For Mosaic’s ‘Lady Day,’ Roz White transforms into Billie Holiday in a captivating performance

She riffed about parole officers, sang to white audiences about racial injustice, and used cuss words as adjectives — that’s Billie Holiday, compellingly reincarnated with fresh depth and dynamism in Mosaic Theater Company’s production of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill. Written by Lanie Robertson, the play has been staged on and off Broadway since its 1986 premiere. It now graces Mosaic’s 10th anniversary season under the direction of Reginald L. Douglas, featuring a stellar cast and band.

Before she gained fame as Billie Holiday, she was Eleanora Fagan, born in 1915 to a jazz guitarist father and a teenage mother. Despite a turbulent childhood, Holiday rose to stardom as a jazz singer between 1935 and 1941, touring across the United States without formal technical training or the ability to read music. Faced with legal troubles and periods of incarceration due to drug use, Holiday still went on to become the first Black woman to perform with an all-white band and grew increasingly vocal about social issues and injustices of her time. 

In Lady Day, Roz White, the star of the evening, commands the stage with a charisma that channels Holiday’s legendary presence. From her dramatic entrance — where she misses her cue, makes us wait, and appears only after a fitting introduction and applause — to the final poignant notes, White’s portrayal is magnetic. Dressed to the nines by costume designer Moyenda Kulemeka in a striking white dress with Holiday’s signature elbow-length white gloves, a mink fur stole, and green slingback pumps, she sets the tone for a performance that blends meticulous craftsmanship with raw emotion.

White, known for her roles in Bessie’s Blues at Alexandria’s MetroStage as well as Broadway national tours such as TINA:The Tina Turner Musical and Dreamgirls, has a voice that effortlessly navigates through jazz standards like “What a Little Moonlight Can Do,” “Easy Livin’,” and “T’ain’t Nobody’s Business if I Do.” Her voice showcases both her vocal prowess and deep connection to the material. In “Gimme a Pigfoot (and a Bottle of Beer),” her interaction with the audience — stepping off the stage and engaging directly — adds a visceral, immersive quality to the performance, though one wishes she would have worked more of the room than just the front row. Her rendition of “Strange Fruit” is particularly haunting, with White’s intense gaze and physicality vividly evoking the pain, lynchings and injustice captured in the song’s powerful lyrics.

Douglas selected an ideal actor to bring Robertson’s script to life. Though White sometimes struggles with pacing in her dialogue (lacking the pauses and inflections that convey a natural, in-the-moment flow of thought and speech), she excels in nailing punchlines and holding an audience at rapt attention. Her recounting of Holiday’s personal stories — such as getting her first job, confronting legal troubles and racial discrimination, and receiving news of her father’s death — highlights her ability to weave humor and gravity seamlessly, so much that White gives the impression of being an even better storyteller than she is a singer. 

In the second half of the show, White delves into Holiday’s darker moments with a remarkable authenticity that elicits empathy and reflection. Her portrayal of Holiday in a state of stupor and disarray — marked by slurred speech, staggering movements and near-mishaps — brings a raw quality to the performance. The performance reaches its climax with a poignant rendition of “Deep Song,” featuring the lyrics “I only know misery has to be part of me,” before slowly fading into darkness.

Lighter aspects of this otherwise downcast production include the blues break with standout performances. A five-time Helen Hayes nominee for musical direction, William Knowles (acting the role of Holiday’s accompanist in her later years, Jimmy Powers) plays with masterful dexterity while hunched over the piano. Drummer Greg Holloway delivers a captivating solo on par with bassist Mark Saltman’s earlier one at the start of the show. 

The stage, though compact, is effectively utilized with a masterful set design by Nadir Bey that features a retro “Emerson’s Bar and Grill” sign. The lighting by Jesse Belsky enhances the show’s emotional shifts. 

Overall, Mosaic’s Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill is a memorable tribute to Billie Holiday. Blending powerful performances, evocative storytelling and a richly atmospheric setting, it serves as a reminder of the enduring impact she left on jazz despite the hardships she faced.

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Mosaic Theater Company’s production of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill runs through Oct. 13 at Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Approximately 90 minutes and performed without an intermission. Tickets are available at mosaictheater.org.