Jazz at Café Society

Mon 16 Jul 2012 – Sat 21 Jul 2012

Written and produced by Alex Webb

 

Fresh from its sell-out premiere on the South Bank, this swinging show tells the true story of Cafe Society, the legendary 1940s New York nightclub which promoted racial equality and progressive causes – and played host to some of the finest musical talent of the 20th century, including Billie Holiday, Lena Horne, Sarah Vaughan, Count Basie and many others.

‘A genuine treat’
The Times

From its idealistic Left-wing beginnings, through all its struggles and triumphs, to its eventual demise in the anti-Communist hysteria of the late 1940s, this is a captivating story of a time when Jewish radicals and Black civil rights activists made common cause, when the American Left was a force to be reckoned with, and when some of the greatest jazz and blues talent that ever lived was just a phone call away.

Featuring a stellar cast of vocalists – Gwyneth Herbert, Alexander Stewart and Paris-based China Moses (daughter of jazz giant Dee Dee Bridgewater), the show is narrated by DJ and BBC Radio presenter Max Reinhardt, who plays club owner Barney Josephson.

Join us in the bar for
a Cafe Society Gin Fizz
Supported by SW4 London Dry Gin.

This presentation of Jazz at Cafe Society has been made possible with the kind support of Eva Schloss.