| Follow us on Twitter |
Recreating her landmark 1966 concert on the Côte d'Azur in Nice, France and featuring 14 of Fitzgerald's greatest hits including "A-Tisket, A Tasket;" "They Can't Take That Away From Me;" and "That Old Black Magic," Ella pays tribute to the life and music of one of the most influential jazz singers of all time.
"Ella is a totally engaging portrayal of the life of a great American singer through the songs that made her so beloved," said DTC Associate Artistic Director, David Kennedy. "The sum of Ella Fitzgerald's passion, her spirit, and her great contribution to American music are explored in their public and their private aspects in this thoroughly entertaining show that is part concert, part confessional. It will be an inspiring evening of theater."
Best known for her soulful lyricism and technical brilliance, Ella Fitzgerald remains a foremost interpreter of the American Songbook. Ira Gershwin once proclaimed, "I didn't realize our songs were so good until Ella sang them." Winner of thirteen Grammy Awards, Ella sold over forty million albums and recorded with such jazz luminaries as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie. Her career began with a breakthrough performance in the Apollo Theater's renowned Amateur Hour at age sixteen and spanned fifty-seven years. Her talents enthralled audiences and forever changed the landscape of American popular music.
Award-winning director/creator Rob Ruggiero makes his Dallas Theater Center debut with Ella, which premiered in 2005 at TheaterWorks in Hartford, Connecticut, where he is the Associate Artistic Director. Also making their Dallas debuts are the four piece band/ensemble led by Anderson Edwards (Piano/Conductor), Ron Haynes (Trumpet), Walter Kindred (Percussion), and John Whitfield (Bass).
The acclaimed design team for Ella includes Michael Schweikardt (Scenic Designer), Alejo Vietti (Costume Designer), John Lasiter (Lighting Designer), Michael C. Miceli (Sound Designer), and George Caldwell (Music Director). -- www.dallastheatercenter.org
Posted February 6th, 2008 by ruzik_tuzik
