As Ron Haynes plays the muscular opening notes on his trumpet, the biomusical "Ella" transports us to the magical jazz age of Louis Armstrong and the teenage girl who grew up to be the First Lady of Song. Or, as the Italians called her during the famous birthday concert in Rome, La Prima Bella Cantata.

On stage, Ella Fitzgerald lived a luxe life, performing in elegant gowns and demonstrating her "scatitude" at sold-out concerts in Europe, Asia and the U.S. Her scat singing was legendary; she could swing with an Ira and George Gershwin tune or croon a Cole Porter ballad.

Offstage, the likable lady we meet in the first half of the evocative, well-staged Public Theater production is vulnerable. But she's determined to escape the home she shared with a problematic stepfather and, later, beatings at a reform school.

As a nervous teenager, she won a talent contest at the famed Apollo Theater in Harlem. Afterward, a member of the theater's management handed her $5 and told her to go sing on the radio. Fitzgerald had the last laugh on the Apollo.

Band leader and drummer Chick Webb, who died at age 30 of spinal tuberculosis, got her career rolling. The vocalist also leaned on her uncompromising manager, Norman Granz, founder of the venerable jazz recording label, Verve Records. Her first, brief marriage was annulled; a second, to Pittsburgh native and bass player Ray Brown, lasted six years.

Caressing every note and phrase while capturing the emotional nuances of the demanding role is Tina Fabrique, a powerhouse performer whose Broadway performance in "Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk" earned her a Tony nomination.

Fabrique interprets the life of the brave, playful diva with endearing sweetness and strength, unfolding the singer's complicated life story in a conversational monologue seasoned with lighthearted humor. The set, a tiered gold bandstand with glittering curtains and neon lighting, creates the intimacy of a glamorous nightclub.

Ella ruminates on the irony of a "solo" career that lacks any time for family or oneself because it comes with a manager, an agent, a lawyer and a driver. Fabrique's comedic timing is punch perfect, her vocal range impressive, and she delivers warmth and emotional depth, too. At the end of the first act, her rendition of "That Old Black Magic" conveys the sensual joy of finding the right lover. The show is a must-see for fans of jazz and the American songbook.

The second act focuses on Ella the performer while she appears at a concert hall in Nice, France, just after the death of her half-sister, Frances, in 1966. Fitzgerald did not disappoint her audience that night, and neither does Fabrique. She can be breathy and flouncy on the novelty tune "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," soulful on "My Buddy," and joyous when she sings Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies."

Backing Fabrique are first-rate musicians who are completely in sync with her and one another. After Thursday night's performance, the band stayed afterward for a brief but thrilling impromptu jam session.

The conductor and pianist is George Caldwell, who also plays Moe Gale, Fitzgerald's stepfather. Bass player Clifton Kellem voices the role of Ray Brown. Rodney Harper plays drums and the part of Chick Webb, the band leader Fitzgerald called her buddy.

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