‘Lady Day’ at Cygnet Theatre Tells the Tale of a Sad Songbird

The walls are dingy. They’ve seen years of tobacco and stale air permeated with the wafting scent of strong booze and jazz.

This seedy bar is the setting for “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill,” a snapshot of one of Billie Holiday’s final performances. Set in 1959, the play by Lanie Robertson shows an intimate look at the singer’s life and songbook. What starts out as a lighthearted evening at a jazz club slowly turns into an autobiographical tale of sorrow as Holiday falls apart in front of the crowd.

Cygnet Theatre’s production of “Lady Day,” now playing through February 18, brought that seedy bar to life with some brilliant casting and setting.

Billie, performed by Karole Foreman, entertains with tales of her childhood, career, loves, and losses. Foreman has played this role several times, and it shows. She falls into the character naturally and with nuance. Although Billie entertains the audience with tales and songs from her life, there’s always something darker hidden behind her words. As the night progresses and the bottles get lower, we see the jazz singer give in to an addiction to which she is powerless.

Billie’s accompanist, Jimmy, performed by Damon Carter, played the piano beautifully and served as a good companion for Foreman to play off. Jimmy is given the daunting task of keeping Billie in line when she begins to lose track of the evening—and herself.

This two-person show is a succinct and easy 90 minutes, never feeling too long or like it overstays its welcome. The storytelling presented in the first-person, fourth-wall-breaking manner is so engaging that you won’t notice the minutes tick by.

The walls really are dingy—they’re old, dirty, and frayed—and it’s perfect. The set was based on an original design by Edward E. Haynes Jr., and Mathys Herbert served as the associate scenic designer. Together, they created a set that truly does feel like an old bar in Philadelphia while keeping it simple and straightforward.

This production of “Lady Day” was made in collaboration with Ebony Repertory Theatre in Los Angeles. Wren T. Brown, director of the show and co-founder of ERT, has directed this musical before, and just like Karole Foreman, it shows. Brown clearly has great respect for the work and enjoys directing it. It’s great to see Cygnet partner with ERT and feature this show in their season for Black History Month.

There is no spectacle in this production. There is a single piano on the stage; it’s left to the two actors to bring this piece to life—and they do so brilliantly. Having the charisma to carry an entire production by oneself is a daunting task to take on, but these two actors bring the characters to life in such a way that you forget you’re watching a play.

(Photo credit: Karli Cadel Photography)