The Devil's Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith at Rubicon Theatre

Rubicon Theatre Company celebrates Black History Month with THE DEVIL'S MUSIC: THE LIFE AND BLUES OF BESSIE SMITH, starring Miche Braden of the original Off-Broadway production about the blues singer Bessie Smith, called the "Empress of the Blues." Named one of the top 10 Off-Broadway experiences of the year by the New York Daily Times the show is written by Angelo Parra, and conceived and directed by Joe Brancato. It is a dramatization of the triumphant and turbulent life of a woman whose life was as large and as outrageous as her talent. Set in 1937 in Memphis, Bessie and her musicians have been turned away from performing at a "Whites-Only" theatre, but find a hospitable gin joint where Bessie recounts her incredible journey from an impoverished childhood in Chattanooga, to her fortuitous rise as a show-stopping singer. Laughter, pathos and music all come together to deliver an electric, entertaining and surprisingly touching evening in which Bessie sings signature songs such as "I Ain't Got Nobody," "St. Louis Blues," "Baby Doll" and "T'ain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do." Others on stage include Gerard Gibbs, Anthony Nelson Jr., and James Hankins.