Billie Holiday News

Six time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald stopped by this past Sunday's THE ANDREW MARR SHOW on BBC One to perform 'God Bless The Child', a number from the critically acclaimed production of LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR & GRILL

Today, Astrid Van Wieren, who portrays Beulah, among other roles in COME FROM AWAY, speaks with BWW about what audiences can look forward to in this intimate evening of performances.

Feeling the urge to let your imagination run wild, your spirit to soar or to just leave the world in which you live and go on an adventure? Sounds like a trip to the theater is in order! Luckily, companies all over the Volunteer State have been hard at work, creating new productions to transform and to transport, shows that will entertain you this summer.

New York based vocalist Teri Roiger recently released her fourth recording as a leader, 'GHOST OF YESTERDAY: Shades of Lady Day', a heartfelt tribute to Billie Holiday. Since Ms. Holiday provided the initial spark that led to a lifelong commitment to jazz, this one is especially personal to Teri.

Actress/singer Tracy Nicole Chapman is best known for originating the role of Shenzi in the Broadway production of The Lion King. She also appeared on Broadway in The Who's Tommy, Caroline, or Change and Cy Coleman's The Life. Other theatre credits include the Broadway revivals of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The Music Man, and Into the Woods. She also toured with Jelly's Last Jam, Dreamgirls and Once on This Island. She is about to star in a world premiere musical Shout, Sister, Shout! about the life of gospel singer Rosetta Tharpe. Chapman took time out of her busy schedule to chat with us about the musical and playing Rosetta Tharpe.

BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center, the longest operating performance venue in lower Manhattan, proudly presents a wide range of events in the 2017-2018 Season, including Robin Spielberg, performing on Saturday, November 4 at 8:00pm,  Andrew Nemr, performing on Friday, December 15 and Saturday, December 16 at 7:30pm, Go, Dog. Go! (for families) on Saturday, February 17 at 1:30pm,  Comedian John Fugelsang, performing Friday, March 16 at 8:00pm, The Motortown All-Stars performing Friday, March 23 at 8:00pm, and more!

Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, writer Lanie Robertson's insightful and moving look at jazz legend Billie Holiday and her life and career, continues its run at Brentwood's Towne Centre Theatre. Directed by Dave Ragland and starring Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva in her stunning onstage transformation to become Lady Day, it's one of the highlights of an especially impressive Nashville theater season filled with strong performances and shows both challenging and introspective.

Award-winning actor and musician Hershey Felder brings to life on stage the music and personal stories of Irving Berlin and Leonard Bernstein in two musical-plays, which will alternate at London's The Other Palace this autumn.

Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva's miraculous transformation into music legend Billie Holiday may well be the performance of 2017, theater-wise, in a city where we revere and venerate our favorite vocalists. But in Music City, where live theater is often perceived as a mere afterthought by the entertainment establishment, oftentimes performances such as hers may be given short shrift, overlooked by the so-called powers-that-be whose tastes tend toward the middle of the road, pop-infused, sound-like-everyone else, cookie cutter variety of singers.

Birdland Jazz Club has announced its August 2017 lineup, featuring The Birdland Big Band, John Pizzarelli, Borislav Strulev, The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra, Benny Green Trio, Michelle Lordi, Charlie Parker Birthday Celebration, Jim Caruso's Cast Party, and more. Scroll down for details!

???????Marjorie Moon, Executive Director Emeritus of Brooklyn's esteemed Billie Holiday Theatre, has joined the team of Woodie King, Jr.'s New Federal Theatre (www.newfederaltheatre.com) as Administrative Consultant.  

Multi-Grammy winning producer, composer and arranger Quincy Jones, in collaboration with jazz impresario and television producer Reza Ackbaraly, has announced the formation of Qwest TV, the world's first subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) platform dedicated to jazz and jazz-inspired music forms.

Internationally acclaimed jazz vocalist, fashion icon and drag artist Joey Arias premieres a new intimate show with piano and voice at MA4. Accompanied by jazz pianist Peter Smith, Arias takes you on a musical journey highlighting his own musical inspirations, from The Beatles to, of course, Billie Holiday to whom he has long been compared.

This swashbuckling romp abounds with comedy, danger, and romance. Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival's production of Ken Ludwig's The Three Musketeers previews July 12 and 13, opens July 14, and continues through August 6 in repertory with Shakespeare's As You Like It at the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of DeSales University.

Chester Theatre Company (CTC) is proud to present Dominique Morisseau's Skeleton Crew in the historic Chester Town Hall, 15 Middlefield Road in Chester, MA, from July 13 - 23, 2017. The production is directed by Awoye Timpo, making her CTC directorial debut. In this 'deeply moral and deeply American play' (The New York Times), Reggie has worked his way up to supervisor at a faltering auto factory. Now he has to decide whether he owes his loyalty to himself, to his bosses, or to long-time family friend Faye and the younger workers on the line, Dez and Shanita. In the spirit of August Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle, this third play from Morisseau's Detroit Trilogy explores the hard choices facing Americans barely squeezing by. It was named by the New York Times as 'one of six plays that reckon with an anxious America.'

Feeling the urge to let your imagination run wild, your spirit to soar or to just leave the world in which you live and go on an adventure? Sounds like a trip to the theater is in order! Luckily, companies all over the Volunteer State have been hard at work, creating new productions to transform and to transport, shows that will entertain you this summer. That's where THE NASHVILLE THEATER CALENDAR comes in handy: Peruse our listings every week to find out what shows you should see!

METROPOLITAN ROOM is proud to present actress/singer/comedian RAIN PRYOR in LIFE HAPPENS! for ONE NIGHT ONLY, Friday, July 14th at 9:30pm. She will be accompanied by Steven Feifke on piano, Jerry DeVore on bass & Russell Carter on drums.

Glen Street Theatre is proud to announce the program for the inaugural Cabaret in the Glen, the first cabaret festival on Sydney's Northern Beaches and North Shore. Over five days and nights, and across two live stages, Glen Street Theatre will transform into a glorious feast of entertainment, theatre, music, art and conversation. From film to live music concerts, panel events and cabaret, Cabaret in the Glen will be positively bursting at the seams.

Chris Isaacson Presents has announced a full slate of summer entertainment, beginning with Chris Mann (star of NBC-TV's The Voice), and continuing with Broadway leading man James Snyder, Electro Jazz and pop chanteuse Maya, Joey Arias: Still Misbehavin', and Grammy Award-winning Motown legend Thelma Houston.

Following three previous sold-out residencies, renowned San Francisco Bay Area jazz vocalist Paula West returns to Feinstein's at the Nikko for a four-week engagement - July 6-28, 2017.