NEW DATES
11th & 12th
September 2026, 8pm
Matinee 12th September, 4pm
Performance dates:
Evening: 11th & 12th September 2026, 8pm
Matinee: 12th September 2026, 4pm
Theater am Frankfurter Tor
Karl-Marx-Allee 133,
0243 Berlin – Friedrichshain
Enquiries:
Tel.: (030) 42 02 04 34
kasse@theater-am-frankfurter-tor.de
Online tickets: theateramfrankfurtertor.reservix.de/events
Ticket Deals
20% discount for groups of more than 10 people – please call or email for information.
Press:
Press & general enquiries contact
Joanna Godwin-Seidl
Tel.: 43(0) 699 12127679
office@viennatheatreproject.at
With thanks to our sponsors:
Theater am Frankfurter Tor,
Theater Drachengasse,
Gernot Ottowitz Medienproduktion,
Ine& Thomas Photography,
Lynne Ann Williams,
Michael Acker Videography
U.S. Embassy Vienna in 2022
vienna theatre project leading team:
Director & Producer: Joanna Godwin-Seidl
Asst Director: Alexandra Kurcikova
Producer : Lynne Ann Williams
Costumes: vienna theatre project
Set Design: vienna theatre project
Set building:
Sound FX & VoiceOver : Dave Moskin
Lighting design: Theater am Frankfurtertor & Joanna Godwin-Seidl
Poster/Flyer: Gernot Ottowitz
Show Photos: Ine & Thomas Photography
Band Photos 2026: Michael Acker Videography
PR & Sponsorship: Joanna Godwin-Seidl
Box Office: Theater am Frankurtertor
Film/trailers: Gernot Ottowitz & Michael Acker
Billie Holiday Timeline in Brief:
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Born 1915, her mother Sadie Fagan was 13, Father was singer and musician Clarence Halliday.
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Dealt with attempted raped at age 10.
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Dropped out of school aged 11, needed money, had to work.
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1920s worked in a Brothel as a cleaner, listened to and was influenced by Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith.
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1929 moved to Harlem with mother. Worked also as a prostitute to make ends meet, arrested and jailed.
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1929-1931 - Singing Jazz Clubs Harlem
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1933 discovered by producer John Hammond. First record recording, age 18, with Benny Goodman.
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1935, age 21, Film "Symphony in Black", Duke Ellington.
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1935 - 1938 Recordings with Teddy Wilson, Count Basie.
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1938 - aged 23, first black female singer, to go on a national tour with an all white band with Artie Shaw.
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1939 - age 24, mention in Time Magazine. Recording "Strange Fruit"
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1939-1940 Sonny White affair, first brush with drugs.
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1940 "God Bless the Child"
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1940 - 1947 huge commercial success, marriage to Jimmy Monroe. Earned 250,000 USD between '44 and '47.
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1947, aged 32, arrest for drug possession by FBI, sentenced to a year in first female prison. FBI Anslinger determined to ruin her. Lawyer refused to represent her at her trial. United States vs. Billie Holiday. Divorce Monroe.
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1948, early release. Sold out concert Carnegie Hall. Plays jazz venues NYC
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1949 aged 34, FBI still pursuing her, arrested again for drug possession, lost cabaret card in New York could not sing in any clubs serving alcohol.
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1950s health deterioration due to drugs and bad relationships.
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1954 European Tour.
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1956 2 sold out concerts Carnegie Hall.
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1956 Autobiography "Lady Sings the Blues".
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1957 Married Louis Mackay.
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1958 Signed Columbia Records.
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1959 European Tour again. Appeared London Granada TV interview.
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1959 final studio recordings MGM, released posthumously.
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1959 Cirrhosis of the liver. May 1959 taken to hospital for liver and heart trouble. Whilst in hospital FBI arrested her for drug possession, handcuffed her to her bed and refused to let hospital treat her with correct drugs. Died July 17th heart failure and edema caused by cirrhosis and treatment withdrawal. She had 50 USD strapped to her leg.
