lady day at emerson’s bar and grill

BY lanie robertson
DIRECTED BY reginald l. douglas

Produced in partnership with Washington Performing Arts.

September 5 – October 13, 2024 

“A searing portrait of a woman whose art was triumphant!” –Onstage

“Original and riveting!” –The London Times

An immersive nightclub experience! Journey back to 1959 for an unforgettable rendezvous with Lady Day herself—the incomparable Billie Holiday performed by DC legend Roz White, in the role she was born to play. The Helen Hayes Award-winning White just completed the national tour of TINA: The Tina Turner Musical.

Featuring classics such as “God Bless the Child” and “Strange Fruit,” this acclaimed play with music transports you to a small bar in Philadelphia for one of the icon’s final concerts, transforming the theater into an immersive nightclub complete with a live band and cocktails.

Building on the success of Mosaic’s past productions Twisted Melodies and The Devil’s Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith, this fresh production of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill explores the triumphs and traumas of Holiday’s life and career while celebrating the resilience of Black women throughout history.

WAtch the trailer

PHOTOS

CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM

FOR THIS PRODUCTION

Special Performances and Open Captioned Performances:

• Thursday, September 12 at 11:00 a.m.: Intergenerational Matinee with a Post-Performance Discussion with the Artists

• Sunday, September 15 after the 3:00 p.m. performance. Post-Performance Discussion with the Artists and Team Rayceen: Curious about what went into the making of Emerson's Bar and Grill? Or how DC theater superstar Roz White transformed into Billie Holiday? Come join the artists behind Lady Day to hear about the process behind the production and their artistic practice.

• Thursday, September 19 at 11:00 a.m.: Intergenerational Matinee with a Post-Performance Discussion with the Artists

• Saturday, September 21 after the 8:00 p.m. performance. Washington Performing Arts Panel: It's time to jam! Join Washington Performing Arts alongside three outstanding performers -- Robert E. Person, Sherice Williams, and Lori Williams -- for a quick dive into the music of Billie Holiday's era followed by an improvisational jam session with the Lady Day band.

• Sunday, September 22 at 2:00 p.m.: Join Roz White and William Knowles at City on the River, a free concert celebrating art and community in Washington DC. Featuring pop-up music performances and a riverside concert on the banks of the Potomac River, Lady Day takes center stage at The Wharf alongside the best of DC’s art, culture and theater. Presented with Theatre Washington. 

• Thursday, September 26 at 11:00 a.m.: Intergenerational Matinee with a Post-Performance Discussion with the Artists

• Friday, September 27 after the 7:30 p.m. performance. Celebrating DC’s Black Artistry: Washington DC has a long history as a center of Black musical artistry - from Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and the jazz of the early 20th century to the birth of Go-Go in the 60s and 70s and beyond. Come join some of DC's most prominent contemporary black artists, including Priest Da Nomad, Akua Allrich, and Mosaic's own Psalmayene 24 speak about their work and the communities of artists they create with and around.

• Saturday, October 5 at 7:30 p.m. Open Captioned Performance

• Sunday, October 6 at 3:00 p.m. Open Captioned Performance

• Sunday, October 6 after the 3:00 p.m. Post-Performance Discussion with the Artists: October 6 after the 3:00 p.m. performance. Curious about what went into the making of Emerson's Bar and Grill? Or how DC-theater superstar Roz White transformed into Billie Holiday? Come join the artists behind Lady Day to hear about the process behind the production and their artistic practice.

TICKET PRICES & seating chart

SINGLE TICKETS

PREVIEWS: THUR & FRI $42 · SAT & SUN $56

REGULAR PERFORMANCES: THUR & FRI $53 · SAT & SUN $70

CAFÉ SEATING

PREVIEWS: THUR & FRI $52 · SAT & SUN $66

REGULAR PERFORMANCES: THUR & FRI $63 · SAT & SUN $80

TICKET DISCOUNTS

In the spirit of welcome, Mosaic is proud to remove financial barriers to our work via senior, student, military, and need-based discounts, plus a limited number of rush tickets for every show.

RUSH TICKETS
A limited number of rush tickets are available via walk-up cash purchase at the box office beginning one hour before the start of each performance.

SENIOR RATE (65+)
Save 10% with discount code: SENIOR

STUDENT RATE
$20 tickets with discount code: STUDENT

EDUCATOR RATE
$20 tickets with discount code: EDUCATOR

MILITARY AND FIRST RESPONDER RATE
Save 10% with discount code: HERO

UNDER 30
Patrons 30 and younger can access $25 tickets to Mosaic mainstage performances. Use code UNDER30. Restrictions: One ticket per order. Discount is not available on weekend matinees. 

Type your discount code into the box where prompted during the checkout process.

PRESS

Fabulous Roz White powers ‘Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill’ at Mosaic - DC Theater Arts

Review: LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR AND GRILL at Mosaic Theater Company - Broadway World

Theatre Review: ‘Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill’ presented by Mosaic Theater Company at Atlas Performing Arts Center - MD Theatre Guide

Lady Day Sings a Tricky Tune for Mosaic Theater Company - Washington City Paper