Photo Flash Exclusive: First Look at CAFE SOCIETY SWING at 59E59 Theaters

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer; Brian Beirne, Managing Director) is thrilled to host the US premiere of CAFE SOCIETY SWING, written by Alex Webb and directed by Simon Green. Produced by Richard Darbourne Ltd (producer of last season's Drama League nominated All That Fall) and The Copasetic Foundation, CAFE SOCIETY SWING begins performances on Tuesday, December 16 for a limited engagement through Sunday, January 4. Opening Night is Sunday, December 21 at 7 PM. The performance schedule is Tuesday - Thursday at 7 PM; Friday at 8 PM; Saturday at 2 PM & 8 PM; Sunday at 3 PM & 7 PM. Please note the following Holiday schedule adjustments: There is no performance on Thursday, December 25; there is an added performance on Friday, December 26 at 2 PM; the performances on December 24 and December 31 are at 6 PM. Single tickets are $70 ($49 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or visit www.59e59.org.

Cafe Society, the legendary jazz venue that launched the careers of Billie Holiday (who first performed Strange Fruit there), Lena Horne, Sarah Vaughan, Big Joe Turner, Count Basie, Zero Mostel, Sid Caesar and Carol Channing, returns to the East Side! Playing one city block away from the club's original uptown location, CAFE SOCIETY SWING is a thrilling homage to "the wrong place for the Right people."

Cafe Society, the first racially integrated club in NYC and the hottest ticket in town, offered a creative home to countless artists of the time. From its origins as the first racially desegregated club in NYC (and possibly the US), to its booker's uncanny ability to spot and nurture new talent, to its role in lampooning New York's elite, to its demise during the Red Scare hysteria of the late 1940s, CAFE SOCIETY SWING tells the remarkable story of this legendary nightclub.

Evan Pappas, who returns to the NY stage to front this swinging show, is joined by vocalists Cyrille Aimée, Allan Harris, and Charenee Wade. Along with an eight-piece jazz ensemble, they perform an irresistible soundtrack of the many jazz greats who graced Cafe Society's stage.

The live musicians include Alex Webb (piano), Mimi Jones (bass), Shirazette Tinnin (drums), Allan Harris (guitar), Camille Thurman (tenor sax), Bill Todd (alto sax and clarinet), Benny Benack III (trumpet), and Brent White (trombone). The set and costume designer is David Woodhead (Cornelius at Brits Off Broadway).

Photos by Carol Rosegg