Carnival of Soul

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Gregory L. Horton said he likes to think of “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill” as less a play than a “song-versation.”

Horton is directing the season-opening musical about blues and jazz singer Billie Holiday for Cape Fear Regional Theatre. The play opened Thursday and continues through Oct. 25.

“She sings a song and has a conversation with the audience and the piano player,” Horton said. “She’s sharing some life stories about things that have happened to her that have shaped her into who she is.”

After canceling the end of its 2019-20 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, CFRT was eager to get back to work.

This season will look a little different, at least initially. “Lady Day” is being staged outside at the former Haymount Auto Repair, 100 Broadfoot Ave., next to the Hay Street theater.

Patrons will be required to wear masks and will have their temperatures checked before admittance. Seating will be spaced 6 feet apart, surfaces will be sanitized and no tickets or programs will be used.

Holiday, nicknamed Lady Day, is one of the legendary figures in 20th-century American music.

Born Elenora Fagan in 1915, Holiday began singing in Harlem nightclubs and drew attention for her unique vocal phrasing and ability to communicate in song.

Holiday attracted widespread notice for her versions of songs including “God Bless the Child,” “Summertime” and “Strange Fruit,” which is about lynching.

But as her fame grew, so did her personal problems, perhaps rooted in a turbulent childhood. Holiday abused drugs and alcohol and her voice and health suffered as a result. She died in 1959 at age 44 after suffering from cirrhosis of the liver.

Although Holiday’s career was in decline when she died, her reputation was resurrected after her death. Many of her recordings were reissued, and a new audience learned of her story through the 1972 movie “Lady Sings the Blues,” which starred Diana Ross.

“Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill” is a two-person play. Janeta Jackson plays Holiday and Brian Whitted plays her piano player, Jimmy Powers.

There is also a canine character — Holiday’s dog, Pepi — who makes an entrance midway through the show.

The musical, which will be presented without an intermission, depicts one of Holiday’s performances at Emerson’s Bar and Grill in the late ’50s. As Holiday delivers some of her signature songs, she talks about her life, both her struggles and triumphs.

Jackson will be familiar to CFRT audiences from her performance in “Crowns” in 2018. The Charlotte-based actress has starred in productions including “Shrek: The Musical” and “Sister Act” as well as previous performances of “Lady Day.”

Fayetteville native Whitted graduated from the N.C. School of the Arts and later played piano for singers including Debbie Allen, Roberta Flack and Bette Midler. He currently lives in Wilmington.

Jackson said portraying an iconic musical figure like Holiday is equal parts “challenging and rewarding.” While Holiday is often thought of in tragic terms, Jackson said, the singer is more complex than that.

“One of the lines that sticks with me is, ‘You wouldn’t be what you are now if you hadn’t been what you were way back when,’” Jackson said. “The strength that she has is a testament not only to her as a woman but a Black woman.”

Although the show features only two characters, Jackson said the audience also becomes a kind of character. Holiday interacts with theatergoers — in this case, socially distanced, of course.

Whitted, who has performed in CFRT shows including “Godspell” and “Smokey Joe’s Cafe,” said both his character and Holiday illustrate the struggles of musicians of the time.

“It becomes a very important reminder of how we get through life and get paid,” he said. “It was a hard time for musicians, especially Black musicians.”

Horton, an associate professor and interim chairman of the visual and performing arts department at North Carolina A&T State University, has a long list of theater credits, including previous productions of “Lady Day.”

Horton said that while Holiday’s life may have ended tragically, “Lady Day” isn’t the sad story you might expect it to be.

“She doesn’t dwell on the (bad) things; she dwells on the happy things. She talks about how she wanted children and a house and man to love her,” Horton said. “She was a pretty happy person, even with all the problems she had. She looks for the positive imagery.”

“Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill” will be presented Wednesdays through Sundays. Tickets are $19 to $32. Because seating is limited, advance orders are suggested.

For more information, including a list of COVID-19 restrictions, go to cfrt.org.