Lillias White to Pay Tribute to Sarah Vaughan at NJPAC Concert

Tony Award (Best Featured Actress in a Musical, The Life) and Daytime Emmy Award winner (Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series, Sesame Street) Lillias White is world-renowned for her glorious voice and extraordinary ability to communicate the heart of a song. She is currently on Broadway playing the role of Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago. In her latest project, White explores the life, struggles, and music of the African American jazz artist Sarah Vaughan, a pivotal figure in the formation of Be-Bop who has influenced generations of vocalists. White first discovered Vaughan's music a long time ago, and the vocalist's artistry has stuck with her ever since her youth. The concert, White says, is a way to pay tribute to Vaughan's impact and to reintroduce the world to an incredible singer. Vaughan helped desegregate American airwaves and set the stage for the civil rights activism of the 1960's and 1970's. Born in Newark, New Jersey, Vaughan, called "Sassy" by the greatest Jazz musicians, was not only an extraordinary vocalist but a pianist, as well, who could accompany herself and perform alone if necessary. (This concert precedes the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition happening on the same NJPAC stage two days later Nov 14.)