Josephine and I – Cush Jumbo
February 27 – April 5
The Public Theater
Joe’s Pub
425 Lafayette Street
Manhattan
(212) 539-8500
Following a critically acclaimed run at London’s Bush Theatre, Olivier nominated actress and writer Cush Jumbo (The River, Julius Caesar, “Getting On”) brings her “tour de force” (Times) one-woman show JOSEPHINE AND I to The Public.
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 forty years after her death, Baker’s life inspires a young woman to face up to the sacrifices required to follow one’s dreams.
A “dazzling, exhilarating” (The Guardian) performance featuring swinging jazz and ragtime rhythms, this theatrical event directed by Tony nominee PHYLLIDA LLOYD (Julius Caesar, Mary Stuart, The Iron Lady, Mamma Mia!) interweaves a modern day story of an ambitious young woman with the fascinating life of the peerless, fearless Josephine Baker.
Running time: approx. 90 minutes with no intermission
Post-show talkbacks: Sunday March 22 (3pm show) and Sunday March 29 (3pm show)