June 7, 2018 – July 8, 2018
Two productions in rotating repertory:
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill and Hedwig and the Angry Inch
LADY DAY AT emerson’s bar and grill
by Lanie Robertson
Directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton
Lanie Robertson’s Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill paints a stirring portrait of jazz legend Billie Holiday as she performs one of her last solo concerts, four months before her death. Packed with the music that made her both a legend – “What a Little Moonlight Can Do”, “God Bless the Child” – and a cultural flashpoint – “Strange Fruit” – Lady Day tells an intimate story of a complex woman through reminisces, confessions, and unforgettable music.
Thursdays & Saturdays at 7:30pm | GET TICKETS
Note: this production features the use of water-based haze and strobe effects.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Book by John Cameron Mitchell
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Trask
Directed by Mathew Wright
The off-Broadway smash-hit Hedwig and the Angry Inch tells the electrifying story of Hedwig, a German emigrant who suffered a botched sex-change operation, as she travels the country in hopeless romantic pursuit of her former lover. First a hit on stage and again on screen, John Cameron Mitchell’s hard-rock tale of transformation has earned critical acclaim and a legion of fans across the world.
Fridays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 3pm | GET TICKETS
Note: this production features the use of water-based haze and strobe effects.
SEATING OPTIONS
ArtsWest has been transformed for Hedwig and Lady Day! With 10 Cabaret Tables on the floor and backed barstools on houses right and left, you can be truly transported into the world of Lady Day‘s 1950s nightclub or Hedwig’s modern-day rock hideout.
The backed barstools on houses right and left are separated by a cozy table – for patrons coming to the show as a pair, pick seats on either side of the table (represented on the seating chart as a blocked seat) and you’re all set for an unforgettable evening.
Practical Questions of Wholeness
Both Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill and Hedwig and the Angry Inchare powerful, penetrating portraits of performers as they grapple with their identity through music. The title of the repertory pairing – Practical Questions of Wholeness, a line from Hedwig – speaks to the search both artists undertake to trace the fault lines, and find the missing pieces, to their fractured senses of self.
Presented in rotating repertory
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill will be performed Thursdays and Saturdays at 7:30pm; Hedwig and the Angry Inch will be performed Fridays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 3pm. In this rotating repertory arrangement, performances happen on alternating days on the same set, giving audiences the opportunity to see first-hand how performance and storytelling completely transform a space.
Note: this production features the use of water-based haze.
CAST
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill
Felicia Loud – Billie Holiday
Darrius Willrich – Jimmy Powers
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Nicholas Japaul Bernard – Hedwig
Dani Hobbs – Yitzhak
CREATIVE
Valerie Curtis-Netwon – Director, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill
Michael Owcharuk – Musical Director, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill
Mathew Wright – Director, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Chris DiStefano – Musical Director, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Liza Vaughn – Stage Manager, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill
Barbara Cawley – Stage Manager, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Tyler Harr – Assistant Musical Director, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Sound Designer – Stephon Jamaa’l Dorsey
Lighting Designer – Tristan Roberson
Scenic Designer – Christopher Mumaw
Costume Designer – Ricky German
Properties Master – Andrea Spraycar
Choreographer – Shadou Mintrone
Wig Designer – Sam I’AM
Musicians
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Chris DiStephano – First Keys
Luke Kane – Drums
Beck Martin – Guitar
Olivia Hamilton – Bass
Tyler Harr – Secondary Keys
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill
Darrius Willrich – Keys
Nate Omdal – BassLady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill resurrects Billie Holiday / Equality 365
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill at ArtsWest is a Study in Nuance and Subtleties / Broadway World
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill is About More Than Music / CityArts
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Hedwig and the Angry Inch at ArtsWest is Raw, Real, and Relevant / Broadway World
A Heartbreakingly Good Hedwig at ArtsWest / CityArts
Both productions
Divas in repertory at ArtsWest / Drama in the Hood
ArtsWest wraps up season with music / Westside Seattle