SYNOPSIS
Marilyn & EllaBonnie Greer presents a new musical at the Apollo Theatre this November, which showcases the worship of Ella Fitzgerald for her icon Marilyn Monroe, with a limited number of performances towards the end of the month.
Fans of Marilyn Monroe have had many reasons to be cheerful in 2009, with productions such as “Marilyn” at the Apollo Theatre and “Marilyn: Forever Blonde” both appearing this year. However, what makes “Marilyn & Ella” stand out amongst the crowd is its shift in focus and its personalised view of a star through the eyes of another singer.
“Marilyn & Ella” features Suzie Kennedy as Monroe as the troubled icon is viewed through the eyes of jazz musician Ella Fitzgerald. It will be a musical show that features songs such as “My Funny Valentine”, “Mack The Knife”, “Every Time We Say Goodbye”, “I Got Rhythm” and “Diamond’s Are A Girl’s Best Friend”. A true story, the show focuses on Fitzgerald’s worship for Monroe, who had particular insight into her inner beauty having had a close relationship with the screen star. It was thanks to this friendship she managed to sing in her favourite LA club – where a colour ban was lifted specifically for her. “Marilyn & Ella” will portray the singer as a person with feelings, showing her in a light that separates her from the external beauty that defined her around the world.
Fitzgerald was an American jazz singer who was celebrated for her talents, which included a vocal range spanning three octaves, and for her long career that earned her the title of “The First Lady of Song” and “Lady Ella”. She died at the age of 79 in 1996 after wowing audiences around the world with a career that lasted 59 years, picking up 13 Grammys along the way alongside the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George H W Bush and a National Medal of Art from President Reagan.
Playwright Bonnie Greer has been based in the UK since 1986 and is a former Arts Council playwright resident for London’s Soho Theatre. During her career she has written radio plays for the likes of BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4, whilst penning stage plays such as “ Munda Negra” (1993), “Dancing On Blackwater” (1994) and “Jitterbug” (2001). She originally penned “Marilyn & Ella” as a radio play called “Marilyn & Ella Backstage at the Mocambo” after learning of the relationship between the two, with a stage premiere taking place at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2006.
“Marilyn & Ella” is at the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue on Sundays 15th, 22nd and 29th November 2009.
