Cafe Society swings again in New York City
British writer and musician Alex Webb's successful London show about a legendary New York night club lands in the Big Apple for a short residency.
Cafe Society was a historic night club in Greenwich Village, New York City. Throughout the 1940s it was a venue that showcased the best African American musicians and was the first racially integrated club in America, proudly treating black and white clientele as equals.
The stage was graced by some of the greatest names in music including Meade Lux Lewis, Django Reinhardt, Paul Robeson, Count Basie, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Billie Holiday and countless more.
The story of Cafe Society has been the subject of a musical from by British musician and writer Alex Webb. It’s based on the founder Barney Josephson’s story and, after a successful stint in London, Webb’s show ‘Cafe Society Swing’ has arrived in the heart of New York City for a short residency at 59 E. 59 Theaters to great acclaim.
It show stars singers Cyrille Aimee, Charenee Wade with Allan Harris on guitar and vocals and acclaimed theatre actor Evan Pappas in the roles of journalist, bartender, and Josephson himself.
Described in one review as, “two hours of moving tribute to Barney Josephson’s “The Wrong Place for the Right People” club, which broke racial barriers and introduced to the world many varied artists”, the show runs until January 4th.