The Devil's Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith Off-Broadway Original Cast

Sexy and racy, Blues singer Bessie Smith was the definition of a Red Hot Mamma and the most successful entertainer of her time. On the eve of her tragic death in 1937, Bessie takes center stage in a Memphis "buffet flat." Now, among friends, she tells the story of her amazing life, career, her loves and losses. Put your troubles aside, and soak up the blues as Bessie Smith comes to life and sings the songs that made her so unforgettable, St. Louis Blues, Need a Little Sugar in my Bowl and Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out.

Miche Braden as Bessie commands the stage like an empress -- which is only fitting because Bessie Smith was known as The Empress of the Blues. She gives a towering performance that fully and forcefully brings Bessie and her music to life. - Theatremania

Miche Braden embodies much of Bessie in this portrayal, her colorful vocals playful, her emotional yearnings truthful. And she does know how to work an audience. It's a class act performed without an intermission! - NY Theatre Examiner