Review: LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR & GRILL at Pittsburgh CLO Is Brilliant, Hard to Watch
It's a tale as old as time: the downward spiral of a once-brilliant talent into substance abuse and early death. It's the second half of the 'star is born' template, and it never goes out of style... because it sadly never stops happening in real life. The list is long, with Amy Winehouse as the recent example du jour, but the archetypal musical downfall is legendary jazz vocalist Billie Holiday. Director Tomé Cousin's production of Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill is fascinating, beautiful, but also grueling in its unflinching realism.
Review: I'm Dreaming of a Beef & Boards WHITE CHRISTMAS
There are many films that can be considered iconic, and that is especially true of holiday films. However, there is a special place in so many hearts for Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS. Its staying power has held true since its premiere in 1954, and there can be no doubt as to why. Every scene is full of charm, a dash of humor, and of course singing and dancing. Throw in Beef & Boards, and you’re guaranteed to have a truly festive feast!
Review: Tap, Snap, and Sway at SOPHISTICATED LADIES at Beef & Boards
Looking for twentieth-century aesthetics (think an Art Deco club) and swingin’ music, making your heart sing, you’re in luck. Duke Ellington’s “Sophisticated Ladies” is a 1981 musical revue of the back of Duke’s celebrated history. From early songs like “The Mooche” and “Mood Indigo” to later hits “I’m Beginning to See the Light” and “Satin Doll,” this vogueish revue taps (literally) the Duke’s music back on the stage where it rightfully belongs.
Review: AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' at Titusville Playhouse
Thomas “Fats” Waller, a pioneer in jazz piano, was a prolific composer, writing over 400 songs in his lifetime, with hits like “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and “Honeysuckle Rose” even making it into the Grammy Hall of Fame. So, it is no surprise that in 1978 a Broadway Musical, AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’ premiered featuring dozens of Waller’s songs and a cast of five African American actors, including a young Andre de Shields (HADESTOWN) and the late, great Nell Carter who won a Tony Award for her performance. Since its premiere, AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’ has lived on, thrilling audiences all around the world including the latest production at the Titusville Playhouse in Titusville, FL – an energetic and electric production that sizzles from beginning to end.
Gretchen Reinhagen, Whitney Gentile, Kenney Green and More Join PIANO BAR LIVE!
Featuring new performers with every show, the weekly Piano Bar Live! will stream tonight, Tuesday, March 16 at 7:15 pm ET, with host Scott Barbarino and guests Whitney Gentile, Kenney Green, Murechimso Kalu, Gretchen Reinhagen and JD Smurthwaite, plus Mystery Guests and MORE!