Backstory: Lady Sings the Blues, a night of reality and fantasy mixed together for the cost of a song (Photo – thevictorytheatrecenter.org)
Nobody sang jazz and blues quite like the late, great Billie Holiday, “Lady Day.” Her extraordinary life—and her place as an iconic American innovator of song—leaves plenty of room for the imaginations of Backstory’s writers, poets and musicians.
By Melanie Hooks
They’ll bring their own real and imagined takes on Holiday to Burbank’s Little Victory stage on Sunday, August 23, at 7:30 pm —for whatever you’re willing to donate. You can also reserve a spot to watch the live event on Zoom through the online ticket link.
Ten Years of Backstory
The beloved bimonthly evening of true stories, poetry and flights of fancy is back live in the theater, as well as streaming on Zoom. The tradition stretches back to 2016, and the group’s YouTube channel boasts more than 370 videos of previous programs.
Backstory takes the title of a classic play or movie as inspiration, then invites storytellers and poets to create original work to be read aloud. They might write a personal story inspired by the work’s themes, tell a character’s backstory, or simply riff on the title.
Previous evenings have drawn inspiration from Love Jones, Love Actually, Angels in America, Madame Butterfly, You Can’t Take It With You, Fences and All’s Well That Ends Well. The result is consistently a fascinating and eclectic night of theater.
Backstory: Lady Sings the Blues
The August 23 event takes place at The Little Victory, 3324 W. Victory Blvd., Burbank, CA 91505, within the Victory Theatre Centre complex.
The evening will be hosted by African American/Afro-Caribbean writer and storyteller Ashton Cynthia Clarke, who performs true personal stories in Southern California, her hometown of New York, and virtually.
Featured readers include poet and professor Bridgette Bianca; storyteller, writer and educator Erica Blumfield; Barbadian-born literary journalist and editor Lynda V. E. Crawford; songwriter, singer, comedian and actress Del Harrison; D.C.-area writer, actor and producer Stann Sellers; and actor, singer, dancer, writer and producer Licia Shearer.
If you’ve never been to a Backstory, this is a great time to dive into the fun—whether in person or online, and all for the cost of a song.
Note: All donations benefit the Victory Theatre Center’s mission to develop new plays, produce world premieres and significant revivals by American playwrights, and foster the emergence of new talent.
Leave a Reply