Jacque as Billie Holiday in her self-penned “Billie’s Diary”
“…”Billie’s Diary” is beautifully infused with the artistry not only of jazz great Billie Holiday, but also that of Jacque Tara Washington…Washington’s acting skills convince us that Holiday is present, and she uncannily echoes and suggests Holiday’s stylings without sacrificing her own musicianship…Script and song are beautifully interwoven and it’s a treat to hear Holiday/Washington jazz versions …Washington sings “Strange Fruit” near the end of the show, delivering it with the spare truthfulness of Greek tragedy…”
-Neil Novelli, Post Standard
Jacque as Billie Holiday in “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill”
“…When Jacque Tara Washington steps onto the stage, she is transformed into the late Jazz singer Billie Holiday, and it’s one of the finest acting performances you’ll see…Washington does something I would not have thought possible. An accomplished singer, she somehow suppresses her style and just lets Holiday sing through her voice and her imagination. It’s an exciting piece of disciplined artistry…In between songs, Holiday talks with audience, trying to pull a shattered life together. Here too Washington excels, catching all the nuances of Holiday’s pride and despair…”
-Neil Novelli, Post Standard
“…Washington’s superlative work lights up the stage. She gives every ounce of her own person. Billie Holiday’s decay is Washington’s personal triumph…part of her artistry is how Washington strips away Lady Day’s cover, every thrust of the chin, turn of the shoulder, wry gag line, and most of all, every note, reveals it’s the perfect match of a prodigiously talented performer and a demanding role we count ourselves fortunate to share…”
-James MacKillop, Syracuse New Times
“…Jacque Tara Washington electrifies as Lady Day…Washington’s smoky, bitter rendition of “Strange Fruit” brought prolonged applause from the sold-out audience…Washington, in a virtuoso performance, re-created a jazz legend on the stage…”
-Suzanne M. Connelly, Post Standard
“Billie Holiday was a figure Jacque Tara Washington was born to play…Looking like a replica of Holiday, Washington holds the audience in thrall with her portrait of the woman…this play takes an actress who can sing. Washington can, without a doubt…”
-Joan Vadeboncoeur, Herald Journal
“…Jacque Tara Washington brought the audience to their feet at the final curtain…Washington’s Lady Day barely manages to remain upright as she hangs on to the microphone and mouths the words- no sound comes out but anguish screams at the audience from every angle of her body…”
-Journal
Jacque as Cleo Wilson in “Soul Sisters”, a role she originated
“…Washington gives a strong, subtle performance. Washington portrays a character who is, at first, a frightened, timid, single mother, but who blossoms into a soul singer with heart. Washington is a sensitive actress who brings real emotion to her scenes…”
-Eleanor Koblenz, Daily Gazette