All photos thanks to Richard Termine.
Audra McDonald accompanied by her long-time music director and pianist, Andy Einhorn, brought “Musings through music” to the 92NY Theresa L. Kaufmann Concert Hall on Thursday, February 8th. The concert had been postponed for six months due to illness but she was there and full-voiced from beginning to end of the performance.
This evening, lovingly crafted by Andy, was a unique retrospective of the six time Tony award winner’s career. It began with a clip of her being interviewed as part of the Junior Company and as she walked onto stage in a simple black jumpsuit, we saw how the early confidence and bright personality have come fully into their own. Her presence is palpable and the voice truly one of the most beautiful I’ve heard on the concert stage. Audra brought things back to the beginning with “Mr. Snow” from her 1994 turn as Carrie Pipperidge which garnered her very first Tony award. Her casting also opened the doors for many other young black actresses to play non-traditional roles through colorblind or, “colorful” (the term Audra prefers) casting.
The performance alternated between songs and spoken sets, and it provided great insight into the artistry of the pair. Audra and Andy first met in 2006 and since 2011, he has been her official music director and pianist. Andy, as a close friend and collaborator, was able to ask insightful questions that spanned the length of her career, using clips on the screen to highlight key moments and also having at his disposal personal recollections on key conversations that have happened over the years or days before.
Of note for crossover fans was Audra’s candidness about Juilliard. Andy quoted Audra saying, “I did the four year program in just five years,” to which she quickly added “That’s all it took.” Audra shared her dream had always been to become a Broadway star, and she entered the program somewhat naively not realizing she would be restricted to classical repertoire. Because of this Audra admits, “I was very frustrated the whole time I was there… In trying to find myself, in the classical world, there were certain singers I listened to. I listened to Leontyne Price a lot… anything I could to try to find myself and see myself.” The great soprano who Audra refers to as the “empress” came to Julliard, and though Audra was a freshman and not invited to perform she was given the opportunity to show Leontyne around, and the singer proved as warm and inviting as any devotee could have hoped. “She was so generous with her time even though I was a lowly freshman and wasn’t about to sing for her… that kindness sort of carried me quite a while.”
Audra did find her way to Broadway, prioritizing summer stock over opera programs during her break, and thus being cast in The Secret Garden. Her classical training was not wasted however. One of the distinct things about Audra’s voice is her powerful soprano register. She can belt, she can mix, but once the pitches reach a certain range there is a decidedly operatic roundness to her sound. Her training also led to another Tony award winning role as Sharon in Masterclass. Andy delighted the audience when he announced, “We want to be a little crazy, we want to try the aria.” He urged listeners to be “gentle on us” since they had only decided on the idea 48 hours prior, and Audra added, “It’s been 28 years.”
Audra then, moving the microphone aside, launched into a seemingly effortless rendition of “Vieni T’affretta” from Verdi’s Macbeth. There was a momentary hiccup when Audra lost the lyrics. Rather than trying to hide it she embraced the humor of the moment, calling to Andy to help her find the place. Towards the end she asked the audience to pray as she went for the high note, which of course, was glorious.
With only time for the applause to die, Audra changed vocal character and launched into “I Will Give You My Money,” from Marie Christine. The mastery of her instrument was evident to the audience though she jokingly referred to the rapid-fire switch as “whiplash.”
There were too many beautiful moments to mention, or take copious notes about. Audra and Andy discussed the varied nature of her career, her first album, her relationship with the legendary Stephen Sondheim and more. Notably she spoke of Barbara Cook who she also met at Julliard. “The thing I learned most about Barbara is she is one who would forgive herself on stage. She let the audience in on the whole evening. If she made a mistake on stage she’d say, ‘Oh let’s try that again!’ She never seemed to be nervous before she would go out for her shows. She’d gather everybody together, hold hands with everybody and say ‘Have fun!’ She would go out and just open her whole heart, and be vulnerable and show you the good, the bad and the ugly – all of it. I think that’s what made her such a consummate artist.” It’s easy to see how Audra has embraced this philosophy as her own, Barbara teaching Audra to be kinder to herself has in turn opened up audiences to a kind of “communion” that is only possible by an artist living their authentic and vulnerable self on stage.
Another interesting exchange with Andy was about how Audra chooses her repertoire. Andy is constantly searching for new music for Audra, but at the end of the day she said it comes down to “a gut reaction. I know immediately when I hear a song if I want to sing it or not.” She has such an instinctive knowledge of her own voice that even the most beautiful material cannot tempt her if it’s not right. “The minute I hear a song, there’s something that just goes off in my brain, in my gut, in my heart, and yup, that’s it… There are other times when Andy comes in with 40 songs and I’m like ‘Yeah no’… so it’s a process.”
Andy and Audra have long been searching for a way to include material from her Lady Day run. Audra described how the voice was initially hard to find but finally clicked when she realized the similarities in intonation between Billie and her grandma. Still, on the concert stage it would be strange to sing the song in Billie’s voice outright, she felt she should sing it as Audra but didn’t feel as comfortable doing so. The result was a charming duet between the Billie and Audra voices on “Crazy he calls me” (which Andy called ‘the world’s greatest party trick’). Other notable songs included the emotionally charged, “Daddy’s Son,” “Climb Every Mountain,” “Being Green” (sung for those who have felt ‘othered’), “I Love Today” (a song Audra found on Tik-tok) and “Simple Little Things,” a song that has great personal significance to her, memories of both the tragic death of her father and the period when she fell in love with her husband.
Towards the end we were treated to an early clip of Audra performing “Home,” which then seamlessly transitioned into Andy and Audra picking it up and singing to the rafters.
Andy described early on in the show how in an interview about Audra he had been “running out of superlatives as one would,” and as a reviewer it’s easy to find yourself in the same predicament when faced with a talent this immense. I cannot help but note the range and depth of vocal color available at Audra’s disposal and, in Andy’s words, “technique for days.” Andy also shared that when they first met Audra asked him to not comment on what was good but what they could do to make it better, and it’s clear that the pair have elevated each other. Andy’s nimble keys and honed arrangements, carefully adjusting to Audra’s on-stage emotion are worthy of praise.
As the evening came to a close both performers paid tribute to each other, who they jokingly call “work wife” and “work husband.” But Andy’s words in particular sum up the goal of the program. Calling her the “greatest gift” Andy describes, “I put this together as the best way to ever thank you for being the most amazing collaborator, and person who makes me cry, and makes me scream, and makes me want to leave the industry, and join the industry.” The pair finished with a duet of “Happy Days.”
If tickets are not already sold-out, (last night upon entry my husband and I were being asked if we had extra tickets to sell) it’s an experience not to be missed. Learn more at the 92NY150 website: https://www.92ny.org/event/audra-mcdonald and a special shout-out to this lovely, acoustically pleasing venue as well.
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