You may remember we told you that Broadway’s superwoman Audra McDonald would be taking a leave of absence from the upcoming production of Shuffle Along, Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed for three months starting in June through September 25. At the time, we didn’t have the details and we didn’t dare speculate. Now, we know that it’s for a great reason. McDonald will make her West End debut this summer in her show-stopping, Tony Award-winning performance as “Billie Holiday” in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill.
The play, written by Lanie Robertson and directed by Lonny Price, tells the story of the legendary jazz icon’s loves and losses through a turbulent but extraordinary life. Providing the backdrop to these stories are the moving and stirring songs that Holiday is most famous for – “God Bless the Child,” “What a Little Moonlight Can Do,” “Strange Fruit,” “Crazy He Calls Me,” and “Taint Nobody’s Biz-ness.” The production will play at Wyndham’s Theater from June 25 to September 3. The official opening is scheduled for July 5.
In Shuffle Along, McDonald will take on the role of “Lottie Gee” and Brian Stokes Mitchell will appear in the role of “F.E. Miller.” Billy Porter takes on the role of “Aubrey Lyles,” with Brandon Victor Dixon and Joshua Henry as “Eubie Blake” and “Noble Sissle.”
McDonald made Broadway history with a record-setting sixth Tony Award for her perfomance in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. She also has the distinction of being the first person to receive awards in all four acting categories. She has also won Tony’s for Carousel, Master Class, Ragtime, A Raisin in the Sun, and Porgy and Bess. We’ll cross our fingers and hope that her performance in the West End production will wow British audiences as much as it did those on Broadway and bring her an Olivier Award.
For tickets and more information about the West End production of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill visit here.
BREAKING! @audraequalitymc will take a break from #ShuffleAlong to do @LadyDayWestEnd! #br… https://t.co/ud5ogDQFZn pic.twitter.com/IYpDc6lh1n
— Broadway Black (@BroadwayBlack) January 15, 2016
