Audra's concert with the New York Philharmonic just three weeks ago is up on YouTube. It is also available as a download on iTunes for $11.99 and no doubt on Amazon as well.
It was my first time for hearing Audar live in concert. In fact, I had only seen her live once before in Porgy and Bess. My expectations were high, and they were met.
I'm a big fan of Kelli O'Hara and Kristin Chenoweth, and have seen each in concert several times. As wonderful as these women are, Audra is perhaps a step higher. There is a color and warmth to her voice that can't be taught. She is at complete ease singing and interacting with the audience; she tells genuinely funny stories.
I confess that at the beginning of the concert, backed by the entire New York Philharmonic, the combined sound of Audra and the orchestra sounded a little muddled at times. At peak moments orchestra and vocalist seemed to be competing to be heard, and once or twice the vocalist lost. Geffen Hall I believe is notorious for its acoustics.
But I noticed this less and less as the concert progressed, although it was refreshing to hear her perform with just her jazz quartet.
The transcendent moment of the concert came about a half hour into it. I wasn't looking at the stage between numbers. I was searching for something in my pockets. I heard the unmistakable introduction to "Summertime." I hadn't looked up yet. Then I heard the vocal begin and I quickly asked myself what voice this was. I looked up and Audra had dropped the mike to the floor and was singing gloriously without the aid of rogue electrons. Her voice just soared, easily filling the Hall. The difference was so noticable.
After the prolonged applause and cheering ended, I felt certain that nothing else Audra would sing would produce a bigger reaction. And I think I was correct, but she had much more that would draw a prolonged response, including an intertwining of "Children Will Listen" with "You've Got to be Carefully Taught."
Wish I could have been there. Huge Audra fan. Here is from the press release about the recording:
Decca Gold is proud to announce the forthcoming release of Sing Happy, the live performance of the New York Philharmonic’s 2018 Spring Gala starring Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald. Recorded live on May 1 at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, the recording represents McDonald’s first collaboration with Decca Gold – as well as her first solo recording with full orchestra.
Sing Happy features many songs that are either new to McDonald’s repertoire or have never before been recorded by her – such as "I Am What I Am"from La Cage aux Folles, “Vanilla Ice Cream”from She Loves Me, and “Children Will Listen” from Into The Woods– and offers a sneak peek at the repertoire she’s performing on her upcoming North American concert tour. The album will be quickly mastered and sequenced and set for digital release on May 11 and physical formats on May 25.
In the past 50 years, I have seen many concerts on Broadway -- Judy G, Liza M, Bette M, Diana Ross, Shirley MacLaine, Hugh Jackman, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, Debbie Reynolds, Patti Lupone; living in Sarasota now, I have seen Audra twice in the past two years, Kristen Chenoweth, Patti Lupone and Mandy Patinkin, and others. I mention those because I am not sure that I have ever enjoyed any as much as the MacDonald shows (and there were some incredible shows). She may not generate the audience fervor (at least in Sarasota) that some of the above did; but in terms of putting on a great show in which the star at the center is so talented, has such entertaining and personal anecdotes threaded throughout the show, and seems so normal, she is peerless.
When I saw her in March, we attended with four people who had never seen her perform live, two of whom had never even heard of her(!). All were as impressed as we were (although we knew it was going to be a great concert). One (from the 'new er heard of her' camp went on-line the next day and purchased tickets for a (since performed) concert at Boston's Symphony Hall.
When I left the show, I remembered wondering whether there was anything that she couldn't do, and with so much class and modesty.
PS -- I really enjoyed the Chenoweth show, although I got a little tired of her referring to her strong Christian upbringing -- I didn't care. I also found it sorta comical that she was wearing an outfit that must have depended on major double-sided tape to keep things in place, while repeatedly returning to her strong Christian upbringing...seemed s little silly.
^^ I saw Audra in concert at Disney Hall in Los Angeles a number of years ago. Perfection. I’m thinking of making the trek down to Orange County to see her later this month. She is spectacular in concert.
I have to confess that I didn’t know quite a few of her songs. This was partly due to my ignorance and partly because, as Audra explained at the beginning, her approach to this concert was to sing songs that she had never sung before, and many were from not well known sources.
