Fabrique, who has played the lead role of Ella since 2004, will be singing numbers from the production in addition to some jazz standards, Lee Henderson, the Guthrie’s communications manager, said.
The performers, including Fabrique, conductor and pianist George Caldwell and bassist Clifton Kellem, will do two 20-minute musical sets and will pause before, after and in between to sign autographs and chat. Fabrique will introduce herself and talk about the show.
“It’s not just singing, it’s giving people a little flavor of Ella and the show,” Henderson said.
Ella is a biography/musical following the life of the late jazz singer, Ella Fitzgerald. Set in a concert hall in Nice, France in 1966, the production includes 24 different musical numbers.
“It gives us a nice opportunity to kind of peak behind the scenes a little bit to see what the real Ella was like,” Henderson said.
So far, the show has had a very good turnout, Henderson said, and has been receiving nightly standing ovations.
