Born to Swing

Born To Swing is a Broadway-style musical that exposes an unknown event in music history to the world. This story is based on the life of Harlem New York-born, and former Sarasota resident legendary jazz concert pianist /entertainer Lillette Jenkins-Wisner. She rose to fame during the 1940s through the 1980s as Lillette Harris but was later known as Lillette Jenkins-Wisner.

She and her first husband Comedian, Actor and Talent Manager Bud Harris owned and operated Lillette’s Rhythm Club the first African-American-owned Casino, Nightclub, and hotel in Reno-Sparks, Nevada in 1945… “Born To Swing” musical is exciting. It depicts the Rhythm Club events while introducing 18 of Lillette’s Jazz arrangements from a variety of Broadway Shows along with choreographed dance moves and more…. It’s a show not to be missed and it will benefit the fantastic Sarasota charity “Streets of Paradise” which advocates for the Homeless.

A donation will be given to Streets of Paradise by Lillette’s Foundation for the Arts Inc. 501c3 which Lillette and her family established in 2004 to support causes she was passionate about. Lillette passed away on August 25, 2020, but her work and legacy still live on.