Audra opened with “I Am What I Am” and “It Might As Well Be Spring.” She reached back into the early sixties for two songs. “What Did I Have That I Don’t Have,” I believe, from On a Clear Day. (She then played with the audience, addressing us “And that song was written by Lerner and ?” “Loewe” came back from many but it was Lerner and Lane. Burton Lane. “And the lead female was ?” Barbra came back from many, but Streisand had played the role in the film. Barbara Mason in the musical.) I hope they preserve the audience interplay on the album.
She also sang “Some Little Things” from 110 in the Shade. Her last number that she said she took personally to heart was “Make Someone Happy.” Her encore I’m sure was known to everyone in the audience except me.
A curiosity was a song written by Benny Goodman and I think Duke Ellington that had never before had lyrics. Ella had just sung the song scat. Audra demonstrated what Ella had done. But a colleague whom she had met at MIT had actually put lyrics to the song. Very intricate lyrics that flowed very quickly. About halfway through she stopped, saying that she had blown the lyrics. I think this was intentional to set up the nice moment that followed. As she picked up the song again she gave a wide gesture to the audience, “Come on, everyone. Sing along with me. Join in!”
Very pleased to hear that there will be an album.
Kristin is pretty selective about which tenets of her religion that she chooses to follow, but she has a good heart. After seeing her more than once in the revival of On The Twentieth Century there is no denying her talent and spunk.
In two weeks, I will see Audra perform in concert here with the San Diego Symphony; and later next year, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Very excited!
The quality of this video is not terrific. But watching it, I'm reminded what a talent she truly is.
Wow. I had to go to Youtube to check that out. Shuffle Along. A huge hit for 1921 Broadway. Launched the careers of Josephine Baker and Paul Robeson, among others. Any more Audra on Broadway, can’t miss it.
I hope everyone who gets to see her on tour has a magical time! I had gotten tickets in January but then I got a gig and previews for my show start the day I was supposed to see her. So glad there will be an album so I can at least hear what I’ll be missing.
Just saw her tonight with the KC Symphony here in Kansas City. She was beyond great. I have seen her numerous times before but tonight was just next level brilliance. Agree with others - go see her if she is coming to your city!
I saw her in Melbourne at Hamer Hall a couple of years ago (it must have been 31 October 2015 to be exact!). I’ve seen many incredible concerts there - Idina, Sierra, Megan, Lea, 6 years of my school’s speech night - and Audra was absolutely a standout. I think my favourite numbers were I’ll Be Here from Ordinary Days (which I had never heard before) and Baby Mine from Dumbo (which holds special meaning to me) - apparently I like to cry! Another favourite was the hilarious Facebook Song by Australian singer-songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke, who I’d actually heard sing it at a small charity concert a few weeks earlier. It is a bit risqué, and she said how grateful she was that our Australian humour appreciated it as she’d had some bad reactions performing it in the south; unfortunately I doubt it would be included in a set list for a recording!
MichelleCraig said: "^^ I saw Audra in concert at Disney Hall in Los Angeles a number ofyears ago. Perfection. I’m thinking of making the trek down to Orange County to see her later this month. She is spectacular in concert."
OC is too hard during the week but she’s also at th Dorothy Chandler on Sunday May 20th which is more doable. I’m very tempted to go!
I was happy to buy the digital album today, but I noticed the New York Philharmonic put the entire album on YouTube for free (for the time being, anyway).
I'm hoping I wasn't the only BWW poster at Audra's LA concert yesterday at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. My husband and I went with a longtime friend who's loved Bway musicals all his life but had never seen Audra in person. Nevertheless, with a packed house full of highly vocal fans, gay and otherwise, (is this what Judy's hallowed concerts at the Palace were like?), Audra was certainly preaching to the choir.
Her set list was similar to what Jshan posted above, although she replaced "March is a Windy Month" with "I Won't Mind", a song I've always loved from her first album, How Glory Goes. She also included the superb "Stars and the Moon" (I Met a Man...)-- which in fact was the ONLY lyric she went up on in the entire 2 hour concert. She launched into the first line of the song and immediately stopped her music conductor--realizing she'd started with the second stanza instead of the first. Ever the pro, she began again, performed the song letter-perfect magnificently, and made us love her even more.
Perversely, one addition to the setlist yesterday seemed really out of place. She joked that the cognoscenti would rescind her soprano card if she didn't include "I Could Have Danced All Night" in the concert. Given the MFL revival on Bway right now, the choice felt really tone deaf, particularly since Audra's mature voice with its deep rubato was all wrong for the crystalline flights of the song. Even Audra seemed to realize how awkward the fit was-- halfway through she invited the whole audience to sing along (which gave each of us boasting rights to say we sang backup to Audra MacDonald).
