I had the great pleasure to see six-time Tony winner (six, people, six!) Audra McDonald play the legend that is Billie Holliday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill back in June. I do not like hyperbole, sensationalism, or anything like that, but there is a strong possibility she delivered the most impressive performance I have ever seen. From the moment she walked on stage to when the lights blacked out at the end, I never once saw Audra McDonald. I saw Billie Holliday in front of me. It was jarring when the curtain call was happening because Audra showed up for the first time.
Because the stage brings in a limited audience, HBO has decided to showcase Lady Day with Audra McDonald reprising the role that earned her the sixth Tony. Lonny Price, who directed the stage version, will return to direct this version. The film will shoot in front of a live audience in New Orleans’ Café Brasil later this month.
For those who do not know, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill chronicles a performance by Billie Holliday in 1959 at the eponymous bar and brill in Philadelphia, which would turn out to be one of the last performances she ever gave. It includes many of Holliday’s most famous tunes, such as “God Bless the Child” and “What a Little Moonlight Can Do”. As the night goes, she continues to drink, and we see the sad life Holliday is trying to cope with.
No release date has been set, but when it does air, I highly suggest everyone give this watch and bask in the genius of Ms. McDonald. Film audiences are not the most familiar with her, and I think this is a great way to know why she is so well regarded in the Broadway community.
Original report from Broadway.com
