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• The Stage Show
'Billie and Me' is the latest in a new genre of live entertainment created by the convergence of projection and cinematic technology with
innovative set design and digital surround sound.
In this magical evening performance, some of the world's most inspirational female musicians, writers and poets gather together to celebrate
the spirit of Billie. Live performances, electrifying dance sequences, and reinterpretations of Lady Day's repertoire, mix seamlessly with rare
film and audio archive footage and filmed contributions from women artists from around the world. The result is a fascinating tapestry of stories
from women's lives, through which the life of one woman emerges fresher and truer than ever before.
The narrative leads the audience away from the 'tragic' figure of Billie found in history, and instead takes them on an astounding and magical
journey to find the real Lady Day. This is a story that pays tribute to Billie's innovative and progressive musicianship and her role as the
great communicator and poet who sang the story of every woman on the planet. This is a story that considers the work Billie did to raise
society's consciousness of racial injustice, whilst at the same time reveals the myths surrounding her personal life, examining what can
be learned from this side of her life and how it affected her music making. This is a story that shows how generations of women around the
world have followed in her footsteps, and how they have run on in very different ways…
This production is no museum piece or tribute, and this is not a night only for artists who 'sound like' Billie did over 50 years ago.
The cast of 'Billie and Me' pay homage in the manner that speaks for them. Classic covers of her music stand side by side with contemporary
interpretations from all genres of music: blues, jazz, hip hop, afrobeat and soul.
Classic big swing numbers like I Hear Music and Lover Come Back to Me bring 1930's Harlem back to life with Cotton Club dancers filling
the stage. New soulful interpretations of God Bless the Child and Ain't Nobody's Business allow the new urban generation to
translate Billie's words into their own understanding. Artists from the colourful global music stage present an afro-latin extravaganza
on The Man I Love, whilst gospel and R&B, old and new, drive the sizzling Billie's Blues medley. The horror of all crimes against
humanity, through the ages, are laid bare by the gaunt rendition of the powerful anthem Strange Fruit, before the lushness of the
Lady in Satin ballads are evoked by classic strings, horns and dancers as the show draws to a close.
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