From Christopher Page-Sanders, director of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill

Denver carries a proud jazz history. In Five Points—once known as the Harlem of the West—legends filled the clubs and streets with rhythm, soul, and truth. To bring Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill to life here at the Arvada Center feels like honoring that lineage while celebrating the timeless voice of Billie Holiday.

Billie’s story is one of profound beauty and devastating tragedy. She gave the world music that continues to stir the soul, yet beneath the brilliance was a woman carrying an immeasurable weight of pain.

Lanie Robertson’s play opens a window into that duality—Billie the legend and Billie the woman—capturing her artistry, humanity, and resilience in the face of hardship.

I am grateful to this incredible production team, whose attention to detail, musical aesthetic, steadfast support and collaboration have been invaluable - to the entire Arvada Center staff, our designers, actors, musicians, and audiences —this work is only possible because of you. This is what community feels like.

We would like to dedicate this production to the late-great Charles “Charlie” Burrell. To Denver. And all who keep the history of the music ALIVE.