BroadwayHD Releases Streaming Playlist of Theatre Greats for Black History Month!
In time for Black History Month, BroadwayHD, the premiere streaming service for live theater in the US and countries across the globe, has pulled together a special playlist that honors African Americans on the stage. From Audra McDonald as Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill, to Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies, and the galvanizing drama Pipeline, by award-winning playwright Dominique Morriseau, BroadwayHD presents this month hours of exciting theater celebrating the writing, performances, and music of some of the most talented individuals to ever appear on the stage.
BWW Review: Audra McDonald Reaffirms Her Singular Brilliance in HBO's LADY DAY
There is an undeniable electricity that the world's greatest bring to everything that they do. There is something nearly tangible, yet dizzyingly elusive about watching legends at their best; that is how I felt when six-time Tony-winner Audra McDonald became the troubled Jazz icon Billie Holiday in tonight's broadcast of LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR AND GRILL on HBO. Though the material itself doesn't always rise to the level of its star's genius, the transformative power of McDonald's talent transports you into a completely different time and place; namely the small Emerson's Bar and Grill in Philadelphia in March 1959.
Photo Flash: First Look at Audra McDonald in HBO's LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR & GRILL
Six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald brings her acclaimed portrayal of Billie Holiday in the Broadway smash LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR & GRILL to HBO on Saturday, March 12 (9:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT). Filmed before a live audience at Cafe Brasil in New Orleans, the special features McDonald in her history-making, tour de force performance as the jazz icon, which won the actress her sixth Tony Award. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at McDonald in two captivating stills from the presentation below!
Spoiler Alert! Recap and Review: Matt Bomer Falls Victim to an American Psycho in a Crowded FREAKSHOW
When I was a child, I loved drawing pictures; despite the fact that it was very clear that I had little to no artistic ability in this arena, I continued to draw anyway. Whether it was a sunrise over a mountain with little “V” shaped birds flying towards the horizon, or a sunset over a beach with little “V” shaped birds flying towards the horizon, I kept drawing. However, every time I would get to the point when the picture had just enough detail, I would think of something else that it must have before it could be considered complete. So, I would add more pine trees on the mountains, or umbrellas on the beach, until my canvas piece of paper was so overcrowded with stuff, that it was hard to see the forest through the trees, often literally. This has been my major complaint about the genre-defining (and defying) anthology series AMERICAN HORROR STORY from the beginning.
Spoiler Alert! Recap and Review: AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW Welcomes 'Edward Mordrake,' Emma Roberts
I was fortunate enough to have screeners of the first three hours of AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW sent to me by FX, so that means that my reviews of those episodes (Episode 1 and Episode 2) are as well-thought out and developed as I could make them. However, I began to think that one of the most entertaining elements of the horror genre is being able to share your shock and disgust with other people. So, since FX did not send out screeners for this week's episode, I decided that instead of writing a lengthy analysis after tonight's hour, I would live-recap it, and hopefully be able to share those feelings of fear and enjoyment with all of you electronically.
Spoiler Alert! Recap and Review: AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW Creates Conflict, Context in Best Hour Yet
If you are reading this review, you probably loved last week's two-hour AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW premiere as much as I did, but while last week thrived on a sensory assault of spectacular images and fascinating character portrayals, tonight's episode found inventive ways to not only deliver those incredible aesthetics again, but to also set up what has all the makings of an incredibly compelling season of stories. Simply said, this was one of the finest hours of television writing I have seen in a long time.
Spoiler Alert! FREAK SHOW Might Just Be Best AMERICAN HORROR STORY Yet
When I was a kid, my parents never let me go to any of the traveling carnivals and circuses that crisscrossed the Midwest. They were afraid that the Ferris Wheels, Roller Coasters, and Tilt-a-Whirls that were hastily assembled in rundown shopping center parking lots weren't safe, and that if I was to climb into one of the rides, I could become the victim of a terrible tragedy. Having watched the two hour premiere of AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW, I now think that my parents significantly underestimated just how dangerous those wayfaring fairs actually were.