Billie Holiday News

Tony Award-nominee Karen Akers (Nine, Grand Hotel), Jill Paice (An American in Paris), Award-winning Nightlife Legend Marilyn Maye & two-time Drama Desk Award-nominee Josh Grisetti (It Shoulda Been You, Enter Laughing The Musical) and more just appeared in Town Hall's Broadway by the Year Series last night, March 28, THE BROADWAY MUSICALS OF THE 1950s. BroadwayWorld brings you photos backstage below!

Tony Award-nominees Karen Akers (Nine, Grand Hotel) & John Cariani (Something Rotten, Fiddler on the Roof), Jill Paice (An American in Paris), Award-winning Nightlife Legend Marilyn Maye & two-time Drama Desk Award-nominee Josh Grisetti (It Shoulda Been You, Enter Laughing The Musical) just appeared in Town Hall's Broadway by the Year Series last night, March 28, THE BROADWAY MUSICALS OF THE 1950s. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the big night below!

Audra McDonald received her very own video category on Friday night's JEOPARDY, titled 'Audra McDonald on Broadway.' The show also asked McDonald, 'Given all your successes, is there a role you still long to play?

The Apollo Theater in partnership with World Music Institute presents what has become an annual highlight, AFRICA NOW!. The celebrated event returns to the historic Apollo Theater (253 West 125th Street) tonight, March 26, at 8:00 p.m. for its fourth year spotlighting emerging and established artists of today's African music scene. Sahr Ngaujah (actor in Fela!) is the evening's host.

The story and music of America's Composer come to life on stage when The Town Hall presents HERSHEY FELDER AS IRVING BERLIN, a new play with music written and performed by award-winning actor and musician Hershey Felder (Broadway's George Gershwin Alone, Maestro Bernstein). Directed by Trevor Hay, HERSHEY FELDER AS IRVING BERLIN plays one night only, Monday, June 6 at 8PM at The Town Hall (123 West 43rd Street).

It's about to get 'Mighty Real'... Make sure to watch or set your DVR for THE PRANCING ELITES PROJECT, airing tomorrow, Tuesday, March 22 at 9pm/8C on Oxygen. The producers of MIGHTY REAL: A FABULOUS SYLVESTER MUSICAL (Anthony Wayne, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Kendrell Bowman) will appear on the season finale ahead of the show's return to New York City this May.

Entertainer, vocalist and jazz aficionado Keith A. Dames presents his annual celebration of Billie Holiday at 'Homage To Eleanora'  on Friday, April 8 & Saturday, April 9th at Manna House Workshops  (338 E. 106th Street)  in East Harlem at 7:30pm.  Tickets are $15 in advance and can be ordered via: http://homagetoeleanora.brownpapertickets.com

Rising Circle Theater Collective announces four playwrights for their 2016 playwrights residency, INKtank. Selected from over 50 applicants, the 2016 INKtank writers are Oscar Cabrera, Liz Morgan, Cynthia G. Robinson, and Purvi Shah.

Artistic Director Robert Falls announces the 2016/2017 Season-his 30th year as "Chicago's most essential director" (Chicago Tribune) and the creative force behind the 92-year old not-for-profit Goodman Theatre, "one of the country's most respected stages" (NPR ).

Rosemary Loar has been performing standout cabaret shows in New York City for more than 30 years and she was recently named a 2016 Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs (MAC) Award nominee in the "Special Production" category for her recent show STING*chronicity. In 2012, MAC recognized Rosemary's continued excellence with their prestigious "Hanson Award." Since 2012, besides her cabaret shows, she has written the book and music for two Off-Broadway Musicals, Spoolie Girl and her most recent production, Water From the Moon, which ran two weeks at Urban Stages. Now, at the height of her talent as a singer, musician, storyteller, and comedienne, she'll be reviving her celebrated 2006 show The Quando Swing (with Musical Director Frank Ponzio) on April 13 at 7 pm in Producer Stephen Hanks' monthly New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits series at the Metropolitan Room. The series' Associate Producer is Fr Jeffrey Hamblin, MD.

Urban Stages will extend its critically acclaimed World Premiere of Mabel Madness written and performed by Tony Award Winner Trezana Beverley (For Colored Girls...) tells the dramatic story with music about the life of the famous cabaret chanteuse, Mabel Mercer. Co-directed by Frances Hill and Peter Napolitano with musical direction by Tuffus Zimbabwe, Mabel Madness began performances on February 19 and was originally set to end its run on March 20, will now play Wednesday nights at 7PM and Sundays at 3PM & 7PM through April 10, 2016. Tickets are $40 and are available at www.urbanstages.org or by calling 1-866-811-4111.

Continuing to break all box office records during its National Tour, the smash hit Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin is returning to Chicago for a limited, four-week engagement starting Thursday, April 7, 2016 in Felder's Chicago theatrical home, the Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted Street, Chicago. The show will run through Sunday, May 8, 2016 with a press opening on Sunday, April 10 at 2:00 p.m. The Chicago presentation will immediately be followed by a special One-Night-Only New York Presentation at The Town Hall on June 6, 2016, broadcast internationally by the WFMT Radio Network with the entire Berlin family in attendance.

Northern California based Concert Promoter Rick Bartalini Presents the one and only Diana Ross, performing at San Francisco's SHN Orpheum Theatre on July 12, 2016 at 8pm.

On Friday's LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT, 6-time Tony award winner Audra McDonald explained how she prepared for playing Billie Holiday in LADY DAY.

Six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald brought her acclaimed portrayal of Billie Holiday in the Broadway smash LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR & GRILL to HBO

On March 8, 2016, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced that the upcoming 2016-17 season will honor the late President Kennedy's centennial birthday with an array of partnerships and performances inspired by the ideals that inspired John F. Kennedy himself: Courage, Freedom, Justice, Service and Gratitude. Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter highlighted the responsibility everyone at the Kennedy Center feels to offer a fully inclusive calendar of events that engage the artistic community, the public and society at large in the broad spectrum of the arts.

There is an undeniable electricity that the world's greatest bring to everything that they do. There is something nearly tangible, yet dizzyingly elusive about watching legends at their best; that is how I felt when six-time Tony-winner Audra McDonald became the troubled Jazz icon Billie Holiday in tonight's broadcast of LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR AND GRILL on HBO. Though the material itself doesn't always rise to the level of its star's genius, the transformative power of McDonald's talent transports you into a completely different time and place; namely the small Emerson's Bar and Grill in Philadelphia in March 1959.

Six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald brings her acclaimed portrayal of Billie Holiday in the Broadway smash LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR & GRILL to HBO tonight, March 12 (9:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT).

The Lyric Stage Company of Boston's 2015-16 Season continues April 8 with MR. BURNS, a post-electric play by Anne Washburn, with a score by Michael Friedman and lyrics by Anne Washburn. Directed by A. Nora Long, the production also features music director Allyssa Jones and choreographer Yo-El Cassell. MR. BURNS runs through May 7, 2016, with the official opening slated for April 10.

Audra McDonald has a big Spring ahead of her, with Shuffle Along beginning previews this month, and LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR & GRILL airing on HBO over the weekend. In a recent interview with Essence, she reflected back on her sixth Tony win for her role as Billie Holiday: