Park City Institute presents actress-singer-songwriter-musician Nellie McKay performing “A Girl Named Bill – the Life and Times of Billy Tipton” on the Eccles Center Main Stage, Saturday April 15. The evening begins at 7:30 PM.
“We love having Nellie perform for the Park City Institute audience. Her cabaret-style show, tells a fascinating story,” said Teri Orr, executive director of the Park City Institute. “She blends some of her original songs with those of Jelly Roll Morton, and Yoko Ono,, to tell the story of Billy Tipton. Billy was a little-known mid-century jazz musician and bandleader who, upon his death, was discovered to be a woman. We are proud to present Nellie and this show as our Main Stage season finale.”
“A Girl Named Bill – the Life and Times of Billy Tipton,” is one of three musical biographies McKay has written. She also co-created and starred in the award-winning off-Broadway hit Old Hats. McKay has released six full-length albums, and won a Theatre World award for her portrayal of Polly Peachum in the Broadway production of The Threepenny Opera. She has also acted in, and written music for, films.
McKay has been described by David Byrne as “jaw-dropping,” and “playful.” The New York Times’ Stephen Holden said of this show, audiences may “look under the frothy surface,” to explore McKay’s feminist perspective on the idea “personal identity is fluid.” A dedicated animal-rights activist, McKay is a recipient of People for the Ethical treatment of Animals Humanitarian Award. Currently part of a campaign to get horse-drawn carriages off the streets of New York City, Nelly is also a vocal advocate for feminism and civil rights.
Tickets for Nellie McKay, performing “A Girl Named Bill – the Life and Times of Billy Tipton,” start at $29, and are available at ecclescenter.org or by calling the box office at 435-655-3114. Students in Summit County may purchase tickets for $5.