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Posthumously nominated for 23 Grammy Awards and inducted in to the Grammy Hall of Fame. 2 award-winning films have been made about her, and this play, various documentaries and books.
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From 18 onwards Billie Holiday released 12 Albums, was in 4 films, had 31+ television performances, countless radio interviews. 1st black woman to tour with an all white band, first black woman in Time Magazine. As of 1936 released records under her own name. 16 Best-selling songs in 1937. "God Bless the Child" sold over 1 million copies upon its release by 1941.
Lanie Robertson - Playwright
Lanie Robertson writes about iconic artists and the societal issues they faced in Nasty Little Secrets, The Insanity of Mary Girard, Back County Crimes, and Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill, which was produced on Broadway in 2014. His plays are widely produced nationally and internationally. He’s a member of the Dramatists Guild, Writers Guild, East; and the Societe des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques.
Photos: Ine & Thomas Photography
Photos: Andrea Peller
Joanna GODWIN-SEIDL- Director
Joanna Godwin-Seidl is an actress, director, and producer who studied film and theatre in the United Kingdom and Vienna. She has led vienna theatre project since 2006, presenting contemporary work across genres and languages.
Her German-language directing credits include Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern (Ronacher Theater), Hautnah by Patrick Marber (OFF Theater), and Emigranten (Kultursommer Wien).
In musical theatre she has directed The Last Five Years, Tick, Tick… Boom!—nominated by BackStage for Best Musical and Best Ensemble of the Decade in 2020—and Marry Me a Little (Theater Drachengasse).
Joanna is drawn to plays with social and political resonance. Her work includes Dirt and The Meeting (Theater am Petersplatz); acclaimed stagings of Topdog/Underdog, Disgraced, and The Invisible Hand; and sold-out productions of Ayad Akhtar’s The Who & The What and Robert Schenkkan’s Building the Wall. She also enjoyed an excursion into opera with The Barber of Seville at the Klassikfestival Schloss Kirchstetten.
As a co-producer, she helped bring A Bedfull of Foreigners to MUTH with Art for Charity. Her direction of Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop earned her a third Pick of the Week from the Austrian press. She also directed Nina Simone: Four Women and appeared onstage in Relative Values (Le Studio Molière, 2021 & 2023).
Joanna has been praised for her performances in Psychosis 4.48 and as Persephone in Airswimming. Recent highlights include Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, Dreck — a noted audience hit at Kultursommer Wien—The P Word and N, the multi-award-winning production of English by Sanaz Toossi, and a staged reading of Grey Rock by Amir Nizar Zuabi. Her most recent production My Old Lady opened to critical acclaim.
Alongside her theatre work, Joanna is also active as a voice artist and presenter for film, advertising, documentary projects, and live events. She welcomes every opportunity to explore the world of film.
Thank you to our sponsors!
NEW DATES in SEPTEMBER
Following its sell-out success in Vienna and its acclaimed Berlin premiere at Theater am Frankfurter Tor, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill returns to Berlin for two exclusive nights in September 2026. This phenomenal, award-winning Broadway and West End hit is a powerful and deeply moving portrait of the legendary Billie Holiday in the final months of her life.
Performances with kind permission of Gersh Agency
- The songs and monologues in this show are in English -
Photos: Ine & Thomas Photography & Michael Acker Videography
Photo Antje Taiga Jandrig
Lynne Ann Williams is Billie Holiday
The Berlin-born American actress and singer studied musical theater at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York. She began performing in Virginia, which eventually brought her back to Germany. Lynne has been performing in Vienna since 2010, both in English and German. Vocally she has worked with soul and jazz bands, co-founded the trio Circle in Berlin and a duo with guitarist Ian Scionti in Seville. She was also part of "Womedy", a music comedy troupe, for two years. Lynne teaches singing, plays the flute and piano, and writes and translates lyrics. Spanish is her third language.
