After breaking box office records in the summer of 2012 with "One Night With Janis Joplin", the Cleveland Play House keeps right on rocking and resurrects The Empress of Blues in "The Devil’s Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith" (Bessie). Singer/actor/musician Miche (pronounced “Mickey”) Braden, nominated for a 2012 Drama Desk Award for the role, brings the defiant energy and musical brilliance of this Red Hot Mamma to life on the stage in this soulful musical.
The Cleveland Play House (CPH) production of "Bessie", conceived and directed by Joe Brancato, is running in the Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare starting Friday, February 15 through Sunday, March 10, 2013.
"[Bessie] was written around Miche Braden’s extraordinary talents,” says CPH Artistic Director Michael Bloom. “I can’t wait for Cleveland audiences to experience a performance that has garnered plaudits Off Broadway and at the Montreal Jazz Festival.”
Sexy and racy, blues singer Bessie Smith was the definition of a Red Hot Mamma and the most successful entertainer of her time. On the eve of her tragic death in 1937, Bessie takes center stage in "Bessie" and tells the story of her amazing life and career, her loves and losses. Put your troubles aside and soak up the blues as Bessie Smith comes to life and sings the songs that made her so unforgettable, including “St. Louis Blues,” “Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl,” and “Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out.”
Single tickets are on sale now; prices range from $49 to $69. Tickets are $15 for currently enrolled students under age 25 with valid ID. For single tickets, please call 216-241-6000 or go online at www.clevelandplayhouse.com. Groups of 10 or more save up to 40% off single ticket prices; call 216-400-7027 or email cwheeler@clevelandplayhouse.com.
"The Devil’s Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith" is playing at the Allen Theatre, PlayhouseSquare, 1407 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio. The show runs from February 15 through Sunday, March 10, 2013.
For more information on the show or the Cleveland Play House, visit www.clevelandplayhouse.com.
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