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  • THEATRE REVIEW | Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Wyndham’s Theatre, London

    ★★★★★| Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill

    THEATRE REVIEW | Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Wyndham's Theatre, London
    Billie Holiday is alive and well and performing at London’s Wyndham’s Theatre.

    Well, it’s not quite Billie Holiday – it’s mega Broadway star Audra McDonald making her West End Debut in a show where she performs as Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. And while most of us have never actually seen the real Holiday sing live, I can only imagine McDonald is as close as the real thing.

    Billie Holiday, who was known as ‘Lady Day’, had one of the greatest jazz voices of all time. But sadly she died at the age of 44 in 1959 after a turbulent life, which included drug and alcohol addiction. Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill takes place in South Philadelphia right before her death, and where she sings and also tells stories about her life, loves, and family. She recounts the time she was performing with musician Artie Shaw in an all-white club and was refused the use of the all-white woman’s bathroom so she pissed on the floor. Lady Day mentions that her mother called The Duchess married at the age of 16 and her father was 19, while she was three. And she rasps lyrical about the love of her life, Sunny, who didn’t exactly treat her like a lady. And she briefly mentions the year she spent in prison for drug possession. All this, plus signature Holliday songs such as “Strange Fruit”, “Easy Livin’” and many many others are beautifully done at The Wyndham’s Theatre which has been crafted to emulate the original Emerson’s Tavern as it was known. And McDonald is astonishing as Holliday.

    It’s not just that McDonald is acting like Holiday, but McDonald sings like Holiday as well. There’s a reason why McDonald has won 6 Tony Awards, she is one if not the most accomplished stage actress of our time. The likes of Bernadette Peters, Patti LuPone or Elaine Paige don’t hold a candle to McDonald.

    She’s appeared on stage in both musicals and dramas such as Ragtime, A Raisin in the Sun and Master Class when she was young where she proved that she’s a force to be reckoned with. Accompanied by Shelton Becton on piano, Frankie Tontoh on Drums and Neville Malcolm on Bass, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill is a lush tribute to the woman who died way before her time, and a tribute to the woman who plays her – it’s a tour de force performance.

    Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill is playing at Wyndham’s Theatre until September 9, 2017. 

     

  • REVIEW: Audra McDonald at the Leicester Square Theatre

    ★★★★★ | Audra McDonald

    Megastar of Broadway, film and television Audra McDonald can barely pop out for a carton of milk in New York without winning another Tony Award. It’s not hard to see why she’s a record breaking award winner and it’s a privilege to see and hear her up close in the Leicester Square Theatre.

    Due to break her West End virginity in June with her acclaimed performance as Billie Holiday with ‘Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill’, Audra’s in town for a flying visit with her husband and kids and decided to pop into the theatre, have a chat and sing a few songs. On one level it feels like just that, a lovely friend has popped in for coffee and a gossip but on the other it’s slick and showy, crank the drama up to maximum and let the hairs on the back of the neck rise.

    Audra is interviewed and accompanied on the piano by the hilarious and camp musical theatre legend Seth Rudetsky as well as being joined by her Broadway hunk husband Will Swenson. There’s a genuine warmth between Audra and Seth as they chat on the sofa about the kind of diverse subjects we all gossip about such as childrearing, travel and working with P-Diddy.

    Oh, she’s met a few legends too and gives good Barbra and Liza anecdotes. She seems to be that rare entity: genuinely nice but interesting with it. In between chats she sings. Boy does she sing. Last night she ran through Sondheim, Lerner and Loewe and Gershwin, amongst others but who knows what you’ll get if you’re lucky enough to get a seat.

    She really does have a beautiful voice and it’s not hard to see what all the fuss is about. If you love musical theatre then this is an absolute must. Even if you don’t love musical theatre then go. If this doesn’t convert you then nothing will.

    Audra McDonald plays at The Leicester Square Theatre until 15th April 2017