady day at emersons bar grille take place during the twilight of the stars career. Her vocal style, strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists, pioneered a new way of. Lady day at emersons bar and grill by zach theatre. Featuring iconic songs like god bless the child and strange fruit, lady day at emersons bar and grill is an allaccess pass to billie 128 nw eleventh ave, portland, or 97209 5034453700. She completely channels billie holiday, gravelly, drugaddled voice and all. It has opened on stages offbroadway, on broadway, and in londons west end. In 1959, billie holiday, or lady day as she was called, performed one of her final shows in a rundown bar in south philly. Though she was immensely popular and had sold thousands of records, billy holidays struggles with drugs and alcohol have kept her without means. Lady day at emersons bar and grill human race theatre. Lady day at emersons bar and grill from broadway to the. Accompanied by her pianist jimmy powers, she engages deeply with her audience as she reminisces about her rocky past, her loves and heartbreaks. Nicknamed lady day by her friend and music partner lester young, holiday had a seminal influence on jazz music and pop singing. Its 1959 in a bar in south philadelphia for one of billie holidays final performances before her untimely death.
As she shares stories about her stormy personal life, her battle with addiction and her ground. Lady day at emersons bar and grill is a play with music featuring a 44 yearold billie holiday giving one of her last live shows in march 1959 before passing away four months later. Lady day at emersons bar and grill garry marshall theatre. Kaity strong rated it really liked it jun 21, 2018. Get the best deal on the west end straight to your mobile. Lady day at emersons bar and grill by lanie robertson. Lady day at emersons bar and grill premiered at the alliance theatre in atlanta, ga, in the spring of 1986 prior to an offbroadway run at the vineyard theatre.
Audra mcdonald in lady day at emersons bar and grill. Lady day at emersons bar and grill will be performed thursdays and saturdays at 7. The audience is about to witness one of billie holiday s last performances, given four months before her death. This awardwinning musical play reenacts one of the final performances of jazz legend billie holiday with stories and songs from her turbulent life. Featuring iconic songs like god bless the child and strange fruit, lady day at emersons bar and grill is an allaccess pass to billie holidays final concert. The audience is about to witness one of billie holidays last performances, given four months before her death. Look back at audra mcdonald in lady day at emersons bar and. Melba moore stars as billie holiday in this westcoast black theatre troupe production. Lady day at emersons bar and grill is not only a perfect star vehicle for mcdonald, who brings to life the spirit of billie holiday in lanie robertsons 1986 play but is also a delight for audiences and fans of holidays music. Its 1959 and legendary musical performer billie holiday appears. Lady day at emersons bar and grill, starring audra mcdonald, takes place in the months before billie holiday died, set in a city that she had reason to loathe. Its 1959 in a seedy bar in philadelphia, and billie holiday is giving one of her last performances interlaced with salty, often humorous, reminiscences to project a riveting portrait of the lady and her music 4 months before her death.
Lady day at emersons bar and grill is beautiful art. There is no question that her presence is regal if not refined. Lady day at emersons bar and grill is a play with music by lanie robertson, recounting some events in the life of billie holiday. Game of thrones leads nominations and other emmy news view all. Lady day at emersons bar and grill a biographical play with iconic music by lanie robertson.
Lady day at emersons bar and portland center stage at the. Lady day at emersons bar and grill tickets are now on sale. Audra mcdonald resurrects billie holiday in new lady day. She was to take a 3month break from her role on broadway in shuffle along, or, the making of the musical sensation of 1921 and all that followed. Because the components are so perfectly crafted, this play becomes, in these talented hands, a searing voice raised in revolt. In robertsons awardwinning play, holiday engages the audience with salty, often humorous reminiscences of her troubled life as a travelling performer in a segregated south. Its 1959 in a seedy bar in philadelphia, and billie holiday is. When i saw lady day, it took me a while to get into the show. Take in a performance of lady day at emersons bar and grill to experience a thrilling stage production celebrating american jazz. Lady day at emersons bar and grill tickets vivid seats. Lady day at emersons bar and grill new repertory theatre new. Lady day at emersons bar and grill theatrical outfit.
For if this version was never done we would all be missing out on something incredibly great. Portland center stage presents deidrie henry as billie holliday in this recreation of the jazz legends final live performance. Recorded live at broadways circle in the square theatre, the twodisc set features mcdonalds spellbinding, tourdeforce ny daily news. At emersons seedy bar on phillys south side, an audience gathers to witness, unknowingly, one of legend billie holidays last solo performances, given four months before her death at fortyfour. So great she is, you forget that you are not really watching the great late lady day herself. More comfortably described as a biopicperformance, the play is set in philadelphia in march 1959, some four months. Best performance by an actress in a leading role in a play audra mcdonald best sound design of a play steve canyon kennedy. Presented by new repertory theatre at mosesian center for the arts, watertown ma.
