NEW YORK—It was recently my pleasure to witness a remarkable theatrical event—and I don’t often say that. It was the five-time Tony Award-winning Audra McDonald transformed into the late, great jazz diva Billie Holiday.
The show: “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill” by Lanie Robertson, about an imagined late-in-life performance by Holiday.
Wearing a white strapless gown with tasteful silver trimming and elbow length white gloves (costume design by ESosa), McDonald presents the performer near the end of her career. Billie was to die only months after this performance.
Billie is fortified by alcohol as she soulfully squeezes out renditions of such numbers as “When a Woman Loves a Man,” “God Bless the Child,” and “I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone.” Her performance of “Strange Fruit” is spine-tingling.
Set in a small, unimportant bar in south Philadelphia in 1959, Billie reminisces about the past between musical numbers: her loves, her strong feelings for her mother (whom she calls the Duchess) and father (whom she calls Pops). She talks of her great respect for other performers, such as Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith.
In the patter between her and Jimmy Powers, her pianist and manager (Shelton Becton), it’s obvious he’s one of the few current supports in her life. He encourages her to get through the evening’s performance, sometimes coddling her like a delicate child.
Speaking fondly of Artie Shaw, with whose band she once sang, she mentions that when they toured the South, racism reared its ugly head. She recounts the incident when she was able to get the better of a white restaurant hostess who had tried to put down Bessie with racist remarks. But Billie won that battle, hilariously.
McDonald’s performance is so perfectly graded that one can see the slow, continual, downward spiral of this tragic figure before one’s eyes. McDonald has physically, emotionally, and vocally internalized this other woman, Billie Holliday.
The producers have made an excellent choice of venue for this unique presentation. The amphitheater-like, three-sided Circle in the Square Theatre somehow has been made to seem intimate.
At upstage center, a small raised platform holds the band and Billie, while in front of that, an area has been set off to hold a number of tables and chairs. This area accommodates a small group of audience members who have paid a higher premium in order to occupy an area close to the performer. This might be seen as the nucleus of Emerson’s Bar.
Three large mirrored balls set high above the audience turn at times and change color. McDonald’s white dress sometimes turns fully green or blue due to light changes, courtesy of lighting designer Robert Wierzel. (In fact, both Wierzel and set designer James Noone must have had a wonderful time expanding their creative muscles for this show.)
The three-piece combo provides terrific backup for McDonald. Piano man Shelton Becton doubles as conductor and plays Jimmy Powers, as mentioned. Others in the group are Clayton Craddock on drums and George Farmer on bass; Michael Keller is music coordinator.
In addition to accompanying McDonald, the group plays a set for several minutes prior to the start of the show.
Director Lonny Price has done a great job of coordinating all the elements of the production.
I haven’t even discussed McDonald’s fabulous singing voice of operatic stature. Most of her Tony’s were for singing roles: “Carousel,” “Master Class,” “Ragtime,” “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess.”
Overall, enough can’t be said for Audra McDonald’s stunning performance. In fact, after a standing ovation, some exiting audience members said it for me. I heard such comments as “Extraordinary,” “Fantastic,” and “She’s got to be one of the most talented performers around.” Enough said after all.
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill
Circle in the Square Theatre
1633 Broadway
Running Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes
Tickets: 212-239-6200 or visit Telecharge.com
Closes: Aug. 10
Diana Barth publishes New Millennium, an arts publication. For information: [email protected].
