Billie Holiday News

There's a lady on stage, and not only is she an entrancing singer, but she's one hell of an actor.

In honor of Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill's opening on Broadway tonight, BroadwayWorld decided to highlight Tony- and Drama Desk Award-winning actress Audra McDonald's body of work.

Penguin Rep Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director Joe Brancato and Executive Director Andrew M. Horn, announces the slate of plays and special events for its 37th season.

Cafe Society Swing - a true story is set for Leicester Square Theatre, London on Tues 17th - Sat 21st June 2014 (not Thurs 19th June). A Copasetic Production, written by Alex Webb & directed by Simon Green.

From June 4 to June 8, two iconic New York City institutions join to celebrate an ever evolving medium that was born more than 100 years ago-radio.

Fans of five-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald can now catch her in the new music-themed play LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR & GRILL and ticket buyers who purchase tickets at the box office today will receive a copy of the forthcoming cast recording in honor of Billie Holiday's birthday.

Producers have announced that in celebration of Billie Holiday's 99th Birthday, anyone who purchases full price tickets at the box office on Monday, April 7, 2014, will be signed up to receive a free copy of the upcoming cast recording of Lanie Robertson's Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill featuring Five-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald.

Rebecca Ferguson begeistert im Berliner Postbahnhof am 02.04.2014

In the late '70s, Vivian Reed captured a Tony Award nomination and won a Drama Desk Award for her work in the Broadway musical Bubbling Brown Sugar, and although Reed has delivered some critically-acclaimed work in the many years since (a Tony nomination for the 1992 musical The High Rollers Social and Pleasure Club and a star turn in the revue Three Mo' Divas), during the last decade she had gone and stayed away too long, mainly to take care of her ailing mother. Last November, she dipped a toe in the New York nightclub waters, producing a one-night show at 54 Below that was highly praised and offered hints of great things to come. But this past Monday night—the first of what will ultimately be a four-show run of “An Evening With Vivian Reed” (the next three dates are April 14, May 20 and June 19)—this performing powerhouse established her return in earnest. With Reed's still expressive voice tackling musical genres ranging from R & B to Jazz to Great American Songbook standards to Gospel (even a dash of Opera), her electric and passionate show was cabaret/nightclub performing as revival meeting in more ways than one. Reed is not only reviving her singing career, she is inspiring impassioned converts at the same time.

The Apollo Theater and World Music Institute present AFRICA NOW, a four-day music festival spotlighting today's African music scene. The second annual festival will feature a powerful lineup of artists who have drawn upon their roots for inspiration - and transplanted them onto the global music landscape. Africa Now will be anchored by a blow-out concert, April 5th, on the legendary Apollo stage featuring: Malian songstress Fatoumata Diawara; Senegalese trio Les Freres Guisse; and reggae/Afrobeat collective Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars.

For its much-anticipated 12th annual season, the Downtown Urban Theater Festival (DUTF) will again take residency at HERE's Mainstage in New York City, today, April 2nd through 19th, 2014, with three weeks of new groundbreaking theatre.

Downtown Urban Theater Festival (DUTF), now heading into its 12th season, welcomes springtime in NYC with three weeks of new theatre at HERE's Mainstage, today, April 2 to 19, 2014.

Omaha Performing Arts' 2014/2015 Season will be a spectacular season of award-winning productions and performers. The upcoming season was announced during a subscriber and patron event at the Holland Performing Arts Center on March 31. Two of the iconic Rockettes helped kick off the night and led a dance demonstration for local youth in the lobby after the event. Cast members from the Broadway musical MOTOWN THE MUSICAL closed the event with a performance that featured a medley of Motown hits.

The multi-talented British singer, actress and writer, NINA KRISTOFFERSON, debuted her passionate and exhilarating, self-penned, one-woman show 'Billie Holiday Story' in 2011 at the Edinburgh Festival. Following a sellout season at London's Charing Cross Theatre in the spring of 2013, Nina will now be hitting the road in April and May 2014, taking her critically acclaimed show about the life of Lady Day to audiences around the UK.

Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs (MAC) will celebrate its annual Gala tonight, March 27, 2014 at BB King's Blues Club in Times Square, hosted by the vivacious singer, band leader, and multiple MAC Award winner, Terese Genecco. The gala will be produced by Julie Miller and directed by Lennie Watts, the current MAC President.

Buika's remarkable voice -and greatest instrument on stage-has attracted world- wide audiences with its husky, velvety, raw tonal textures that carry the emotive lyricism of her latest album release, La Noche Mas Larga (The Longest Night, 2013).

Fans of five-time Tony Award-winning Broadway superstar Audra McDonald now have an early chance to get a first look at her upcoming Broadway return in the Billie Holiday biomusical LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR & GRILL via a new behind the scenes promotional featurette now available to view.

It's hard to believe that it has been 50 years since Barbra Streisand portrayed Fanny Brice in the 1964 Broadway stage production of Funny Girl, and 46 years since she reprised her critically acclaimed role for the 1968 feature film, winning her an Oscar. The reason that it's so hard to believe is because she's still as relevant as ever and has to be the greatest Broadway export of all time. On April 29, Capitol/UMe will release the Gold-certified Funny Girl: Original Broadway Cast Recording in a 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition boxed set with a digitally remastered CD and vinyl LP, as well as a 48-page book featuring exclusive photos from the production and a new essay by Jay Landers, her longtime A&R executive, who has worked with her on many recordings. The remastered original cast recording will also be available for digital purchase, including 192k and 96k high definition audio on HDtracks.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: BEYOND THERAPY opens tonight, LADY DAY begins previews and more!

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: MOTHERS AND SONS opens tonight, Block, Groff, Lewis, Rannells and more join forces for BROADWAY BACKWARDS and more!