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.

*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.* The CD also offers a sneak peek at the repertoire she’s performing on her North American concert tour.

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. 5^thAve., in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Shania Twain gave a rousing performance in Fort Lauderdale on June 1 in her Shania Now Tour. But the tour name is apropos if this is her last foray on the road, as she’s threatened.

SHADE-O-METER RATING

5 OUTTA 5 WERKS: “10s ACROSS THE BOARD – LEGENDARY STATUS”

Who’s Shania Twain? She’s a cross-over country/pop star, who’s one of the best-selling female country artists—if not the best-selling female artist—of all time. She’s also one of the best-selling female music artists of all-time.

*Now*, the first studio album for Shania in nearly 15 years, releases on September 29th. The new album offered as both a 16-track deluxe and a 12-track standard album, both feature Shania s current single, “Life’s About To Get Good,” playing on country radio now. All songs on *Now* were written solely by Shania, who also served as co-producer on the project.

What’s the Shania Now Tour? It’s Twain’s fourth tour. Twain said on Good Morning America in 2015 that her next tour, which ended up being the Rock This Country Tour (her third tour), would be her last one. What is the BB&T Center? It’s an indoor sports an entertainment arena in Sunrise, Florida. It’s holds about 20,000 people.

How was the venue? It’s a nice venue. The staff is certainly more friendly at the BB&T than they are at, for example, the Au-Rene Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts (one can encounter cranky ushers there). How was the parking? They have ample parking. The cost was included with the ticket.

Does the venue serve liquor? Yes. How were the drinks? A double whiskey was $19, and a double wine (which was really more like a triple) was $20. The drinks were fine. Does the venue serve food? Yes. How was the food? We didn’t get any.

How much were the tickets? $115. Where were the seats? On the first level and directly on the side. Was the show sold out? It was about three-fourth fill. Who was the opening act? Bastian Baker. How was the opening act? We didn’t see him during his solo set, but he did a duet with Twain during her set.

How was the show? It was apparent from the first moment that she was on the stage that there’s no one who’s more comfortable on the stage, or loves entertaining, more than Shania Twain. Although certainly not a novelty—but nevertheless, impactful—Twain opened the show by walking through the crowd, starting on the opposite end of the stage, before making her way to it. Twain then launched into a two-hour set, where she fluctuated through hits and lesser-known songs, which also featured an economy of performers, where they served different functions—sometime as an instrumentalist, sometimes as a dancer, and sometimes as a backup singer—in different numbers. Regarding the visual element, the show could have rivaled Cirque du Soleil in set changes, a proliferation of costumes, and theatrics. However, unlike some stars, where theatricality is strategically calculated to detract from the performer’s lack of aptitude, this was not the case with Twain—she’s the real deal. Twain also did a fair amount of chit chating, which, at times, bordered on rambling. In the hands of a less-skilled performer, it might have been irritating, but with Twain, it was actually endearing. Towards the end of the show, a la Cher in her last tour, Twain flew over the audience on a guitar case, but she actually one-upped Madam “Half-Breed” when she not only sung but accompanied herself on the guitar during the flight. Twain performed “Rock This Country” and the requisite “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” for her encore, before she was consumed by a snowstorm of confetti. And then, she was no more.

How was the crowd? Composed of more woman than men, and with a fair representation of the LGBT community. Strangely—and, I suppose, lazily—the crowd didn’t give as much as they took.

What could have improved the show? I would have said that the dancers should have done same-sex dancing, but there was no couple’s dancing of any sort, either gay or straight. The set design could have been a tad more varied.

What was surprising about the show? Although Twain was recently a guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race, and her image is certainly consistent as a LGBT ally, Twain still is a country star. And we all know that things are not as liberal in the country scene as they are in, for example, the world of pop music. Considering this, it was commendable that Twain subtly, but frequently, advocated the LBGT community with comments such as, “Things are getting better all the time,” “I love men” [with an obvious nod to gay men in the audience], and, the more flagrant, this song is “dedicated to guys who like men.”

The BB&T Center is located across the street from the Sawgrass Mills, at 1 Panther Pkwy., in Sunrise, Florida. The venue is only open when there’s an event.