As you enter the room and close your eyes, the
smooth music and rhythmic feeling that resonates from the singer and band fills
your mind. Her vast vocal range along with the background beats bring
forth feelings of elation, mournfulness and all those alluring feelings that
make you think about the complexities and subtleties of life.
Maya Angelou once said, "I've learned that
people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people
will never forget how you made them feel."
Ella is the true story of the iconic “Queen
of Jazz” singer Ella Fitzgerald. Her famed voice flows through and tells the
audience about her life with her classic songs and a look back to her early
days into one of her most challenging performances.
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| Kathy Tyree as Ella Fitzgerald |
In Ella Fitzgerald’s own words, she said, "I've had some wonderful love affairs and some that didn't work out. I don't want to dwell on that, and I don't want to put people down, but I think all the fabulous places I've been, the wonderful things that have happened for me, the great people I've met that ought to make a story.“
She won 13
Grammy awards and sold over 40 million albums.
Ella could even imitate every instrument in an orchestra. Audiences will
get to know who Ella was on a personal level and how she became the legendary
figure we all know today.
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| Kathy Tyree as Ella Fitzgerald |
From an early age, Ella loved listening to
jazz music and dancing, even getting the nickname, “snake hips. Through hardship
in her early life, she learns to find solace through her singing. Singing was a
way for Ella to relate to people from all around the world of all different
religious backgrounds, race, rich and poor alike, they all loved listening to
Ella.
Jim Boggess, music director of the production, can relate to Ella’s
passion of singing with his own passion for music. “Music in any aspect is a different
world for me. Listening feeds my soul. Ella Fitzgerald was an incredible singer
and innovator through her use of “scat” singing. Her improvisatory style never
interfered with her innate understanding of the composer’s intent or the text,”
said Jim. “Besides a performance that will knock their socks off, audiences
should come away with a three-dimensional portrait of Ella, the woman,” said
Jim.
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| Kathy Tyree as Ella Fitzgerald |
Director Susan Baer Collins has had a rewarding experience working on
the production. “There is nothing more fun for me than to be in the same room
with talented, creative people. Rehearsing with actress Kathy Tyree and Music
Director Jim Boggess is an inspiring and exciting experience,” said Susan. “Both
of these musicians are exceptional collaborators and they contribute great
nuance and depth to this production.”
“The audience is in for an exceptional
concert of the music of Ella Fitzgerald,” said Susan. “What makes this special
is they will come to know Ella as a vulnerable human woman, with whom they will
identify and come to love and admire. I am thrilled with how Jeffrey Hatcher’s
script explores both Ella’s personal challenges as well as her professional
triumphs,”
Catch Ella Fitzgerald’s story in Ella, Feb. 28-March 30 in the Howard and Rhonda Hawks Mainstage at
the Omaha Community Playhouse. Tickets are $40 for adults and $24 for students.
For groups of 12 or more, adult tickets are $29
and student tickets are $18. For more information call (402) 553-0080, visit
the Box Office or click here.
Story by Yoyo Ma
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