Audra McDonald, versatile star of stage and screen, joined the Utah Symphony for two performances this weekend at Abravanel Hall. Having attended her concert with the Utah Symphony in the spring of 2018, I knew that she would deliver a fantastic performance, so I was excited to hear her again on Friday night. Her singing this time even exceeded my expectations! I also was pleased to see and catch up with my good friend Phaedra Johnson who is a fun “partner in crime” when it comes to attending sports, movies, and performing arts events.
The concert began with “The Carousel Waltz” from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel. Similar to how this instrumental piece opens the musical, it acted as a prologue and set a dynamic tone for an evening of music curated from the Great American Songbook. I really enjoyed this piece because its upbeat tempo and sweeping main melody are light-hearted and carefree, transporting the listener to a place where worries are few and wonder awaits.
Audra McDonald then took the stage and sang a warm, legato rendition of “I Am What I Am” from La Cage aux Folles. McDonald describes herself as being a soprano, yet the rich, resonant tone of her lower range and register also suggest some solid mezzo-soprano qualities. She carries this warmth and richness up the scale so that the higher part of her range and register is equally mellow and resonant. These qualities characterize her singing overall, consistently making her a joy to listen to, regardless of her specific song choices. She infused each song Friday night with these characteristics, resulting in a perfect performance from beginning to end. Her personality is as warm as her singing, and she speaks freely with the audience, providing valuable context for the songs she has chosen and giving her performances the feel of a more intimate cabaret. I will highlight a few of my favorite moments from Friday’s concert.
- “Cornet Man” from Funny Girl – McDonald explained that when she was 14, she was a member of her high school’s show choir, the female members of which wore very respectable pink long-sleeved tuxedo blouses and long blue skirts with suspenders. She originally sang this piece at a high school show choir competition where she received high marks for her performance, except for one judge who questioned the maturity of the song choice for a 14-year-old girl. In her performance Friday night, she belted a powerful rendition of the song that featured a brazen vocal tone and heavily accented syncopation. In a very entertaining way, she made it clear why the song is better suited to a more mature performer.
- Duke Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing” and “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess – These were two of my favorite pieces on the program. She brought jazz nuances to both of them that involved slight, sultry bending of notes and interesting syncopation, combined with her classical tone and warm vibrato. With “Summertime” in particular, she coupled rich intensity with gentleness on the higher notes that made the melody particularly beautiful.
- “I Could Have Danced All Night” from My Fair Lady – Her performance of this Broadway classic was both grand and magical, including all of the wonderful characteristics of her singing that I have previously described. Also, her intentional pacing of the phrases made the story-telling aspects of the song come to life. She engaged the audience to sing the well-known lyrics along with her, which made this piece particularly fun.
- “I Always Say Hello to a Flower” by Murray Grand – McDonald shared having developed a love of gardening in recent years, and she wanted to include a song to reflect that. This song was playful and whimsical as it depicted someone gently greeting each type of flower growing in a garden. The song’s message emphasized noticing and taking delight in the simple details of life.
- “Home” from The Wiz – McDonald described the impact of seeing this song performed for the first time when she was a young girl aspiring to sing on Broadway someday. She recounted that it was the first time she had seen someone who looked like her performing on a stage. That example showed her that achieving her dream was possible. Her rendition of the song on Friday night was powerful and smooth.
- “Before the Parade Passes By” from Hello Dolly – I particularly liked McDonald’s phrasing and crisp articulation that gave each line in this song meaning. Her delivery painted a vivid picture of the song’s message.
- “Somewhere (There’s a Place for Us)” from West Side Story – She gave a very powerful and resonant performance of this song, starting with rich low notes and building intensity toward the high notes, using her vibrato to maintain a warm tone throughout. Again, her phrasing allowed this song to tell a compelling story.
- “I Love Today” by Kim Kalesti – Toward the end of the concert, McDonald expressed her current desire in life to be present in each moment. She sang this simple, gentle song in honor of that ideal.
What impressed me most about Audra McDonald’s performance on Friday night was the power in her voice. With each song, even the ones that she tempered with gentleness, she matched the strength and energy of the entire orchestra. She seemed to give even more in this area than I had remembered from her previous concert. This, combined with the beautiful tone of her voice, made for a phenomenal, dynamic performance that I absolutely loved!
For more information about upcoming Utah Symphony concerts, particularly those with featured guests, click here.
The Good Life 
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