Lady Day

I went to the Karamu House yesterday to see a production of Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, which was fantastic. The show is set in 1959 and takes place in a dive bar in Philly and is centered around one of the last performances Holiday gave before her death. The actress, who portrays Billie not only manages the daunting task of mimicking her voice, but successfully captures her essence. Her voice ached with fragility and raw emotion and at certain points reduced many in the crowd to tears. The songs are interlaced with stories from Billie's life, which are often hilarious and heartbreaking. I would highly recommend this show to anyone who is a fan of her music or just interested in the history of that era. For those not familiar, the Karamu House is a non-profit Cleveland based art and educational organization. It was established in 1915 by two Oberlin graduates and was designed with the specific purpose of supporting the preservation and evolution of African-American culture. http://www.karamuhouse.org/index.htm