Lady Day HBO

I was hoping someone else would start this thread but I don't see it.

I did not see the show live in the theatre. I am sitting here watching it on HBO and I know I supposed to be loving it, but I find it really boring. Now I confess, the reason I didn't see it on stage is I a.m not a Billie Holiday fan. Audra, who I love, is doing an impersonation. The show is convoluted monologue that reads like a wikipedia page of Billy Holiday's life. Or maybe someone read a book on Billie Holiday and wrote the book for this "play" like they were copying passages from the book for a high school report. Since she (Billie) is drunk and high the entire show, it's forcing a one note performance. It's only half over. I am not sure I just want to change the channel. I really don't mean to be snarky.

What am I missing? Who saw this in the theatre? Did it play differently?

Updated On: 3/12/16 at 09:50 PM

I won't be watching until tomorrow night, but I'm tremendously excited. In the theatre, it was a pretty miraculous performance. The play itself is so-so, but Audra's performance is so beautifully calibrated and deeply felt that it elevated the whole piece into something extraordinary. I was absolutely transfixed by her. I do worry that, because it's basically a long monologue, that it won't translate well, but I'm thrilled that a performance this good will be captured.

It was filmed in New Orleans last year.

CurtainsUpat8 said: "I was hoping someone else would start this thread but I don't see it.

I did not see the show live in the theatre. I am sitting here watching it on HBO and I know I supposed to be loving it, but I find it really boring. Now I confess, the reason I didn't see it on stage is I a.m not a Billie Holiday fan. Audra, who I love, is doing an impersonation. The show is convoluted monologue that reads like a wikipedia page of Billy Holiday's life. Or maybe someone read a book on Billie Holiday and wrote the book for this "play" like they were copying passages from the book for a high school report. Since she (Billie) is drunk and high the entire show, it's forcing a one note performance. It's only half over. I am not sure I just want to change the channel. I really don't mean to be snarky.

What am I missing? Who saw this in the theatre? Did it play differently?"

If you search for the thread with the comments about the original production you'll find that yes, it played very well in the theatre and that Audra did not come across as doing an impersonation, but fully becoming Billy Hollday. I found the entire experience stunning.

As you've said, yes, it's an extended monologue sprinkled with songs, which is probably harder to watch on film. But in the theater she was amazing, and as someone who doesn't know a ton about Billie, I loved it in the theater.

I really should be in bed, but I've been listening to the recording again (as I frequently do) and I'm just so amazed by this performance. It was the first show I saw after I moved to New York, and it's been etched in my memory ever since. I don't mean to go on, but I've never been so mesmerized by a performance before. Even on the recording, it is beyond stunning.

Huge Billie fan.

Huge Audra fan.

Have not watched the HBO special yet, but sat at a stage side table when I saw this in NYC.

It was almost less of a "performance" and more of a "possession". I really felt that Billie was inhabiting Audra. Or that Audra was channeling Billie. (Same difference.)

It was absolutely stunning then, so don't expect I'll find it much different now.

Updated On: 3/13/16 at 01:24 AM

I saw it from a center table on Broadway and was mesmerized -- especially when Audra leaned on my table and told one whole story to me from less than a foot from my face. I watched again last night. Of course, it couldn't have the same "electricity" that it had live, but I was still enthralled, as was my husband who didn't see the original and barely knew who Billie Holiday was.

I thought they should have had he audience dress in period approprieate clothes as well. It took it out of the show a little bit.

Not sure I should be asking this year, but does anyone know how/where I can watch this?

stage_star said: "Not sure I should be asking this year, but does anyone know how/where I can watch this?"



Ask again in 2017?