An Evening with Dinah Washington 

 Presented by Fred Motley and

The Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History

March 31, April 1 – 2, 2011 

 During the 40s and 50s Dinah Washington was among the top female singers heard on the radio, jukeboxes, television, in nightclubs and on the concert stage. After her untimely death in 1963 her image and music quietly vanished from the public, resulting in decades of new and old fans not experiencing the artistry of this wonderful vocalist. In 1993 Miss Washington was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a commemorative postage stamp of her was issued in the Rhythm and Blues Legends series.

 Local storyteller and director Fred Motley has written and directed a musical cabaret, An Evening with Dinah Washington, as a contribution towards keeping the musical legacy and life story of Miss Washington alive. The musical cabaret recreates what a wonderful experience it must have been to attend one of Miss Washington’s nightclub performances.

A cast of local actors and musicians bring this musical cabaret to life. Rena Hicks plays Miss Washington’s mother; Tim Malone plays one of the lovers/nightclub owners in Miss Washington’s life; and Angela Fowler plays Dinah Washington. The musicians are Pete Hairston on piano, Roland Williams on bass, and RJ Brown on drums.

The production is a fundraiser for the Storytelling Festival: Keeping the Oral History Alive and runs Thursday, March 31, Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2, 2011 at the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History, 7:30 nightly. Admission is $10.00 and comes with a free glass of wine. There also will be a wine cash bar. For three evenings the Museum's auditorium will be transformed into a cabaret with great music and singing.

 As long as we have stories and songs to tell of what we used to do, what we are doing and what we are going to do, our neighborhoods, communities   and city’s rich history should never show signs of desolation. Join us at the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History located at 974 Main Street for an evening of fine entertainment with An Eveing With Dinah Washington.