When Jazz Had the Blues at The Matrix

It was the era of jazz, big bands, and the greatest music ever written. In this searing new musical, WHEN JAZZ HAD THE BLUES centers on the lives of musical genius, Billy Strayhorn, and his uneasy relationships with Lena Horne and Duke Ellington, as well as Billy's lover, Aaron Bridgers. Set against a time of racism, homophobia, and World War II, WHEN JAZZ HAD THE BLUES follows us around Manhattan and the nightclubs of Harlem. We follow their lives through a musical songbook that sustained us during the worst of the Great Depression and the Second World War, a war in which blacks and whites served separately just as they weren't allowed to share the same bandstand. A six piece orchestra, four member dance ensemble, and eight outstanding actors bring the play to life.