The Goddess: Part 3*

i expected to post this sooner but other things interrupted this audra concert. let's just say she had a bit of a well deserved intermission.

 next up audra was 'gorgeous'. the song is from the wonderful under appreciated 'the apple tree'. in one of it's 3 segments tony winner barbara harris played a chimney sweep who dreamed of being a 'movie star'. as stars collided and a tv fairy godfather granted her wish the chimney sweep was transformed into a marilyn monroe type movie star. when she saw her new self she saw she was now 'gorgeous' 
for those of us who have followed ms mcdonald from the beginning ('carousel') we have seen her blossom into a sexy, beautiful woman. now to have her sing what was basically a white sex symbol song is a wonder. she is a sexy, beautiful black woman who once again adds the 'color blind'  tag to her many brilliant performances.
'gorgeous'

'go back home' one of kander and ebbs last collaboration's from 'the scottsboro boys'

'i'll be here'. we've all been there. lose is painful but makes for brilliant songs. i really love this one.

'when did i fall in love'. a classic. but no one, i repeat no one, does it as well as audra. she understands it. the voice, the notes, the feeling. exceptional.

'some days'. audra's into was left off this clip. she introduced it by saying she has been singing it for marriage equality as of late. she said it speaks for itself. as a gay man i appreciate all the time she has given to our cause. thank you.

*(i did post this yesterday briefly but took it down in light of the freed florida murderer and then the  death of cory monteith. as well as thinking audra should be overshadowed by madness and a sad premature death, it would have been inappropriate for my sensibilities.)

The Goddess

'live from lincoln center' ended it's season in may. it's host for this past season, audra mcdonald, was given her moment to shine with her own concert. for those of you who missed it i will post some of the highlights.

it's fitting that audra began the evening with 'i happen to like new york' the city that is home to the venue.

then came sondheim's 'moment in the woods from the brilliant 'into the woods'.

next up the comedic 'baltimore'

(to be continued)

The Goddess

audra has a concert performance tonight on pbs. check you local listings.

'the glamorous life' from 'a little night music' is listed as one of the songs she will perform.

'Carousel' Next Weekend 'Live from Lincoln Center'

i've always had a problem with the film 'carousel'. one of the better broadway musicals was transformed into a bit of a  'messy' film. it went from location to studio shots within given scenes that looks totally disjointed with lousy continuity. by today's standards it seems 'cheesy'. although the totally filmed location scenes were beautiful and shirley jones was quite the lovely julie jordan the film just does not hold up. and hollywood then 'cleaned up' the death of billy bigelow taking away the horror of it all. it was hard enough to accept the death of a leading man in a broadway musical at that time but for hollywood the manner of death was too much to handle. it's okay ruin a film for the sake of practice and standards. duh! thank the gods those days are over.

however, in 1994 lincoln center revived the classic musical stunningly. it also introduced us to audra mcdonald who won her first tony award for playing carrie pipperidge. i felt like i had finally seen 'carousel' as it was intended. and yes billy bigelow died as written. it just made more sense.

next weekend we have a newly revived production on 'live from lincoln center'. i have not seen it but i believe the talented kelli o'hara and nathan gunn will more than justify your viewing. and it will be nice to have the original material finally filmed as written. at least i am hoping it is.

sadly ms mcdonald will only introduce the show and not be in it. she damn well could still have pulled it off carrie pepperidge 19 years later. 

so save the date 4/26 and enjoy one of rodgers and hammerstein's best.