Lady Day on B'wy-Them that Goes Shall Get

Them that doesn't get there shall lose the opportunity to see the incredibly talented Audra McDonald as Billie Holiday in LADY DAY at EMERSON'S.  McDonald is totally convincing as the real life Billie Holiday the show transports you back to a small night club in Philly (1959.)  The Circle in the Square theatre replicates the feel of a smokey nightclub replete with smokey haze, full bar, night club tables &  waiters serving drinks.  Audra McDonald is a 5 time Tony winner.  Them that goes to see her, will get another Tony worthy performance.  McDonald, a Julliard trained opera singer, has a vocal range & artistry have earned her 2 Grammy awards.  LADY DAY is a spectacular show for the jazzy blues for interpretation of Holiday's music by McDonald, her pianist/partner, Jimmy (Shelton Becton) and bass player & drummer.  Billie speaks from the heart directly to the audience, "her friends" about her life; her arrests, on-going struggles with alcohol/drugs & racial discriminations.  This is a mesmerizing musical that sheds a light on racial tensions of the 50's which need to be re-examined today.  "Saying someone is better than you doesn't make it so."  LADY DAY is a powerhouse of a musical that tells the life of a tormented artists who self-destructive behaviors I was sympathetic to and "T'aint Nobody's Business if I Do."