Six-time Tony-winner Audra McDonald displayed her vocal abilities and charm in Fort Lauderdale last Wednesday
SHADE-O-METER RATING
5 OUTTA 5 WERKS: “10s ACROSS THE BOARD – LEGENDARY STATUS”
Who’s Audra McDonald? She’s an actress and a singer. At six Tony Awards, she’s won more of them than anyone other performer, and she’s the only performer to have won in all four acting categories. What’s the Au-Rene Theater? It’s the main theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. It holds about 2,600 people, and it has three levels. How was the venue? Elegant. How was the parking? They have valet, or you can park in the garage for $12. The garage is about a block away.
ADVERTISEMENT
Does the venue serve liquor? Yes, and there are multiple bars (guess they must want people drunk). We got one double chardonnay for $19. How were the drinks? There was nothing special about it. Does the venue serve food? They have some snacks. How was the food? We didn’t get any. Where were the seats? At the back of the orchestra. Was the show sold out? It was about two-thirds full. Was there an opening act? No.
How was the concert? A representative from the venue gave a short speech about upcoming shows, and then the concert began when a trio of musicians (a pianist, a drummer, and a bassist) came out, followed by McDonald a moment later. McDonald walked onto the stage without fan fair, and then immediately launching into her first number, “When Did I Fall in Love,” from Fiorello!. As this was a rescheduled concert from March, one of the first things that McDonald said when she spoke was to apologize for the delay, explaining how she loves her kids, but she doesn’t love their germs. “You wouldn’t have wanted to hear me then, because I would have sounded like Bea Arthur. But that’s not a criticism of Bea Arthur, because I love her.” For those who were not familiar with McDonald’s personality, and, in direct contract to the loftiness of her voice, she had a surprisingly homespun charm about her. She also joked and laughed about how her recent concert in Los Angeles was rainy, and how “the clouds have followed her” to Fort Lauderdale. But enough talk about her personality; let’s get into the music. It would be a mistake to interpret McDonald’s undramatic entrance as symbolic of a concert where the audience heard something that was anything less than extraordinary. The concert was primarily composed of musical theater standards such as “Summertime,” “I Could Have Danced All Night,” and “Climb Ev’ry Mountain.” McDonald also showcased new composers with Jason Robert Brown’s “Stars and the Moon,” amusingly prefaced with, “I think that we need to nurture new composers so that I still have a job.” As McDonald would appear to be the vocal heir-apparent to Barbara Cook, it was no surprise that Cook’s legacy figured prominently in the concert: “She was my mentor. I learned so much watching and performing with her.” McDonald sung several numbers that Cook was known for, including the difficult, “Vanilla Ice Cream” (and if there were one number that got the loudest applause, this was it). It was also obvious that McDonald inherited Cook’s humbleness and wit with the anecdote, “Kids, they keep you grounded. When I called my oldest daughter after The Sound of Music Live! to see what she thought of it, she responded, ‘Mommy, where are the dryer sheets?’ So that was my review.” But what also makes McDonald so great is her vocal versatility, and she showed off her talent in jazz with “Cornet Man” from Funny Girl. And in the vein of that tradition of jazz and big bands, the encore for the evening was not a soprano classic but “Over The Rainbow,” which she dedicated to “Miss Judy Garland.”
How was the crowd? Mostly middle-aged. What could have improved the concert? Given that most middle-aged people are not as enthusiastic as, lets say, a pack of teenage Shawn Mendes fans, the concert would have probably been more exciting if it was sold out and in a smaller venue. Regarding the venue, it has too many ushers—they’re mulling about all over the place. For, example, when I went to use the restroom halfway through the show (there was no intermission), I was faced with a line of about 20 seated ushers, and they all turned their heads towards me in unison, a la the The Stepford Wives, to see what I was up to. My only critique about McDonald herself is that I would have liked to of heard at least one number from Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill. Given her notoriety in the show, It was a bit disappointed that she didn’t do any numbers from it. But a review can’t be based on what was omitted but what was presented. And in that regard, McDonald’s voice sparkled to such a degree that she really is second-to-none.
What was surprising about the show? It was hysterical and slightly shocking to hear McDonald cover the Kate Miller-Heidke song, “Are You Fucking Kidding Me? (The Facebook Song).” When McDonald operatically enunciate the lyrics, “And so you want to be my friend on Facebook? Oh you fucking, fucking fuck. Click, ignore,” one knew that he or she wasn’t in Kansas anymore.
The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located at 201 S.W. 5thAve., in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Well written review.. as usual