Tag: Audra McDonald

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Trailer: Ricki And The Flash Starring Meryl Streep

Ricki And The Flash – starring Meryl Streep, Audra McDonald, Kevin Kline and Rick Springfield.

I think that covers just about every demo you could want, amiright?

Meryl Streep takes on a whole new gig – a hard-rocking singer/guitarist – for Oscar®-winning director Jonathan Demme and Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody in Ricki and the Flash.

In an original and electrifying film loaded with live musical performances, Streep stars as Ricki Rendazzo, a guitar heroine who made a world of mistakes as she followed her dreams of rock-and-roll stardom. Returning home, Ricki gets a shot at redemption and a chance to make things right as she faces the music with her family. Streep stars opposite her real-life daughter Mamie Gummer; Rick Springfield, portraying a Flash member in love with Ricki; Kevin Kline as Ricki’s ex-husband; and Audra McDonald as Kline’s new wife.

Hits theaters August 7.

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Audra McDonald Tweets Indiana Governor Over Anti-Gay “Religious Freedom” Law

Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed sweeping anti-gay “religious freedom” legislation into law today.

And with concerts coming up in the Hoosier state, six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald took to Twitter to school the conservative governor over the anti-gay law.

This made my night…

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Audra McDonald Will Return To Broadway In “Shuffle Along”

Next spring, six-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald will return to Broadway to star in Shuffle Along, Or, The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed.

Produced by Scott Rudin, the piece tells the backstory of Shuffle Along, the 1921 musical comedy by Flournoy Miller and Aubrey Lyles with music and lyrics by Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle.

Arriving on Broadway seemingly doomed to fail, the work bucked the odds to become a runaway success that helped to launch the careers of Lottie Gee — who will be portrayed on Broadway by Audra, Josephine Baker, and Paul Robeson, among others.

Opening on April 21, 2016 at the Music Box Theater, Shuffle Along is a collaboration between Audra, George C. Wolfe, and Savion Glover, with music supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations by Daryl Waters.

Audra won her sixth Tony Award for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill last season. The performance has been filmed by HBO with an air date yet to be announced.

(via Audra McDonald official website)

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Audra McDonald lands at #1 on four Billboard Charts with “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill” Cast Recording

From Billboard:

Audra McDonald, Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar & Grill (No. 156): McDonald’s Tony Award-winning turn as Billie Holiday arrives in album form, as the original Broadway cast recording sings out with 2,000 sold and debuts at No. 156 on the Billboard 200.

The six-time Tony winner also bows at No. 1 on four other charts: Heatseekers Albums, Jazz Albums, Traditional Jazz Albums and Cast Albums.

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Tweet of the day: Audra McDonald on Michael Sam

As they froth at the mouth over on FOX News about the fact that Michael Sam kissed his boyfriend after getting the call that he was being drafted by the St. Louis Rams, five-time Tony Award winner brings some common sense to the conversation:

“It’s the biggest day of ur life.  A call confirms ur dream has come true.  U turn 2 the love of ur life & … shake their hand? NOPE.  #MICHAELSAM”

Brilliant.

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Audra McDonald sings “God Bless the Child” on The Colbert Report

Five-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald dropped by The Colbert Report to sing “God Bless the Child” from her Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Award-nominated performance in Broadway’s Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill.

Entertainment Weekly said Audra gives “One of the most exquisite and haunting performances of the year.”

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Oprah considers Broadway debut opposite 5-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald

Oprah Winfrey (L) and Audra McDonald (R)

Ok. If you REALLY want to sell out the run of a play, you need to get a big star.

Even better – TWO big stars.

Two BIG stars.

And that just may happen.

The New York Times has the story:

Oprah Winfrey is in talks to make her Broadway debut in a revival of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play “’night, Mother,” starring opposite Tony-Award winner Audra McDonald as a mother struggling to stop her daughter from killing herself, according to two theater executives familiar with the plans.

The Tony winner George C. Wolfe (“Lucky Guy”) would direct the production, which is being aimed for the 2015-16 Broadway season.

Read more at the New York Times.

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DVD: “The Sound of Music” starring Carrie Underwood & Stephen Moyer

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FWMVVLS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00FWMVVLS&linkCode=as2&tag=onlinestorelink-20

Released today – the DVD of “The Sound of Music – LIVE!” starring Carrie Underwood and Stephen Moyer, featuring Audra McDonald, Laura Benanti and Christian Borle.

I know a lot of people were critical of the endeavor, but many championed the live telecast as getting musical theater in front of a bigger audience.  Plus, many of our Broadway tribe members were employed by the production.

You can check it our on Amazon.

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Audra McDonald sings Billy Idol’s “White Wedding”

Stephen Colbert’s Government Shutdown Wedding of the Century

After Colbert pronounced the couple husband and wife – “by the power vested in me by the state of New York and the entire Viacom family of entertainment networks,”

And for the first dance, the couple was serenaded by five-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald singing Billy Idol’s White Wedding.

Legit performances of pop songs always get me. And when you can deliver like Audra, it’s just a comedy home run.