BY SAMUEL COTTELL
Audra McDonald sings Broadway
With the Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, 7 November
The musical theatre songbook was immortalised by legends like Judy Garland, Barbara Cook, and later, Bernadette Peters. It takes a great interpreter and songstress to add their own stamp to this repertoire, but Audra McDonald re-invents the wheel and makes all these tunes her own. The evening provided an overview of the great tunes of the Broadway songbook, from the earliest forms to new composers such as Jason Robert Brown and Adam Gwon, and proved that this glitzy and glamorous music is still alive and as meaningful today as it was many years ago.
Peppered through the evening were personal stories from McDonald, who was highly engaging. Her connections with each song gave the evening a cohesive flow. McDonald’s rapport with the audience was perfect and she even had them singing in chorus to conclude the first act with ‘I Could Have Danced All Night’ from ‘My Fair Lady’.
Music Director Andy Einhorn had the Sydney Symphony Orchestra playing in fine form in what would have to be their most energetic ‘pop’ collaboration to date. Their phrasing was well balanced and their approach and understanding of this material was genuinely considered and rendered with a real panache. Their stand out feat included the instrumental section of Henry Mancini’s ‘Moon River’. The lush orchestral counterpoint wove and unfolded throughout the sections of the orchestra. Another highlight from Einhorn was when he joined pianist Brian Hertz for a duet on the classic Rodgers and Hart ‘I wish I was in Love Again’, providing a bouncy backdrop of jazzy and stride piano over which McDonald sang.
A highlight in the first act was McDonald’s rendition of Cole Porter’s ‘Let’s Not Talk About Love’. The travelling trio of Andy Eihorn, who glided to the piano for this number, bassist Mark Vanderpoel and drummer Gene Lewin, all switched their instruments for ukuleles. The stand-out here was the set of lyrics that were written specifically for McDonald in one of the choruses.
McDonald sang Gershwin’s ‘Summertime’ without a microphone displaying a raw edge to her singing as she transformed the large concert hall into an intimate space. In contrast to this more operatic song was ‘Any Place I Hang My Hat is Home’, which demonstrated her ability to sing with a more bluesy tone. Her super-fast delivery of lyrics in ‘I Can’t Stop Talking About Him’ gave the audience a whirlwind of words as the orchestra buzzed in the background. This was a real display of technique and breathing, with wit and bravado all included.
Also included was Kate Miller-Heidke’s ‘Facebook song’, which had the audience in stitches. Other highlights included a beautifully orchestrated ‘The Glamorous Life’ by Sondheim and a wonderfully crafter version of the famous ‘Maybe this Time’ from Kander and Ebb’s musical ‘Cabaret’.
Toward the end of the evening was a poignant rendition of ‘Make Someone Happy’ and ‘Climb Every Mountain’, which garnered a standing ovation. McDonald then returned to the stage to perform the Jules Styne’s, ‘10,432 Sheep’, which had the orchestra members singing at times. She then completed the evening with a stunning and understated performance of one of the most famous songs in the musical repertory, ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’. It was a fitting song to conclude an evening of finely crafted musical theatre, Broadway and historical Tin Pan Alley tunes. The truth and emotion she produced with every note, phrase and lyric rendered every tune a complete gem, demonstrating why McDonald belongs with the Broadway greats. A stand out performance and highly powerful concert that is a once in a lifetime event. Those who sing Broadway tunes and have a career in mind in this field, this is your new benchmark.
Image supplied. Credit: Autumn de Wilde.
