The Common Experiences of Billie, Beyonce and the Class of 2012

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Stirrings of present pop stars can be found in the lives of their musical ancestors as a new run of the Paulette Dozier-fronted live show "Lady Day at the Emerson Bar and Grill" explores the life and times of Billie Holiday, one of music's toughest girls. It's often said that history repeats itself, but the music world today is in the hands of a more diverse group of incredible female vocalists than ever before. There are the brash and soulful pipes of Adele and Sharon Jones, the sleek power of Rihanna and Janelle Monáe, and the internet fame of instant stars like Lana Del Ray and MIA. As actress Paulette Dozier and the legend she's been playing onstage this year – Billie Holiday – could probably attest, it can seem like a world ruled by pop stars.

While young fans can grab onto the talent and lives of their generation's newborn stars, a smart look to their musical ancestors can reveal a pretty exciting lineage. A case in point is Billie Holiday, one of jazz music's deepest figures of independence, musical ingenuity, and darkly shadowed personal life. Beginning Friday, July 20, 2012 at the Broward Stage Door Theater in Coral Springs, FL audiences will have a chance see for themselves with "Lady Day at the Emerson Bar and Grill, " a one-woman live show that tells the story of strength, tragedy, and (above all) an incredible voice that makes of the foundation of so many musical careers today. Holiday sang like no other before her, melding a number of techniques from across genres to create a show stopping voice that wove every song into a story of personal triumph and tragedy. The way audiences follow stars' lives in everyday detail – from the joys of Beyoncé's new daughter to Amy Winehouse's every substance abuse misstep – audiences in the '40s and '50s could find intimate connection in each of Holiday's legendary performances and recordings.

"Lady Day" stars the magnetic stage presence and velvet voice of jazz singer Paulette Dozier as Holiday. The show transforms the room into a small '50s night club as Holiday graces the stage with heart wrenching monologues about her life growing up in poverty, her abusive relationships, her drug problems, and incredible moments of defiance, strong will, and beauty. Dozier brings a lifetime of jazz chops to the show and recently concluded an unforgettable run of the show in Boca Raton this past spring. Dozier brought a smart charm and faithful approach to Holiday's work, a singular set of vocal styles that remains fresh to this day and provides an excellent companion to the strides made by artists today. Far from treating Holiday's classic style as an antidote to today's music, Dozier and this show seem to present the music as a logical next step for young music lovers and suggest a world in which both Billie and Beyoncé could (and should) coexist.

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