Freda Payne Will Perform a Tribute Concert to Ella Fitzgerald at 54 Below

54 Below will present Freda Payne: “A Tribute Concert to Ella Fitzgerald” on April 7th, 2024 @ 7:00 PM, prior to her return to Broadway. 

Freda Payne is a Grammy nominee, renowned for her timeless smash hit "Band of Gold," which topped the charts in the US and UK.

Ms. Payne has made notable television appearances on shows such as The Tonight Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live and has been featured on programs ranging from Soul Train to American Idol. 

Ms. Payne's Broadway and touring credits include Hallelujah, Baby!, Sophisticated Ladies, and Jelly’s Last Jam, and she currently stars in the Broadway-bound production, Ella, First Lady of Song, conceived by the late Maurice Hines, written and directed by Lee Summers, scheduled to open on June 1st, 2024, at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Michigan. 

Ms. Payne’s 54 Below evening will cover music throughout Ms. Fitzgerald’s 60-year career, with hits such as “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing).” “Mr. Paganini”, “How High the Moon” and other classics from the American Songbook. Ms. Payne will be accompanied by a trio comprised of Jarrett Murray on Upright Bass, Gregory Bufford on Drums with Musical Director Yuma Sung on Piano. 

Freda Payne: “A Tribute Concert to Ella Fitzgerald” plays 54 Below (254 West 54th Street) on April 7th, 2024 @ 7:00 PM. Tickets are $73 (includes $8 in fees) – $84 (includes $9 in fees), VIP Seating: $106 (includes $11 in fees) Premiums: $139 (includes $14 in fees). Prices shown are only valid for online purchases. Additional $6 in fees for all seating sections if purchased at the box office. There is a $25 food and beverage minimum. More Tickets and information are available at www.54Below.org. Tickets on the day of performance after 4:00pm are only available by calling (646) 476-3551.

MORE ABOUT Freda Payne & THE MUSICAL, “ELLA, FIRST LADY OF SONG”

Freda Payne will lead in the Broadway-bound “Ella, First Lady of Song,” a two-act musical, conceived by Maurice Hines and written and directed by Lee Summers, “Ella, First Lady of Song,” originally premiered at New Jersey's Crossroads Theatre in 2004 starring Freda Payne (Band of Gold). Crossroads founding producer, Ricardo Khan credits “Ella, First Lady of Song,” as the musical that rescued the then closed Crossroads Theatre, which, after winning the 1999 Tony Award for "Best Regional Theatre," had closed its' doors by 2003.

Payne has starred as “Ella” in several productions of “Ella, First Lady of Song” including the Delaware Theatre Company in 2018. The Madison Theatre at Molloy College’s production in 2022 garnered six AUDELCO nominations, winning five, including "Best Musical" with Ms. Payne winning “Best Featured Actress in a Musical.” 

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