Lady day at emersons bar and grill production to benefit hu scholarships. Lady day at emersons bar and grill by zach theatre by brian paul scipione hey, lady day. Lady day at emersons bar and grill concord theatricals. It is set at a smoky little rundown club in south philadelphia, a setting that is meant to echo billies own brokendown condition. I love the gorgeous way story and song bring lady day to life in this powerful play. The show is playing at the wyndhams theatre until 9 september 2017. Chanel playing the titular role of lady day enters the stage via the audience. Adaptation of the 2014 broadway hit that won audra mcdonald her sixth tony award for her portrayal of billie holiday, who, in a haunting 1959 performance in philadelphia shortly before she. In a small bar in south philly, on a typical night in 1959, billie holiday, the icon dubbed lady day, put on a show that unbeknownst to the audience, left them witness to one of the last. Lady day has been postponed until the fall due to the effects of covid19. Apr 14, 2014 lady day at emersons bar and grill, starring audra mcdonald, takes place in the months before billie holiday died, set in a city that she had reason to loathe.
Lady day at emersons bar and grill, recently performed at hccs rep stage, is set in 1959, during one of legendary singer billie holidays final performances. Lady day at emersons bar and portland center stage at. Lady day at emersons bar and grill runs through march 4, 2018, at the creative cauldron 410 s. With audra mcdonald, shelton becton, george farmer, clayton craddock. Lady day at emersons bar and grill new repertory theatre. Watch full episodes of lady day at emersons bar and grill and get the latest breaking news, exclusive videos and pictures, episode recaps and much more at. Lady day at emersons bar and grill ticket information. Lady day at emersons bar and grill by lanie robertson starring tracey conyer lee february 12,14,15 at 8pm the time is 1959. Tony awardwinner audra mcdonald plays billie holiday in this adaptation of the hit broadway play.
See this recreation of a singular night in music history, written by lanie robertson and directed by betty hart, in aurora. It s 1959 in a seedy bar in philadelphia, and billie holiday is giving one of her last performances interlaced with salty, often humorous, reminiscences to project a riveting portrait of the lady and her music 4 months before her death. Zach theatre is extending the production may 18 june 11, 2017, and moving it to the kleberg stage. Hedwig and the angry inch will be performed fridays at 7. In lady day at emersons bar and grill, audra is not audra, she is lady day. With humor and hopefulness, the legendary singer takes us on a journey through the highs and lows of her tumultuous life, interspersed with exuberant renditions of her beloved repertoire. Lady day at emersons bar and grill in the subgenre of smallscale bioshows of legendary musical performers, lady day at emersons bar and grill has been a popular attraction, not just re. Lady day at emersons bar and grill debuts at the west end mcdonald was expected to reprise her role in the west end at the wyndhams theatre, from june 15 through september 3, 2016. Lady day at emersons bar and grill tickets event dates. Nov 04, 2017 lady day at emersons bar and grill plays at rep stage through november 19, 2017 in the studio theatre of the horowitz visual and performing arts center at howard community college 10901. In this rotating repertory arrangement, performances happen on alternating days on the same set, giving audiences the opportunity to see firsthand how performance and. Featuring iconic songs like god bless the child and strange fruit, lady day at emerson s bar and grill is an allaccess pass to billie holiday s final concert.
Lady day at emerson s bar and grill is a play with music by lanie robertson, recounting some events in the life of billie holiday. The show is a celebration of the songs holiday made famous, with a tunestack. More than a dozen musical numbers are interlaced with salty, often humorous, reminiscences to project a riveting portrait of the lady and her music. Lady day at emersons bar and grill raleigh, nc 27601. More than a dozen musical numbers are interlaced with salty, often humorous reminiscences to project a riveting portrait of the lady and her music. Its 1959 at emersons bar and grill in philadelphia, and billie holiday known as lady day tells the story of her life through her music with heartfelt honesty and a touch of salty humor. Lady day at emersons bar and grill waterfront playhouse.
Lady day at emersons bar and grill premiered at the alliance theatre, atlanta, georgia, on april 16, 1986, with direction by woodie king jr. Lady day at emerson s bar and grill postponed please note, this event has expired. Oh, how i wish i had gone to nyc to see her perform this piece. The second biomusical of the season to tackle the difficult subject of billie holiday the first was the similarly titled lady day, starring dee. Apr, 2020 lady day at emersons bar and grill opened at the circle in the square theatre april.
In lanie robertsons lady day at emersons bar and grill, westcoast black theatre troupe will pay tribute to one of musics greatest legends, billie holiday. Its 1959 and billie holiday is performing in a rundown bar during one of the last performances of her lifetime. The play premiered in 1986 at the alliance theatre in atlanta, georgia, and soon played offbroadway. Lady day at emersons bar and grill actors theatre of. Life and music of billie holiday revived in lady day at emersons bar and grill sabrina clark, q city metro. Its 1959 and jazz legend billie holiday is playing a seedy bar in philadelphia.