or


[12/17/14 - 10:00 AM]
Six-Time Tony Winner Audra McDonald Brings Her Acclaimed Performance in "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill" to HBO
Filming before a live audience at Cafe Brasil in New Orleans this month, the special will feature McDonald in her history-making, tour de force performance as the jazz icon.

[via press release from HBO]

SIX-TIME TONY WINNER AUDRA MCDONALD BRINGS HER ACCLAIMED PERFORMANCE IN "LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR AND GRILL" TO HBO

NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2014 - Six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald will bring her acclaimed portrayal of Billie Holiday in the Broadway smash "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill" to HBO, it was announced today by Michael Lombardo, president, HBO Programming. Filming before a live audience at Cafe Brasil in New Orleans this month, the special will feature McDonald in her history-making, tour de force performance as the jazz icon. Originally written for off-Broadway by Lanie Roberston in 1987, LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR AND GRILL tells Holiday's life story through the songs that made her famous, including "God Bless the Child," "What a Little Moonlight Can Do," "Strange Fruit" and "Taint Nobody's Biz-ness."

"The great Audra McDonald's brilliant performance as the legendary Billie Holiday was a Broadway landmark," said Lombardo. "I'm thrilled that we will be able to bring this riveting show to viewers who weren't able to experience it in person."

"Playing Billie Holiday in 'Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill' on Broadway was one of the most challenging and artistically rewarding experiences of my career, and it is an absolute honor to be able to bring Lanie's incredible work about this extraordinary woman to film, thanks to HBO," says McDonald.

McDonald was previously seen on HBO in Mike Nicholas' "Wit," for which she received an Emmy(R) nomination. Her other TV appearances have included the 1999 remake of "Annie," "Homicide: Life on the Street," "Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years," "Law & Order: SVU," "Mister Sterling," "The Bedford Diaries," "Kidnapped," "A Raisin in the Sun," which also earned her an Emmy(R) nomination, "Private Practice," "The Good Wife" and the live telecast of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The Sound of Music." She received a third Emmy(R) nomination in 2013 for her role as official host of "Live from Lincoln Center."

McDonald made history and became Broadway's most decorated performer when she won her sixth Tony Award for "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill" earlier this year. In addition to setting the record for most competitive wins by an actor, she also became the first person to receive awards in all four acting categories. The show's run at the Circle in the Square Theatre on Broadway was extended four times due to high demand.

In addition to the six Tony Awards she has won for "Carousel," "Master Class," "Ragtime," "A Raisin in the Sun," "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess" and "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill," McDonald is the recipient of five Outer Critics Circle Awards, five Drama Desk awards and the Drama League's Distinguished Performance Award. She is also a two-time Grammy-winning recording artist.

LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR AND GRILL will be directed by Lonny Price, who also directed the Broadway production, and produced by Allen Newman and Two Hands Entertainment. It was originally produced on Broadway by Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Jessica Genick and Will Trice.





  [december 2014]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
 


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[10/24/25 - 02:30 PM]
Video: First Look at Upcoming New Drama "Memory of a Killer" Starring Patrick Dempsey and Michael Imperioli - Premiering This January on FOX
Dempsey stars as a hitman, Angelo Doyle, leading a dangerous double life while hiding an even deadlier personal secret - he has developed early onset Alzheimer's.

[10/24/25 - 02:02 PM]
"20/20" Is Friday's Most-Watched Newsmagazine Across the Board
In addition, "20/20" posted its best Adults 25-54 in more than four months.

[10/24/25 - 02:01 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 Across the Board, Leading NBC in All Key Demos for the 4th Straight Week
"Nightline" grew year to year across the board: Total Viewers, Adults 25-54, and Adults 18-49.

[10/24/25 - 01:05 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Makes Television History - Rising for Fifth Straight Week
The October 21 episode scored 6.63 million Total Viewers and a 1.38 rating among Adults 18-49, hitting new season highs in both demographics.

[10/24/25 - 08:01 AM]
Netflix Announces "Hollywood Arts," A Brand-New Spinoff of Hit Live-Action, "Victorious," with Daniella Monet Returning as Star and Executive Producer
The series is set to debut on Netflix in 2026, followed by releases on Nickelodeon and Paramount+.

[10/24/25 - 07:14 AM]
FOX Sports Readies for Major League Baseball's 121st World Series Presented by Capital One
Action leads off Friday, October 24, between the National League and current reigning World champion Los Angeles Dodgers and American League champion Toronto Blue Jays from Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada, on FOX, FOX Deportes, the FOX Sports App and FOX One.

[10/24/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Love Is Blind" Season 9: The Reunion - Official Trailer - Netflix
Denver singles shake up their search for "the one" and step into the pods, braving twists, turns and love triangles to find their soulmate sight unseen.

[10/24/25 - 07:01 AM]
Experience the Family, the Fun, and the Fantastic! Marvel Studios' "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" Lands Exclusively on Disney+ November 5
Continuing the celebration of Marvel's First Family, the announcement was made live from SpaceCon 2025 in San Antonio, where The Fantastic Four: First Steps Immersive Pop-Up Experience invites attendees to step inside the iconic Baxter Building.

[10/24/25 - 06:00 AM]
The CW Network and Xfinity Celebrate 11 Years of the NASCAR Xfinity Series by Presenting the Third Stage of the Championship Race Commercial-Free
Taking place in Phoenix, Arizona, on Saturday, November 1, the commercial-free stage presented by Xfinity was created to thank the loyal race fans who have supported the NASCAR Xfinity Series for more than a decade - helping the series grow through their unwavering enthusiasm, increased viewership, and continued trackside attendance.

[10/23/25 - 05:01 PM]
Video: "As You Stood By" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When two women plot to end an abusive marriage through murder, an unexpected visitor arrives - threatening to shatter everything they've carefully planned.

[10/23/25 - 02:33 PM]
Largest Audience for "NBA Tip-Off" Doubleheader Since 2010 as NBA Returned to NBC and Debuted on Peacock
Tuesday night's audience across NBC and Peacock peaked at 7.1 million viewers from 10:45-11 p.m. ET as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder to a one-point win over the Houston Rockets in double overtime.

[10/23/25 - 02:28 PM]
The 305 Just Got Hotter: "Love & Hip Hop: Miami" Moves to BET Season 7 Premieres Tuesday, November 4 at 8 PM ET/PT
The upcoming seventh season dives deeper than ever into Miami's thriving entertainment scene, following a cast of stars who are rebuilding, rebranding, and redefining success in real time.

[10/23/25 - 01:30 PM]
Critically Acclaimed Noir Thriller, "Dark Winds," to Return to AMC and AMC+ Sunday, February 15
The series' gripping fourth season focuses on the search for a missing Navajo girl, which takes Leaphorn, Chee and Manuelito from the safety of Navajo Nation to the gritty terrain of 1970s Los Angeles in a race against the clock to save her from an obsessive killer with ties to organized crime.

[10/23/25 - 12:01 PM]
Video: BET+ Releases Trailer for Horror Film "A Demon's Revenge"
In the film, following the bloodshed in Belize, Peaches, played by Jhoné Lucas, delves deeper into Caribbean folklore and the terrifying truth that lurks beneath.

[10/23/25 - 12:00 PM]
FOX Entertainment Acquires Equity Stake in Chain, Forging Strategic Partnership with Experiential Food Phenomenon Co-Founded by B.J. Novak
Included in the investment is a first look development deal through Chain Media.