Ayo & Rochelle Rice to Star in FIRST LADY OF SONG: ELLA FITZGERALD at Signature Theatre

Ayo (HBO's The Apollo) and Rochelle Rice (Sweet Honey In The Rock®) will perform in First Lady of Song: Ella Fitzgerald, a cabaret dedicated to the music of acclaimed jazz artist Ella Fitzgerald at Signature Theatre. First Lady of Song runs January 31 - February 5 in Signature's ARK Theatre. Tickets are $38 and can be purchased online at SigTheatre.org or by calling 703 820 9771.

Signature's Director of Cabarets, Mark G. Meadows said "when considering who could tackle the vocal prowess, beauty, and complexity of Ella Fitzgerald, two vocalists immediately came to mind: Ayo and Rochelle. However, I couldn't decide between the two of them. They're both just so versatile, so enchanting, so good! So, the best solution is to have them share the stage, feeding off each's love for Ella, and love for each other."

The definition of an icon, Ella Fitzgerald was the most popular female jazz singer in the United States for over 50 years. Celebrate her phenomenal range, syncopated style, and heart of gold with a swinging cabaret bursting with her incredible songbook including "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)," "Mack the Knife," "Blue Skies" and many more.

AYO:

Ayo is a gifted vocalist who studied Jazz Voice at Howard University. During her time there she was a featured soloist in Howard University's Jazz Ensemble Afro Blue, a featured composer for the Kennedy Center's Residency, Betty Carter Jazz Ahead where she studied under Jason Moran and Carmen Lundy. She was also most recently Young Ella Fitzgerald on the HBO Documentary "The Apollo" and its subsequent album Ella's 100th Live at the Apollo featuring: Liz Wright, Patti Austin and Ledisi. For more information, visit: www.ayoofficial.com

ROCHELLE RICE:

Walking a fine line between jazz and folk, award-winning singer-songwriter, Rochelle Rice, lives in between the cracks of hard and fast genre rules. As a singer steeped in the music of artists like Lizz Wright, Joni Mitchell, and Carmen McRae, Rice's sound leans heavily on solid lyrics, jazz-influenced harmony, and soaring vocals. Her debut project, Wonder, established her as a singer's singer with beautiful original songs, a sizzling quartet, and lush strings. Rice's versatility and unique skills as a singer, composer, and clinician have allowed her the opportunity to work with some of the industry's most acclaimed musicians, including touring with the world-renowned women's group, Sweet Honey In The Rock® and featuring in Signature Theatre's Hotter Than July: Stevie Wonder cabaret.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS:

First Lady of Song: Ella Fitzgerald
January 31 - February 5, 2023
The definition of an icon, Ella Fitzgerald was the most popular female jazz singer in the United States for over 50 years. Celebrate her phenomenal range, syncopated style, and heart of gold with a swinging cabaret bursting with her incredible songbook including "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)," "Mack the Knife," "Blue Skies" and many more.

ABOUT SIGNATURE

Signature Theatre is a Tony Award®-winning regional theater that broadens and brightens the region's cultural landscape with its bold productions of challenging new and established works and engaging education and outreach programs. Founded in 1989 by Eric Schaeffer and Donna Migliaccio, and currently under the leadership of Managing Director Maggie Boland and Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner, musical theater is Signature's "signature," and the Theatre is renowned for its definitive Sondheim productions, inventive adaptations of overlooked or forgotten works, and investment in fresh new projects. Signature combines Broadway-caliber productions with intimate playing spaces and aims to be a leading force in U.S. musical theater. 

Since its inception, the Theatre has produced 60 world premiere works-including 19 new musical commissions. Signature opens its doors to more than 100,000 people annually from the Washington, DC region and beyond and reaches more than 10,000 students every year through its innovative education programs, including the award-winning initiative Signature in the Schools. Signature has won 134 Helen Hayes Awards for excellence in the Washington, DC region's professional theater and has been honored with 452 nominations. 

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