2019/20 Jugend ohne Gott (Julius Caesar, Direktorin, Schüler) - Theater der Jugend (TDJ), Wien. 2018 Oliver Twist (Bürgermeisterin) - TDJ, Wien. 2018 Zwei Haare auf der Brust - nach Shakespear’s Herren von Verona (Gräfin) - Open House Theatre, Wien. 2018 A Study in Scarlett-Sherlock Holmes (Lucy Ferrier, Stamford, old woman, scoundrel) Open House Theatre, Wien. 2017 Hochgeschätztes Tieparterre-eine Jazzoper (Donna) - sämtliche Spielstätten-forlaufend. White Rabbit, Red Rabbit - Open House Theatre, Wien. 2016 The Miracle Worker (Viney) - TDJ, Wien. 2015 Disgraced (Jory) - Vienna Theatre Project, Wien. 2014 Die Unendliche Geschichte (II) (Urgl) - TDJ, Wien. 2013 Wie man unsterblich wird (Annie / Mrs. Willis) - TDJ, Wien. 2012 The Right Job (Lucy Abbadon und 4 weitere Rollen) - Theater im Prückel, Wien. 2012 Alice (Die Gräfin) - TDJ, Wien. 2011 Artus (Ginevra). 2011 Stayin’ Alive-’70 Revue (Solistin) - Sommerfestspiele Melk.
FAGNER WESLEY TRIO
Photo: Michael Acker Videography
Album out now! Click image above for details.
Fagner Wesley -
Sonny & the Band Leader
Fagner Wesley, pianist, composer and arranger, was born in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. Fagner is self-taught and was already playing in various bands in Brazil at the age of 13. At the age of 17 Fagner moved to the capital Brasilia and studied at the "Music School of Brasilia". He later moved to Sao Paulo to complete his studies at Tom Jobim - State Music University for Jazz, specializing in jazz piano. Fagner Wesley has lived in Vienna since 2008 and is an important member of the music scene.
He combines his knowledge of Latin Jazz rhythms with different styles such as Afro-Bahia, Funk, and Blues. Fagner's music is heavily influenced by the "groove" and "flavor" of Brazilian rhythms. In Vienna Fagner performs with the Fagner Wesley Group, Alegre Correa Group, Iris Camaa, Gabriel Grossi 5tett, Jatoba Bigband, Duo Samambaia, Wolfgang Muthspiel and others. In 2013 Fagner recorded his first album "meu toque" with his own band "Fagner Wesley Quartet". The current cast consists of Matheus Jardim, Jojo Lackner and Gerhard Ornig. Fagner is accompanied on the piano by double bass and drums.
Michael Acker - BASS
Michael Acker was born on 15.01.1989 and grew up in a musical environment, working in the form of a “Canzonetta”, a vocal- and instrumental ensemble led by his mother, where he had the chance to gain pivotal experience on different wind and percussion instruments.
At the age of 17 he first picked up the Bass guitar and a few years later, during his studies at the “National Academy of Music in Bucharest”, the Double bass, which would remain his main instruments.
After eleven years in Bucharest, Romania where he is considered one of the leading bass players, he recently moved to Vienna to broaden his horizon. Over the years he has played with some of the best musicians in the Romanian Jazz scene and also collaborating internationally with musicians such as Owen Hart Jr. (USA), Anton Eger (SE), John Betsch (USA), Nik Bartsch (CH), Antonio de Padua (BRA) or Mircea Tiberian (RO).
Bogdan Djurdjevic - DRUMS
Bogdan Djurdjevic is a versatile drummer originally from Belgrade, Serbia, and now based in Vienna, Austria. Deeply rooted in the European music scene, he performs as a live, studio, and theatre musician across a wide range of musical styles.
As well as accompanying artists in concert and the recording studio, Bogdan is an accomplished composer and bandleader. His original work includes the Out of Form Trio, showcasing his passion for contemporary jazz and improvisation.
Whether performing on stage, in the studio, or for theatre productions, Bogdan brings exceptional musicality, versatility, and an instinctive sense of rhythm to every collaboration. His dynamic playing and creative approach have established him as an in-demand musician within Vienna's vibrant cultural scene while maintaining strong ties to his Serbian roots.
