Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill at Trustus Theatre

BY LANIE ROBERTSON
STARRING KATRINA GARVIN AS BILLIE HOLIDAY
DIRECTED BY JOCELYN SANDERS
The time is 1959, in a smoky bar in Philadelphia. The audience is about to witness one of Billie Holiday’s last performances, given four months before her death. More than a dozen musical numbers — including “What a Moonlight Can Do,” “Crazy He Calls Me,” “Easy Living,” Strange Fruit,” “Taint Nobody’s Biz-ness If I Do,” and “God Bless the Child” — are interlaced with salty, sometimes humorous, reminiscences that project a riveting portrait of this unforgettable music icon. Over the course of the evening, the audience gets a firsthand account of Billie’s life, her music, and the battles she’s fought throughout her career.  Starring Trustus Company Member Katrina Garvin as Billie Holiday, under the direction of Trustus Company Emeritus Jocelyn Sanders, this show is a powerful piece that will stay with you long after you’ve left the theatre.