Arena Stage Evokes Spirit of Billie Holiday in "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill"

Innovative set design features stage-side cabaret seating to evoke the mood of an authentic jazz bar

(Washington, D.C.) Arena Stage presents Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill by Lanie Robertson, a musical portrait of Billie Holiday's triumphs and struggles amidst her rise to become one of the country's most renowned entertainers. Kenneth Lee Roberson returns to Arena Stage to direct Broadway veteran Lynn Sterling as the legendary icon. i>Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill runs March 31-June 4 in the Kreeger Theater.

“The blues is one of the great original American art forms, and Billie Holiday is one of its greatest inventors and entertainers," said Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith. “It is important to pay tribute to her talent and legacy, and this soulful musical, a gutsy curtain call for the embattled star, speaks volumes to the passion and power of art."

Four months before her death, Billie “Lady Day" Holiday gives one of her final performances for a few regulars at Emerson's Bar & Grill in Philadelphia. Between renditions of such classics as “God Bless the Child" and “Strange Fruit," Holiday recounts the highs and lows of her troubled life as an entertainer. Her reflective but humorous reminiscences and her lyrically nuanced songs that were her “salvation" all contribute to a joyful, riveting celebration of her artistry and life.

“Billie Holiday is a part of American history; she has become a jazz icon and a hero for women of independent thought," said Roberson. “Her work is so important that it has morphed into a larger sort of human influence - you cannot separate this woman from the music, and from a history of this country. This production seeks to evoke the spirit and the history of Billie Holiday."

The design team has further transformed the Kreeger Theater into an authentic jazz bar by adding special stage-side “cabaret" seating. Cocktail tables with two chairs will surround the stage at the front of the house, replacing the first row of traditional seating. Patrons in all seats will be allowed to bring drinks into the theater to enjoy during the play. These premium seats may be purchased at any time throughout the run. For information on how to purchase tickets, call the Arena Stage Sales Office at (202)488-3300.