Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill at Belvoir

It’s 1959, in a bar in South Philadelphia. It’s a bit rundown. You wouldn’t know it, but we’re in a moment of history – one of Billie Holiday’s legendary last performances.

As she sings her set (and it’s the greats – ‘Taint Nobody’s Business If I Do, Strange Fruit, What a Little Moonlight Can Do, Easy Livin’, God Bless the Child, and more), she shares the story of her life – a bit risqué, humorous, political, ecstatic, tragic. Lady Day comes to the fore as she looks back on a life, on an era.

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill is produced by special arrangement with The Gersh Agency.

"It’s just fantastic we can get Zahra Newman back on our stage – and not just for her charisma and her acting prowess, we get to hear her sing, too. And that’s seriously worth twice the ticket price. These songs blow your mind and move you to tears. It’s Zahra and her band, and it’s great theatre, perfect for a space like Belvoir." – Eamon Flack (Artistic Director)

Writer: Lanie Robertson

Director: Mitchell Butel

Associate Director: Zahra Newman

Musical Arranger: Danny Holgate

Set and Costumer Designer: Ailsa Paterson

Sound Designer: Andrew Howard

Lighting Designer: Govin Ruben

Cast: Zahra Newman