Little Girl Blue, a new musical inspired by the life of American singer-songwriter and civil rights activist Nina Simone, opened Off-Broadway March 14 at New World Stages.
The bio-musical, written by and starring Laiona Michelle, takes place in two different concert settings, a decade apart: Act I in New York in April 1968, during the period of riot and racial hostility following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; and Act II in Switzerland in July 1976, after the performer had based herself in Europe.
Little Girl Blue premiered at George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in 2019 and had a summer 2021 run as part of the Goodspeed by the River series. Michelle made her Broadway debut in 2015 in Amazing Grace.
Original director Devanand Janki helms the Off-Broadway run, and the original company of onstage musicians—Kenneth Salters, Saadi Zain, and pianist Mark Fifer—return to accompany Michelle. Fifer also serves as the show's music director and arranger.
The musical features some of Simone's best-loved numbers, including "Feeling Good," "I Put a Spell on You," "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free," and the title song "Little Girl Blue."
See the opening night photos below.
Andrea Burns, Devanand Janki and Peter Flynn
Pierre Marais
Devanand Janki and Brenda Braxton and Robert Tatad
Jonathan Burke
Ashanti J’aria
Ashanti J'aria, Laiona Michelle, Tanesha Gary, and Gayle Turner
Juson Williams and Laiona Michelle
Willette Klausner and Manny Klausner
Earon Nealey
Logan Dewitt, Lisa Dozier, Michael Shannon, and Amanda Nicastro
Chad Austin and Rashad Chambers
Chad Austin
Jay Hilton, Devanand Janki and Donna Lynn Hilton
Ari Fulton
Crystal Joy
Rashad Chambers, Janine Lee Papio and Michael Coco
Russ Wooley and KT Sullivan
E. Clayton Cornelious and Jessica Sporn
Dawn Chiang and Jules Lauve
