There are many moments in my
career as a comedian and a radio talk show co-host, that I have said many
ridiculous things. Most times it
has been for the sole purpose of inspiring laughter, merriment, and mirth among
all who bother to listen. Because
of this blessed position, I have also been granted access to many amazing
people and events. Well this past
weekend, I had the privilege to be in the audience of one of the most amazing
performances that I have seen in quite a while, by one of Broadway’s most
gifted performers, quintuple Tony Award winning actress, Audra McDonald. She is currently performing in what is
certainly going to be one of the hottest shows on the Rialto this season. When people use the words Tour De
Force, sensational, fabulous, inspiring, jaw dropping, etc., to describe
Audra’s performance as Billie Holliday in LADY DAY AT EMERSON’S BAR AND GRILL,
currently at the Circle in the Square Theater, they are only scratching the
surface.
It is very clear that Ms.
McDonald is playing Billie Holliday with every fiber of her being and squeezing
every drop of emotion out of every
song that she sings. Having been
witness to a few of her Tony winning moments, PORGY AND BESS, MASTER CLASS, and
RAISIN IN THE SUN, it is not hard to see how Audra can command a stage with an
ensemble. However, seeing her in
this limited engagement as Billie Holliday turned me inside out. The arrival of this show was quite a
surprise on the Rialto, not unlike Beyonce’s surprise drop on the music
industry of her last musical project.
No one really saw it coming, and it was an amazing success. When LADY DAY AT EMMERSON’S BAR AND GRILL
was announced to the rest of the world, I feel that Audra did the same thing to
Broadway.
I am going to go on record as saying that when I heard that
Ms. McDonald was playing this iconic performer, I had my doubts. I will admit that the “kitchen table”
talk, like TV talk show host Wendy Williams says , was very shady. I was not the only person in my mix of
friends that made the same face at the announcement. If you take a listen to many of the recordings of Audra,
then you will understand my comment.
She clearly is a gifted and trained singer whose song styling tends to
skew in a more traditional and “legitimate” vocal range. Some of my friends added a tad bit
bourgeois. Okay, that was the nice way to say it. In her recent Mother Superior role in the live televised
version of SOUND OF MUSIC, her vocal training and styling was a perfect
match. In the 2002 recording of
the DREAMGIRLS Actors Fund benefit concert show, her Deena Jones, albeit
sophisticated and fabulous, in my opinion, seemed to lack an intangible,
illegitimate essence. I realize
now that I may have been judging her choices and characterization of Deena, instead
of trusting her choices and characterization
In LADY DAY AT EMERSON’S BAR
AND GRILL, Ms. McDonald does something to me that most people cannot do, which was shut me the hell
up. From her entrance to the
stage, through her patter and anecdotes, to her final bow, Ms. McDonald had me
and the other Circle in the Square patrons in the palm of her opera gloved
hand. She maintains so much
soulful concentration throughout the show that you can see her coming out of an
almost trance state to receive what will be many standing ovations. Lanie Robertson’s play, with Lonny
Price’s direction, James Noone’s set design, Esosa’s costume design, Robert
Wierzel’s lighting design, Steve Canyon Kennedy’s sound design, and the jazz
trio, led by Shelton Becton, give Audra McDonald the perfect support and
platform to show us ALL how it is done.
I was left applauding like crazy and shoving every bitchy queen comment
that I may have uttered right back in my mouth. This is a show that you must RUN NOT WALK to get tickets.
Although you may not know me
from Adam, Ms. Audra McDonald, I sincerely must apologize to you for my kitchen
table talk. It was ill-informed,
shady, and downright disrespectful.
If you were to have been at that table and heard me, you would have had
the right to smack me for my freshness and insolence, not to mention my
friends. I always knew that you
were a force to be reckoned with on the Great White Way, and your performance
of Lady Day cemented your status. I
will never again question it. You
SERVED, girl!!! You are the
QUEEN of Broadway.
Good for you Kieth! It takes a strong person to come forward.
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