The Beautiful Lady 2023

La MaMa presents the New York premiere of The Beautiful Lady, an unconventional musical written and composed by Tony Award-nominee Elizabeth Swados, one of Ellen Stewart’s earliest and most frequent collaborators. Set in an artists’ café during the Russian Revolution, the piece uses the words of influential poets from the time, translated by Helen Hayes Award-winner Paul Schmidt.

As the revolution quickly turns and begins to persecute its own, the performers advocate for a free and just society, seeking meaning and purpose in their resistance. In the light of the pressing issues our world faces today, The Beautiful Lady is a poignant reminder of the necessity of free speech and the enduring power of art. Bessie and Obie Award-winning director Anne Bogart directs the music-theatre piece.