About the Show

"Billie, Malcolm & Yusuf" opens at a funeral. Among the guests mourning are Malcolm X, Billie Holiday, and a black teenager, Yusuf Hawkins, who was brutally murdered by a white mob in 1989.

As the funeral procession makes its way through the Gates of Heaven, we learn the identity of the “departed,” the conflicts between Billie, Malcolm and Yusuf, and their struggle to live, love and laugh without gods or icons. "Billie, Malcolm, & Yusuf” features songs, humor, powerful reminiscences, historical footage, and more than a few surprises.

Critic Reviews (1)

"At a time in which discrimination and violence continue to plague Americans-particularly, African-Americans-'Billie, Malcolm & Yusuf' reminds us that artists' responses to tragedy need not keep audiences steeped in despair. A lighter artistic touch can sometimes engender hope and keep people energized in a way that harrowing dramas cannot."
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Cast and creative team

Gabrielle L. Kurlander