Ernestine Jackson (born September , ) is an American actress and
singer.Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, Jackson made her Broadway debut
in as Irene Molloy in the all-black cast of Hello, Dolly! starring
Pearl Bailey. In , Jackson originated the role of Ruth Younger in
Raisin, her performance winning her the Theatre World Award and a
nomination for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured
Actress in a Musical. Additional Broadway credits include Applause,
The Bacchae, and the all-black revival of Guys and Dolls, for which
she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading
Actress in a Musical and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured
Actress in a Musical. She also appeared in the revival of Show Boat
at the New York State Theater and the revival of Finian's Rainbow at
New York City Center.Jackson portrayed Alberta Hunter in Cookin' at
the Cookery: The Music and Times of Alberta Hunter, a revue that
originated at the Hippodrome State Theatre in Gainesville, Florida in
and then played in various venues in the United States, such as the
Lyceum Stage, San Diego, California in March and April . Jackson
appeared in the revue at the Boston University Theatre, presented by
the Huntington Theatre Company, in June .She portrayed Billie Holiday
in the Long Wharf Theatre (Connecticut) production of Lady Day at
Emerson's Bar and Grill. In reviewing her performance, Frank Rizzo of
Variety said she "nicely suggests rather than mimics the famous
Holiday" and added, "Jackson handles the gliding jazz minimalism
beautifully. She makes Holiday's fleeting happiness a joy and her
suffering an art." In she portrayed entertainer Ethel Waters in Ethel
Waters: His Eye is On the Sparrow at the Bristol Riverside Theatre in
Bristol, Pennsylvania. Jackson's feature films include The Bonfire of
the Vanities, Freedomland, Steam, and Forged, scheduled for release in
. On television she has appeared in Roots: The Next Generations, A Man
Called Hawk, Law & Order, The West Wing, and Law & Order: Criminal
Intent.
singer.Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, Jackson made her Broadway debut
in as Irene Molloy in the all-black cast of Hello, Dolly! starring
Pearl Bailey. In , Jackson originated the role of Ruth Younger in
Raisin, her performance winning her the Theatre World Award and a
nomination for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured
Actress in a Musical. Additional Broadway credits include Applause,
The Bacchae, and the all-black revival of Guys and Dolls, for which
she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading
Actress in a Musical and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured
Actress in a Musical. She also appeared in the revival of Show Boat
at the New York State Theater and the revival of Finian's Rainbow at
New York City Center.Jackson portrayed Alberta Hunter in Cookin' at
the Cookery: The Music and Times of Alberta Hunter, a revue that
originated at the Hippodrome State Theatre in Gainesville, Florida in
and then played in various venues in the United States, such as the
Lyceum Stage, San Diego, California in March and April . Jackson
appeared in the revue at the Boston University Theatre, presented by
the Huntington Theatre Company, in June .She portrayed Billie Holiday
in the Long Wharf Theatre (Connecticut) production of Lady Day at
Emerson's Bar and Grill. In reviewing her performance, Frank Rizzo of
Variety said she "nicely suggests rather than mimics the famous
Holiday" and added, "Jackson handles the gliding jazz minimalism
beautifully. She makes Holiday's fleeting happiness a joy and her
suffering an art." In she portrayed entertainer Ethel Waters in Ethel
Waters: His Eye is On the Sparrow at the Bristol Riverside Theatre in
Bristol, Pennsylvania. Jackson's feature films include The Bonfire of
the Vanities, Freedomland, Steam, and Forged, scheduled for release in
. On television she has appeared in Roots: The Next Generations, A Man
Called Hawk, Law & Order, The West Wing, and Law & Order: Criminal
Intent.
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