The new musical Shida, written and performed by Jeannette Bayardelle, who played Celie on Broadway in The Color Purple and Dionne in Hair, debuted at Ars Nova on West 54th Street on July 31. The gospel singer Jeannette Bayardelle guided by director Andy Sandberg is extraordinary in the emotional journey set to a score of rock jazz, R&B and gospel. The 70 minute musical is a showcase for the leading lady’s unique gifts. In the space of just over an hour she embodies not only Shida’s melodramatic journey, but she displays sharp impersonations of her mother, teacher, best friend and a couple of lovers. Both script and director allow the actress to delve into each character for extended moments before transitioning into each new character, and the result is electrifying. PC
SHIDA is presented Off-Broadway by Shida Productions LLC as an Ars Nova Summer Fling, which provides independent productions with subsidized performance space and production support to help artists from the Ars Nova community bring their creative vision to life on our stage.
Ms. Bayardelle performed a sold-out one-night-only concert version of SHIDA at Birdland in 2011 as part of the Broadway at Birdland series, and SHIDA subsequently received a workshop at Ars Nova as part of the Project Residency Initiative, both under the direction of Mr. Sandberg.
July 31, 2013 Opening Night
Shida Runs through August 28, 2013
Ars Nova
511 West 54th Street, NYC
1 866-811-4111
Opening Night Photography: Barry Gordin
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