Audra McDonald and Will Swenson Head to Provincetown This Month

By: Aug. 18, 2015
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The acclaimed Broadway @ Town Hall concert series in Provincetown, MA, produced by Mark Cortale, will welcome Audra McDonald -- the historic 6-time Tony-winner and star of Broadway's LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR AND GRILL, PORGY AND BESS, RAGTIME, MASTER CLASS and TV's PRIVATE PRACTICE -- for one show only on Monday, August 24 at 6:30 PM. She will be joined onstage by a very special guest, her husband and fellow Broadway star Will Swenson.

Hosted by SiriusXM radio star Seth Rudetsky, what differentiates the Broadway @ Town Hall concert series from any other is the seamless mix of intimate, funny and revealing behind-the-scenes stories from Broadway's biggest stars and their stellar singing of musical theatre repertoire. McDonald will perform in Provincetown on the heels of a Williamstown run this month in Eugene O'Neill's "A Moon For The Misbegotten" also with Will Swenson. For tickets and information, visit www.ptownarthouse.com or call 800-838-3006.

Audra McDonald became a three-time Tony Award winner by the age of 28 for her performances in "Carousel," "Master Class," and "Ragtime," placing her alongside Shirley Booth, Gwen Verdon and Zero Mostel by accomplishing this feat within five years. She won her fourth in 2004 for her role in "A Raisin in the Sun," a role she reprised for a 2008 television adaptation, earning her a second Emmy Award nomination. On June 10, 2012, McDonald scored her fifth Tony Award win for her portrayal of Bess in Broadway's "The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess" thus tying a record held by Angela Lansbury and Julie Harris for most Tony Awards won by an actor. This past June she made history by winning her sixth Tony Award for her role as Billie Holiday in "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill." She also maintains her ties to classical repertoire with an active concert and recording career, performing song cycles and operas as well as concerts throughout the U.S. Audra's many television appearances include four seasons as Naomi Bennett in "Private Practice," as well as "Homicide: Life on the Street," "Law & Order: SVU," "Having Our Say," "Mister Sterling," "The Bedford Diaries," "Kidnapped," the television remake of the musical "Annie," and HBO's "Wit" with Emma Thompson and more recently as a cast member of "The Good Wife." In December 2013 Audra won critical acclaim for her performance as the Mother Abbess in NBC's live telecast of "The Sound of Music" with Carrie Underwood. Her film roles include "Cradle Will Rock," "Object of My Affection," "It Runs in the Family," "Best Thief in the World," and "Seven Servants." Will Swenson received a Tony nomination for the revival of "Hair" and also starred in the North American company of "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert."

Seth Rudetsky is the afternoon host on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio's ON BROADWAY as well as the host of SETH SPEAKS on Sirius/XM Stars. As a pianist, Seth has played for more than a dozen Broadway shows including Ragtime, Les Miz and Phantom. He was the Artistic Producer/Music Director for the first five annual Actors Fund Fall Concerts including "Dreamgirls" with Audra McDonald (recorded on Nonesuch Records) and "HAIR" with Jennifer Hudson (recorded on Ghostlight Records, Grammy Nomination). In 2007 he made his Broadway acting debut playing Sheldon (singing "Magic to Do" in a devastating unitard) in "The Ritz" directed by Joe Mantello for The Roundabout Theater. Off-Broadway he wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed "Rhapsody in Seth" (directed by Peter Flynn) at the Actors Playhouse and has also appeared on TV on "Law & Order: CI" and had a recurring role on "All My Children." As an author, he penned the non-fiction Q Guide To Broadway, the novel Broadway Nights and the recently published My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan (Random House). Broadway Nights is available on Audible.com starring Kristin Chenoweth, Andrea Martin and Jonathan Groff and My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan stars Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ana Gasteyer and Megan Hilty. Seth played himself on "Kathy Griffin; My Life on the D-List," was the vocal coach on MTV's "Legally Blonde" reality show and starred opposite Sutton Foster in "They're Playing Our Song" for the Actors Fund. Recently, he co-wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed "Disaster!," a 1970's disaster movie musical which is now slated to transfer to Broadway in 2015. Right now, he tours the country performing with Broadway stars like Patti LuPone, Sutton Foster and Audra McDonald. His newest book, The Rise and Fall of a Theater Geek was published earlier this month by Random House and is available on Amazon.com For more info visit: www.SethTV.com.

This Broadway @ concert series was inaugurated in 2011 by Producing Artistic Director Mark Cortale @ The Art House in Provincetown featuring Seth Rudetsky as pianist and host. In its fourth season last summer, the series presented Broadway superstars like Kristin Chenoweth, Megan Hilty, Alice Ripley, Cheyenne Jackson and Gavin Creel. The Broadway @ series also premiered in 2013 in New Orleans, in Australia (Sydney & Melbourne) with Megan Mullally and in London's West End with Patti LuPone at the Leicester Square Theater. In 2014-15 the series travelled to Santa Monica @ The Broad Stage, New Orleans @ The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), Fort Lauderdale @ The Parker Playhouse, San Francisco @ The Nourse Theatre, Dallas @ The Dallas Theater Center, and in Detroit @ The Berman Center for the Performing Arts. In 2015-16, the series will launch in Philadelphia at The Kimmel Center on October 7th with Audra McDonald. Additional artists who have participated throughout this season include Vanessa Williams, Chita Rivera, Ana Gasteyer, and Joanna Gleason. Info at markcortalepresents.com.

IF YOU GO:

Mark Cortale Presents

Audra McDonald with Will Swenson

featuring SiriusXM Radio's Seth Rudetsky as pianist & host

Aug. 24 at 6:30 PM

Broadway @ Town Hall

Town Hall is located at 260 Commercial Street, Provincetown, MA

For tickets visit www.ptownarthouse.com or call 800-838-3006

The Art House is wheelchair accessible.


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