February 17 – March 22, 2009
DIRECTOR’S’ NOTES: ELLA
By Rob Ruggiero
Ella is a dream come true for me. Several years ago I began developing this musical portrait of “The First Lady of Song.” I have always been a fan of jazz, and her amazing body of work seemed to cry out for a theater piece celebrating the life of this woman. Her story needed to be told. Everyone I know “loves Ella Fitzgerald,” yet most do not know much about her life and her history. They just know her as the great singer she was.
Our journey has afforded me the great privilege of taking a closer look at this brilliant musician, and really getting to know the sweet woman we all remember as “the nice one”— her past, her struggles, her dreams, her desires, her connection with her music and her audience – her real “story,” so to speak.
One thing quickly became clear: Ella’s music was her gift to the world and (like most great artists) she defined herself through her work. Also (like most artists) she struggled with her sense of self and her ability to balance her life and her talent. Ella shared many of the same personal battles as so many of us, including her own, painfully familiar, search for love. Yet, she sparkled and triumphed, and remained a huge defining force in the music world for decades.
I found it fascinating (as I hope you will) to see and know more about the Ella behind closed doors – the Ella we never could see on concert stages and on television – and to experience the musical voice of truly one of the greatest singers of all time. I think it’s about time we celebrated the life of one of “the good ones.” Her life and her music are truly food for the soul.
