The Backstory - A note from Amy Poux:

This immersive musical is about my grandmother—and countless women —whose resilience, intellect, and talents are eclipsed by cultural and societal constraints, leaving their brilliance unrecognized and their potential unfulfilled.

Born Matilda Lazar in 1918, Millie was a Sephardic Jew whose family journeyed from Spain to Skopje, Macedonia, before immigrating to America. She carried within her a deep well of artistry—a natural singer, her voice reminiscent of Sarah Vaughan, and a gifted seamstress, working in the garment district and sewing special occasion dresses for me and my sister for many years.

At 18, Millie gave birth to my mother out of wedlock, a scandalous mark for a young woman of her time. She married my grandfather, a Turkish Sephardic man who gambled their money, chased other women openly, and treated her as if she were lesser in her own home. Though she kicked him out many times, she was shamed by her father-in-law into taking him back. Despite it all, she built his tax business from the ground up and became an extraordinary cook, mastering Sephardic cuisine.

Maybe it was hardship that shaped her—or maybe it was simply who she was—but Millie saw the world through rose-colored glasses—choosing to embellish those around her. She was larger than life, sweeping into rooms with a song, dressed in red lipstick, fur, and costume jewelry—as if she were starring in a glamorous Hollywood film, rather than enduring the struggles at home.

This play is the reimagined version of her life, where Millie makes a different choice—she leaves. She walks away from her husband and starts her own restaurant as a single mother, reclaiming her agency and her future. The play unfolds in the present among the legacy of her son, Cesar, and her grandchildren - while flashing back to the moments that defined her.

In the end, she must remove the rose-colored glasses. She must face the truth about her son and the future of the restaurant she built on her own. As she stands at this crossroad, we return to the defining moment of her life—the day she first stepped into an empty space, convinced a landlady to take a chance on her, and decided she would carve out a future for herself, no matter the odds.

"Nona’s Supper Club" will open in two NYC venues this spring—a story rooted in the real-life history of a woman whose journey deserves to be told, even if it requires a little rewriting.

As we move forward, we are seeking funding to cover development and production costs for this NYC run of the show. To donate, please visit our IndieGogo campaign to make a tax exempt donation.