Celebrating Ella: Live from the Apollo

Ensemble

“spectacular show” – Downbeat Magazine

CELEBRATING ELLA is a blockbuster celebration of the life and legacy of Apollo Legend and Queen of Jazz, Ella Fitzgerald. This “spectacular show” (Downbeat Magazine) employs a cast of talent, each of whom embodies a different period of Ella’s decades long genre-changing career, from her debut as a shy 17-year old on the stage of the Apollo Theater to the peak of her celebrity. Produced in collaboration with the Apollo Theater and eight-time GRAMMY winning producer Gregg Field, who at the age of 24 toured as Ella Fitzgerald’s drummer, CELEBRATING ELLA features fan-favorite Ella tunes, intertwined with stories told by the musicians who knew the down to earth, humble woman behind the legend.

The star-studded lineup of performers includes Patti Austin, Andra Day, David Alan Grier, Monica Mancini, Cassandra Wilson, We’ McDonald (discovered on THE VOICE), Niki Harris, and Brianna Thomas. Joining the singers onstage is the legendary Count Basie Orchestra and the All Star Quartet featuring Gregg Field, Brian Nova, Nathan East, and Shelly Berg. Now, audiences nationwide will get the chance to experience this highly entertaining and deeply personal musical journey through one of the world’s most astounding vocal careers.