Cush Jumbo's Josephine and I at Joe's Pub from Feb 2015
The off-Broadway non-profit Public Theater presents the New York premiere of Cush Jumbo's one-woman show Josephine and I, directed by Tony nominee Phyllida Lloyd, which begins previews on 27 February 2015, before an official opening on 10 March, and will play a limited engagement through to 5 April 2015.
Artistic Director Oskar Eustis release a statement saying:
"We know Cush Jumbo is an astonishing actress; now we get to see her in a whole new light. Phyllida Lloyd is one of our bravest and most brilliant directors, and I'm proud to be presenting her long awaited Public debut."Synopsis: "Born into poverty in the slums of St. Louis, Josephine Baker became one of the most famous and groundbreaking stars of the 20th century. The first African-American performer to rise to international prominence, she was a French Resistance spy and civil rights activist who was married twice by age 16 and served as muse to Pablo Picasso, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, who called her 'the most sensational woman anyone ever saw.' Now, nearly 40 years after her death, Baker's life inspires a young woman to face up to the sacrifices required to follow one's dreams. A performance featuring swinging jazz and ragtime rhythms, this theatrical event directed by Phyllida Lloyd interweaves a modern day story of an ambitious young woman with the fascinating life of the peerless, fearless, Josephine Baker."
Josephine and I originally premiered at the Bush Theatre in London to great acclaim: "It's a dazzling tour de force by this truly brilliant performer" (Guardian); "Cush Jumbo's solo show effervesces with energy and charm" (Telegraph).
Cush Jumbo, who can currently be seen on Broadway opposite Hugh Jackman in The River, is a two-time Olivier Award nominee. Her London theatre credits include 'Brixton Stories,' 'Liquid Gold,' 'Love's Labour's Lost,' 'She Stoops to Conquer,' and an all-female version of 'Julius Caesar.' She is perhaps best known as series regular DC Bethany Whelan on the British Television series 'Vera.'
Cush Jumbo in Josephine and IOriginally published on