Dave MOSKIN, Producer of Music
Dave grew up in NYC appearing in numerous Broadway, Theater and Television productions.
Musical Theater credits include, among others, Berger in Hair for the VBW, Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, Tommy, Footloose, Jekyll & Hyde, Vince Fontaine/Teen angel in Grease, The Big Bopper in Buddy the Musical, Schrank in West Side Story at the Salzburger Festspiele, Eddie/Dr. Scott in The Rocky Horror Show, Marley in the Austrian tour of Scrooge: Eine Weinachtsgeschichte, the Rock Tenor in Bernsteins Mass with the Tonkünstler Orchester, and Musical Director/Pianist for Wiener Blut.
Theater Productions include Jamie in Territory, Ben in IZ, Leon/Nick in Speaking In Tongues, Shakespeare in Two Gentlemen of Verona, Winston in 1984, Charlie in Over The Threshhold, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Frank in How the Other Half Loves, Isaac in Disgraced, Nick in The Invisible Hand, Martin Sterneck in Gabriel Barylli’s Chickenshit (Butterbrot), Yvan in ART, Eli in The Who & the What, Rick in Building the Wall, Sergei in Crossing Jerusalem and Ian in Blasted. He recently musically directed "Nina Simone: Four Women" to critical acclaim.
Film credits include Tootsie, The Godfather, Manhattan, Im weißen Rössl – Wehe du singst!, Thank You For Bombing.He is also the Producer/Creator of, and plays “Jake” in, The Blues Brothers Are Back, touring Europe and appearing most recently in the Wiener Stadthalle.
In 1999 and 2000 he represented Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest as the composer of the songs Reflection and All To You
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill
by Lanie Robertson & more
Starring: Lynne Ann Williams
Fagner Wesley Trio: Fagner Wesley, Michael Acker & Bogdan Djurdjevic
Directed by: Joanna Godwin-Seidl
Performance dates:
11th & 12th September 2026, 8pm
12th September 2026, MATINEE, 4pm
Theater am Frankfurter Tor
Karl-Marx-Allee 133, 10243 Berlin – Friedrichshain
Enquiries: (030) 42 02 04 34 | kasse@theater-am-frankfurter-tor.de
Online tickets: theateramfrankfurtertor.reservix.de/events
20% discount for groups of more than 10 people – please call or email for information.
News:
theater-am-frankfurter-tor.de | viennatheatreproject.com
Instagram: @theater_am_frankfurter_tor | @viennatheatreproject
Following its sell-out success in Vienna and acclaimed Berlin run at Theater am Frankfurter Tor earlier this year, this phenomenal, award-winning Broadway and West End hit returns with an intimate and unforgettable portrait of the legendary Billie Holiday in the final months of her life. At once strong and vulnerable, Billie finds solace in her music — but even more in her own personal “moonlight” of drugs, alcohol, and memories. Far from a simple songbook, the play reveals the woman behind the voice: witty, wounded, defiant, and deeply human.
The play reveals the woman behind the voice: witty, wounded, defiant, and deeply human.
The time is 1959. The place is a seedy bar in Philadelphia. The audience is about to witness one of Billie Holiday’s last performances, just four months before her death. More than a dozen musical numbers are interwoven with salty, often humorous reminiscences to create a riveting portrait of the lady and her music.
“Earthy and seemingly honest… close your eyes and Lady Day is back.”
- Associated Press, USA
“Thrilling music… Williams delivers such a brilliantly authentic performance that, at moments, one fears it may not be acting at all.”
- Berliner Morgenpost, Germany
“With bitter humour and lots of energy… Accompanied by three musicians… Thanks to Williams’ convincing commitment, the show is a great success.”
— Falter, Austria
"Absolutely worth seeing."
- Kulturschatulle
Performances with kind permission of Gersh Agency
Songs and monologues are in English