One more change to the setlist-- her final encore number wasn't "More I Cannot Wish You", but instead a benediction of love on the audience and a wish to spread love as a way of surviving the insanity in the world today (the closest she came to recognizing the chaos of the Trump administration), which segued beautifully into a sublime "Over the Rainbow". The lady knows her audience awfully well.
Peter, thank you for sharing! Forgive me, im sure this is known but almost everyone, is there a way to download the album or is it just to be watched/listened to on youtube?
Peter2 said: "I was happy to buy the digital album today, but I noticed the New York Philharmonic put the entire album on YouTube for free (for the time being, anyway).
Someone in a Tree2 said: "I'm hoping I wasn't the only BWW poster at Audra's LA concert yesterday at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion"
I was there too! I've seen her perform before and found myself thinking what an amazing gift she is to all of us. The voice, the compassion, the inner and outer beauty. I adore her and when she said she was heading to Phoenix next, I seriously tried to figure out how long it would take to get there!
I loved every moment and every song, her humor and her just normal-ness (is that a word) when she stopped the song to restart. Just showing she is human and its ok to make a mistake. My daughter was with me and its so hard for her to "forgive" herself when she makes mistakes. It was great to see.
I brought my older daughter a couple years ago, last time she played the Dorothy Chandler. She forever won my heart with a simple act of kindness. We were waiting with a few of my daughters friends at the stage door. About a hour in, the security told us that she had left. The kids were disappointed and didn't want to leave. About 5 minutes later, a car pulls over at the curb nearby and Audra gets out. She saw them waiting, stopped and joined them. They were thrilled and she was/is so sweet. What an amazing talent, with an amazing heart!!
Someone in a Tree2 said: Perversely, oneaddition to the setlist yesterday seemed really out of place. She joked that the cognoscenti would rescind her soprano card if she didn't include "I Could Have Danced All Night" in the concert. Given the MFL revival on Bway right now, the choice felt really tone deaf, particularly since Audra's mature voice with its deep rubato was all wrong for the crystalline flights of the song. Even Audra seemedto realize how awkward the fit was-- halfway through she invited the whole audience to sing along (which gave each of us boasting rights to say we sang backup to Audra MacDonald)”.
I’ve seen Audra in concert three times in the last few years. She does the same bit or shtick if you will with ‘I could have danced all night’ in every concert.
The whole digital album can be downloaded from iTunes for $11.99. Probably available on Amazon as well.
All the songs I couldn't identify. She picked some tough ones. Three relatively minor musicals from the early sixties written before Audra was born with great composers who had had better days and were to have better days: On a Clear Day, Flora the RedMenace and 110 in the Shade. They left us with the title song "On a Clear Day" and Liza Minnelli. Audra found songs in them.
Favorite song that I was previously unfamiliar with was "Never Will I Marry." I see that Streisand used to sing it frequently.
Was the difference clear when Audra sang "Summertime" unmiked? Her voice went into classical/opera mode for that song so I suppose it would have sounded very distinct with a mike, if she would even consider singing opera with a mike. It was a bit more impressive live in the concert hall.
Otherwise the sound was good on the recording. I mentioned that at the beginning of the concert at the climax of a few songs Audra and the Philharmonic had competed a bit to be on top, and a couple of times the orchestra won. Nothing of that on the recording.
The song that didn't make the cut. Tried to describe this song without much success, but have got it now. "Flying Home," written by Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton. Ella sang it completely scat for the album Lullabies of Birdland and the New York Times called it "one of the most influential vocal jazz records of the decade." When Audra was at MIT trying to bring culture to the techies, one of her colleagues wrote lyrics for the song. Very intricate lyrics. So Audra used I guess her "Shtick" of stopping in the middle of the song, claiming blown lyrics, and on starting up again urged all to sing along with her. Not one other person in the world knew one phrase of those lyrics.
Surprised that no one else who saw this concert checked in here. There were some very good orchestra seats available on the day of the concert that must have been released very late.
love love love to see Audra perform especially in smaller venues with her smaller backing group vs the symphony if she tours anywhere near you get a ticket immediately!!!!
joined:5/31/10
joined:
5/31/10
Posted: 5/2/18 at 12:18pm