BWW Reviews: Audra McDonald Shines at the Tilles Center

When you attend a concert held by record breaking Tony Award winner Audra McDonald, you are in for a truly special evening. I really could go on and on (and on!) about how thrilling her performance is and the wonderful way she interacts with the audience. However, chances are if you've ever attended her concerts or have seen Ms. McDonald on Broadway, you already know this.

In a stop on her national tour this past weekend, the great chanteuse stunned the Tilles Center of Brookville, Long Island, with a wonderful mix of Broadway and Jazz standards with comical stories peppered in. Music Director and Pianist Andy Einhorn joined Ms. McDonald with Mark Vanderpoel on the bass, and Gene Lewin on the drums. They seamlessly went through some gems including "I Could Have Danced All Night", "Sing Me a Happy Song", and "Stars and the Moon". Another beautiful moment was her rendition of "Moments in the Woods" from Stephen Sondheim's Into the Wood's. This selection, she explained, came from Sondheim himself.

To close out the brilliant show, Ms. McDonald started speaking of her time on NBC's fantastic live presentation of The Sound of Music ensuing a chorus of "Oh my god, she's going to sing it!" from the audience. Of course, she was referring to the iconic number "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" which received a rousing, extended standing ovation. And to officially close the show, after a "fake leave", Ms. McDonald performed "Somewhere over the Rainbow".

Favorite moments among the excited, sold out audience also included Ms. McDonald's hilarious stories, especially the ones about her daughter. One particular story that had the crowd in absolute stiches was when Ms. McDonald explained that she was in the middle of the live broadcast of The Sound of Music and was checking in with her daughter at times to see how everything looked on the television. Well, Ms. McDonald performed "Climb Ev'ry Mountain", a moment everyone was waiting for, and in looking at her phone after that performance she found a text message from her daughter... "Where are the dryer sheets? I want to do laundry". It was truly a splendid evening.

In her first appearance at the Tilles Center since 2002, the audience was extremely thankful to witness Ms. McDonald's inspired performance. Her concert tour across the country continues through October 13th during which she will also take time (August 5th - 23rd) to perform in Eugene O'Neill's A Moon for the Misbegotten at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts. For dates of Ms. McDonald's tour, please visit www.audramcdonald.net.

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