The New York premiere of JOSEPHINE AND I opened at the Public Theater last night, March 10. Written by Olivier nominated actress and writer Cush Jumbo, and directed by Phyllida Lloyd, JOSEPHINE AND I runs through Sunday, April 5 at Joe's Pub at The Public. Check out pictures from opening night below!
Following a critically acclaimed run at London's Bush Theatre, Cush Jumbo (The River, Julius Caesar, "Getting On") brings her one-woman show to The Public. Born into poverty in the slums of St. Louis, Josephine Baker became one of the most famous and groundbreaking stars of the 20th century. The first African-American performer to rise to international prominence, she was a French Resistance spy and civil rights activist who was married twice by age 16 and served as muse to Pablo Picasso, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, who called her "the most sensational woman anyone ever saw." Now, nearly 40 years after her death, Baker's life inspires a young woman to face up to the sacrifices required to follow one's dreams. A performance featuring swinging jazz and ragtime rhythms, this theatrical event directed by Tony nominee Phyllida Lloyd (Julius Caesar, Mary Stuart, The Iron Lady, Mama Mia!) interweaves a modern day story of an ambitious young woman with the fascinating life of the peerless, fearless, Josephine Baker.
Photo Credit: Walter McBride
Arielle Tepper Madover and Mandy Hackett
Joe Coleman and Janet McTeer
Joe Coleman and Janet McTeer
Joe Coleman
Oskar Eustis and Anne Hathaway
Oskar Eustis and Anne Hathaway
Oskar Eustis and Anne Hathaway
Oskar Eustis and Anne Hathaway
Director Phyllida Lloyd
Director Phyllida Lloyd and Cush Jumbo
Director Phyllida Lloyd and Cush Jumbo
Director Phyllida Lloyd and Cush Jumbo
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