Billie Holiday Theatre, Inc.

Billie Holiday Theatre, Inc. The Billie is celebrating its 50th Season as the theatrical jewel of Bedford Stuyvesant. http://thebillieholiday.org
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Now in its 43rd season, The Billie Holiday Theatre is Brooklyn's premiere off-Broadway theatre producing contemporary African-American plays and musicals.

There’s something different about a room where people are brave enough to be heard — and a crowd that’s ready to listen....
04/18/2026

There’s something different about a room where people are brave enough to be heard — and a crowd that’s ready to listen.

With aBillie Holiday Theatre, Inc.and The Brooklyn Mavens, Brooklyn Unplugged returns as a stage for voices that deserve to be heard — fully, loudly, and without compromise.

If you’ve ever needed a room that feels like yours… this is one of them.

May 28, 7P to 9P
Tickets are live for $20.

https://thebillieholidaytheatre.org/shows-and-events/billie-holiday-and-brooklyn-mavens-talent-showcase-on-line-submission-form/

Today, we celebrate the woman who gave this stage its name and its soul — Billie Holiday.Her voice carried truth. Her pr...
04/07/2026

Today, we celebrate the woman who gave this stage its name and its soul — Billie Holiday.

Her voice carried truth. Her presence demanded to be felt. And her legacy reminds us that art isn’t just meant to entertain — it’s meant to move people, to challenge, to heal, and to leave something behind.

At The Billie, that spirit lives on in every note sung, every story told, and every artist who steps into the light with something to say.

We do this because she did.
We create space because she needed one.
And we keep the doors open so the next voice can rise, just as boldly.

Happy Birthday, Lady Day. Your stage is still speaking

Mic check… Brooklyn, we’re back!!Billie Holiday Theatre x The Brooklyn Mavens present the 2nd Annual Brooklyn Unplugged,...
04/06/2026

Mic check… Brooklyn, we’re back!!
Billie Holiday Theatre x The Brooklyn Mavens present the 2nd Annual Brooklyn Unplugged, and this time, we’re turning the volume all the way up on raw talent.

We’re now looking for singers, dancers, poets, and performers to be a part of the show!

10 acts will be selected to perform.
And yes… prizes are on the line.

If the mic finds you, it’s for a reason.

Submit your audition by April 20.

thebillieholidaytheatre.org/shows-and-events/billie-holiday-and-brooklyn-mavens-talent-showcase-on-line-submission-form/

Before the music, there’s a moment that brings everyone into the same space.Mahogany L. Browne opens Billie & Beyond wit...
04/01/2026

Before the music, there’s a moment that brings everyone into the same space.

Mahogany L. Browne opens Billie & Beyond with a voice that’s been shaped across stages, books, and communities — honest, intentional, and impossible to ignore. The kind of performance that quiets the room without asking for it.

And once you’re in that space, the night builds.

Yolizama takes the stage.
DJ Tadi carries the energy.
The rest happens in real time.

Saturday, April 4th — Doors open at 7P. Performance starts at 8P

www.eventbrite.com/e/billie-beyond-featuring-yolizama-tickets-1985249766493

Billie & Beyond is back — and we’re opening with a sound that travels.Yolizama takes the stage, bringing a voice that mo...
03/25/2026

Billie & Beyond is back — and we’re opening with a sound that travels.

Yolizama takes the stage, bringing a voice that moves between isiXhosa and English, weaving Southern African roots with folk and soul in a way that feels both grounded and expansive.

It’s the kind of music that doesn’t just fill a room — it shifts it.

With an opening set by Mahogany L. Browne, sounds by DJ Tadi, and a room built for real listening, this is more than a show… it’s a full night.

April 4th
Doors 7PM | Show 8PM
At the Billie Holiday Theatre

Come be part of it.
www.eventbrite.com/e/billie-beyond-featuring-yolizama-tickets-1985249766493

Every step tells a story, reflecting a core memory.From a young girl growing up in Brooklyn, surrounded by rhythm, cultu...
03/20/2026

Every step tells a story, reflecting a core memory.

From a young girl growing up in Brooklyn, surrounded by rhythm, culture, and community… to the leader she is today—these moments capture the evolution of Dr. Karen Thornton.

A student of dance.A steward of the culture. Now, a teacher, a mentor, and a force behind the next generation.

As YAA Program Manager and Dance Director of BAM DanceAfrica, Dr. Thornton pours into young artists the same foundation that shaped her—discipline, pride, memory, and purpose rooted in something bigger than any one stage.

Because BAM DanceAfrica isn’t just performed… it’s passed down. And this is what it looks like when that legacy lives on.

At The Billie, the women behind the work are just as powerful as the work itself.This Women’s History Month, we’re start...
03/11/2026

At The Billie, the women behind the work are just as powerful as the work itself.

This Women’s History Month, we’re starting with our Executive Director Shadawn Smith—a cultural leader whose impact stretches far beyond the stage.

In 2023, Shadawn traveled to Paris for the Take Office Global Leadership Institute, joining women leaders from across the globe dedicated to expanding representation in public leadership. Among those in the room: Former U.S. Ambassador to France Denise Campbell Bauer, pictured here alongside an inspiring cohort of global changemakers.

Now, in 2026, Shadawn has been invited back again--not only as a cohort but as a facilitator.

Because leadership like hers doesn’t stay in one place nor center the individual. It travels, it connects, and it brings new ideas & audiences home.

At The Billie, we’re proud to be led by women who move culture forward—locally and globally.

And this month, we’re celebrating them.

Tomorrow night starts with a statement.Before the headliner takes the stage, Classique opens Billie & Beyond — and if yo...
02/11/2026

Tomorrow night starts with a statement.

Before the headliner takes the stage, Classique opens Billie & Beyond — and if you know her work, you know she doesn’t “warm up” a room… she transforms it.

A self-taught violinist, composer, and vocalist with a fearless blend of hip-hop, R&B, and classical undertones, Classique brings intensity, storytelling, and presence from the very first note.

And that’s just the beginning.

Billie & Beyond continues with Melanie Charles, sounds by DJ Taela Naomi, cocktails flowing, and a room built for real listening.

Tomorrow.
Doors 7PM | Show 8PM
At the Billie Holiday Theatre.

Start the night right.
Link in bio.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/billie-beyond-featuring-melanie-charles-tickets-1980529873165

Today, we honor and remember Woodie King Jr.—a towering force in Black theatre, a respected legend, and a steward of cul...
01/30/2026

Today, we honor and remember Woodie King Jr.—a towering force in Black theatre, a respected legend, and a steward of culture whose impact can never be erased.

Last September, The Billie had the privilege of screening Black Theatre: The Making of a Movement in honor of Black Theatre Day. Through that seminal work—and through more than 50 years as a writer, director, and producer—Mr. King stood at the very nexus of a movement that transformed the American stage and expanded what was possible for Black artists everywhere.

Woodie King Jr. didn’t just participate in history; he shaped it. He created space, told our stories with intention, and ensured Black theatre was not only seen, but honored.

His passing brings to mind the words of Maya Angelou:
“If you’re going to live, leave a legacy. Make a mark on the world that can’t be erased.”

Woodie King Jr. did exactly that.

All praise to Woodie King.
May his legacy continue to light the stage for generations to come.

Address

1368 Fulton Street
Brooklyn, NY
11216

Telephone

+17186366995

Website

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