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| The life of Ethel Waters on the theater scene The life of legendary blues singer Ethel Waters is the basis for the upcoming play Ethel, a one-woman show told through narrative and song and produced by NAU Theater. This original work was created nearly 20 years ago by then-student Val Limar-Jansen and her professor, William Slout at California State University in San Bernardino. Limar-Jansen portrays Waters in the show, which tells of her rise from a lowly childhood in the early 1900s to become one of the most significant American entertainers in history and a model of courage and endurance. "She sang and danced in a variety of dives, shabby theatres, carnival tents and wherever else she could find employment, " said NAU theater professor Bob Yowell, adding that she eventually won recognition from the established musicians of her day and went on to sing for such greats a Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. During her lifetime, Waters repeatedly broke down racial barriers and broadened opportunities for other black entertainers. She was the first female black singer heard on radio, the first singer to introduce 50 songs that became hits and the first black woman to star on Broadway in a dramatic play. She was nominated for two Academy Awards as the best supporting actress for her work in the films Pinky and Member of the Wedding. The show features more than a dozen of Waters' songs, including Stormy Weather, Am I Blue? and Dinah. "The soul of this music is brilliantly illustrated, " Yowell said of Limar-Jansen's performance. "This is a rare treat to see a very talented person depict Waters' experience through songs we've all heard many times by many people, but which Waters originally made famous." Ethel will be staged at NAU's Clifford White Theater. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |