Citizens of Natchez and the Miss-Lou who head to the Natchez Little Theatre on Sept. 12 are in for a night to remember.

The Natchez Festival of Music and the Natchez Little Theatre jointly present “Unforgettable,” a program celebrating the life and music of Nat “King” Cole in this, his centennial year.

This show is a benefit for two of Natchez’s long-standing art organizations.  Natchez Little Theatre, one of the oldest community theaters in the nation, is in its 71st season.

The Natchez Festival of Music presents its 30th season in May 2020.

Nat “King” Cole’s expressive and smooth baritone voice was made for songs to remember — “Mona Lisa,” “When I Fall in Love,” and “Unforgettable” were among Cole’s most popular hits.

Born in 1919 in Montgomery, Alabama, and reared in Chicago, Cole began his career as a virtuoso pianist with a jazz ensemble.

His career took off in the 1950s when he added singing to his playing. As a result of his popularity, he became the first African-American entertainer to host a national show on network television.

He died in 1965 but his daughter Natalie digitally resurrected his voice to create a duet of his big hit “Unforgettable.”

Playing the role of Nat will be David Walker, a senior music major at the University of Southern Mississippi.

He has a wealth of experience in musical theater and opera productions, including roles as Nicely-Nicely Johnson (“Guys and Dolls”), Daddy Warbucks (“Annie”), Gaston (“Beauty and the Beast”), and Monsieur Reyer (“Phantom of the Opera”).

He also has appeared as a performer in the Mississippi Bicentennial Concert, and in Natchez Festival of Music’s “Salute to Motown” and “A Motown Christmas.”

Latisha Hamilton will portray Nat’s daughter Natalie. A graduate of University of Southern Mississippi in Music Education, Latisha is a K-5 music educator within the Laurel, Mississippi, School District.

Outside of the classroom, she enjoys being a Southern gospel quartet singer and guitar accompanist for her family group, The B&H Gospel Singers, a member of the cabaret group The Hub City Players and lead singer of the R&B band Smooth Edge.

Latisha has also appeared in NFoM’s “Salute to Motown” and “A Motown Christmas.”

Accompanying David and Latisha on the piano will be Tyler Kemp of Jackson, a faculty accompanist and instructor of collaborative piano at Mississippi College. He serves as music director at Bellwether Church and is a frequent performer with Mississippi Opera. Tyler is a founding member of NEW JXN, a new music ensemble based in Jackson.

Tickets for this incredible show are $25 and are available on the NLT website at natchezlittletheatre.com. For information and assistance, call 601-442-2233. We hope to see you there for an “Unforgettable” evening.

Diana Glaze is chairman of Natchez Festival of Music.