Phoenix Theater’s Tour-de-Force Portrait of Billy Holiday
Have you ever witnessed a legend? Behold the tour-de-force portrait of the iconic jazz songstress. In a tattered Philadelphia bar, it’s 1959 and Billie Holiday is performing, and storytelling, for one of the last times before her tragic death months later. In this haunting yet humorous cabaret, the prolific vocalist interweaves personal and professional anecdotes with memorable canon including “What a Little Moonlight Can Do,” “God Bless the Child,” “Strange Fruit,” and “Ain’t Nobody’s Business If I do.” Through her distinct and frank form of expression, audiences will empathize and admire the soulful lady throughout an evening that hits all the right notes. For more information visit phoenixtheatre.com
Transcript
00:00 Hey, at Phoenix Theatre, they're celebrating an extra holiday.
00:09 You can still go ahead with your family with the rest of them, but they're celebrating
00:13 Billie Holiday, as can only be performed by this lady.
00:19 And I'm talking about for the fifth time she's done the role of Billie Holiday, Yolanda London.
00:25 And what a delight it is to know that you're bringing Lady Day to it.
00:29 Thank you.
00:30 It's a joy to bring Lady Day.
00:32 Now, the real joy, of course, is when you found out that Chantel is directing, right?
00:38 Chanel.
00:39 Chanel Bragg.
00:42 And this is the first time you've directed the show, but isn't it nice to have an actress
00:48 that's done it five times already?
00:50 Absolutely.
00:51 And an actress that I'm not only friends with, but I've been a fan of for many, many years.
00:56 Have you discovered about Billie Holiday, a troubled woman in a troubled time, unique
01:05 things about her life?
01:07 Absolutely.
01:09 In the show, there are tons of gems about Billie Holiday that the audience will discover.
01:14 But part of our process is combing through archival recordings and books.
01:21 Jari, who is the understudy for Billie Holiday, brought in how many books?
01:27 Stacks, like six.
01:28 Stacks of books that were just full of photographs and stories.
01:35 And even just looking at an image, you'll discover a surprise.
01:39 One of the things that we learned was that Billie often had chipped nail polish.
01:44 There were so many pictures of her with chipped nail polish.
01:48 And I'm sure that it has to be exciting for you as the director of this kind of an intimate
01:53 show, Chanel, to be doing so in Emerson's Bar and Grill.
01:59 The staging here is terrific.
02:01 Thank you.
02:02 I feel very blessed, not only to have the incredible mastery as the talent that is Yolanda,
02:07 but our band is fantastic as well.
02:10 And the setting is wonderful.
02:12 So I've been a performer here at Phoenix Theater for many years.
02:15 This is my directorial debut here at Phoenix Theater with this show.
02:18 I couldn't think of a better show.
02:19 We both have such a love and affinity for Billie Holiday.
02:23 So it was kismet that we would end up in this situation with this particular show at this
02:28 time.
02:29 I think her story is even more important to share.
02:31 And not only Chanel, director, not only Chanel, well-known actress here in the Valley, but
02:38 you're also a Valley native.
02:40 I am.
02:41 I'm a native Arizonan, second generation.
02:44 Well, it's always nice to run into somebody in the theater who started here.
02:50 And you started where, Yolanda?
02:52 Pennsylvania, home of the Fighting Amish.
02:54 And what part?
02:55 Now, did you do Pennsylvania Dutch plays?
02:58 I did not do Pennsylvania Dutch plays, but I have worked in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
03:03 There's a beautiful regional theater there called the Fulton Opera House.
03:07 And it is one of the oldest theaters in the country.
03:10 Tell me one thing, we had just a minute to go in our conversation, a little music coming
03:14 up.
03:15 One thing that we don't know about Billie Holiday that you do.
03:20 One thing that the audience does not know about Billie Holiday that I do.
03:24 Goodness gracious.
03:25 First thing that occurs to you that was a surprise.
03:28 I said already about her nail polish being a surprise to me because she's such a put-together
03:32 lady.
03:33 But I think, I knew that she loved animals, but I didn't know how many dogs that she actually
03:39 owned.
03:40 She really did own a lot of dogs.
03:41 She had so many different dogs.
03:43 She was a huge dog lover.
03:45 And that was not a surprise exactly, but the scope of how much was a surprise to me.
03:51 Well, I like dogs and I like Cortez High School, right?
03:55 Yes.
03:56 Where you went to school.
03:57 Yes.
03:58 But I love Billie Holiday and we're not gonna let you get away without a little holiday
04:04 music.
04:05 If you will, my dear.
04:07 I'd be happy to.
04:08 Okay.
04:09 We're gonna play Yolanda London as directed by Chanel Bragg.
04:13 Hi, I'm here with Derek George who plays Jimmy Powers in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill.
04:23 And we're going to sing What a Little Moonlight Can Do.
04:27 Ooh, what a little moonlight can do.
04:33 Ooh, what a little moonlight can do, dear.
04:40 You're in love, your hearts are fluttered all day long.
04:46 You only stutter 'cause you're poor Tom just could not utter the words I love you.
04:55 Ooh, what a little moonlight can do.
05:00 Wait a while 'til the little moonbeam come peeking through.
05:07 You'll get sorry you can't resist him all you say when you have kissed him.
05:15 Ooh, what a little moonlight can do.
05:22 All right.
05:27 All right.
05:28 All right.
05:28 All right.
05:29 All right.
05:29 All right.
05:34 All right.
05:39 All right.