“Make Someone Happy” as heard on Go Back Home (2013)
music Jule Styne lyric Betty Comden, Adolph Green
performance Audra McDonald
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As the woman who sang Irving Berlin’s lynching-themed ballad “Suppertime” on an album titled Happy Songs, Audra McDonald has always had a whimsical relationship with the concept of happiness. This lush and somewhat melancholy arrangement of the-only-song-from-Do-Re-Mi-that-anyone-has-heard-of is a welcome addition to the cannon of Audra’s bittersweet/joyous songs.
“I’ll Be Here” as heard on Go Back Home (2013)
music/lyric Adam Gwon
performance Audra McDonald
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One of the things I love most about Audra McDonald’s new album (my copy of which arrived today before it hits stores on the 21st) is a return on her part to promoting emerging music theater writers. In this case, Adam Gwon. She also includes numbers by Adam Guettel and Michael John LaChiusa, whose work she featured on her first albums when they were “emerging” as well.
… Audra McDonald singing Baby Mine from Disney’s Dumbo. *sighs happily*
You will find this lullaby often on this blog. I love lullabies, I love Disney and thankfully many Broadway and jazz singers love this one too.
“Bambalele” as heard on Happy Songs (2002)
music/lyric traditional (Brazil)
performance Audra McDonald
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This is one of those songs that, if I listen to it once I have to listen to it 25 times. It’s joyous and there is SO MUCH personality to Audra’s performance. Incidentally, this is one of those songs Sondheim wishes he had written.
I asked Jo, Me2ism’s official consultant of Portugese (among other things), for a translation of the lyric. His response is below:
I just wanna say that singing in Portuguese is not her forte.
At all.
Instead of singing “volta” she’s singing “vorta”, sometimes it evens sounds like “porta”, which is door.
Then instead of singing waltz (valsa) she sings “varsa”, but worse is that she sings “porca”, which means sow, instead of “polka”.
Basically she’s saying that she danced too much around Bambalelê.
PS: If you are as obsessed with this as I hope you are, I urge you to check out “Cachapaya” by the Swingle Singers.
Audra McDonald sings “Sunday in the Park with George” in the 2004 Ravinia Festival production of Sunday in the Park with George.
THIS
“Go Back Home” as heard on Go Back Home (released date: 21 May 13)
music John Kander lyric Fred Ebb
performance Audra McDonald
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BREAKING NEWS. Audra McDonald has set a release date for her new album, and it’s the day before my 30th Birthday. (She clearly knows about my Birthday, as it was the date the Porgy cast recording dropped.) I already pre-ordered it. AND YOU CAN TO. With a pre-order you’ll get the CD, a digital download, a “signed print” AND the ability to download this titular track!
The track list (which includes a number of songs she’s been singing in concerts for years and I’m glad to see finally put on record) is as follows (taken from playbill.com):
“Go Back Home”
From The Scottsboro Boys
Music and lyrics by John Kander and Fred Ebb“The Glamorous Life”
From the film A Little Night Music
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim“Baltimore”
Lyrics by Marcy Heisler/music by Zina Goldrich“First You Dream”
From Steel Pier
Music by John Kander/lyrics by Fred Ebb“Tavern”
Music by Will Reynolds/text by Edna St. Vincent Millay“Migratory V”
From Saturn Returns
Music and lyrics by Adam Guettel“Virtue”
Music and lyrics by Michael John LaChiusa, inspired by Marlene Dietrich’s “ABC”“Married Love”
Music and lyrics by Michael John LaChiusa, inspired by Marlene Dietrich’s “ABC”“I’ll Be Here”
From Ordinary Days
Music and yrics by Adam Gwon“Some Days”
Music by Steven Marzullo/text by James Baldwin“Edelweiss”
From The Sound of Music
Music by Richard Rodgers/lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II“Make Someone Happy”
From Do Re Mi
Music by Jule Styne/lyrics by Betty Comden & Adolph Green
“Johanna (Quartet)” from Sweeney Todd Live at the New York Philharmonic (2000)
music/lyric Stephen Sondheim
performance Davis Gaines, George Hearn, Audra McDonald, Heidi Grant Murphy (with a touch of cockney-flavoured Patti dialogue at the end)
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I went to church today because it’s Easter and I’m living with my minister father. The take home lesson for me was that one of the women who found the empty jesustomb with Mary “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” Magdalene was named Johanna. Once I heard that, I naturally spent the rest of the service thinking about Sweeney (and specifically this quartet, which is my favorite song in the show). This particular recording is especially fun because Audra is BATSHIT CRAZY as The Beggar Woman.
“Some Days” as heard on Live at the Donmar (1999)
music Steve Marzullo lyric James Baldwin
performance Audra McDonald
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Though she started singing this before there was a Prop 8, she has in more recent years turned it into her marriage equality anthem. Because she’s cool like that.
Audra McDonald sings “Tom Cat Goodbye” by Laura Nyro
This reminds me that Godra doesn’t sing enough Laura Nyro. Nor does anyone else.
also, though i would never want to have a bitter break-up with Tom Kitt, it would almost be worth it so I could sing an appropriately modified version on this.
“Give it to ‘Em Good” from Carousel (2013 NY Phil Concert/1994 Broadway Revival)
music Richard Rogers lyric Oscar Hammerstein II
performance Jessie Mueller, Audra McDonald
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Here are Jessie Mueller and Audra McDonald attacking a small (about 30 seconds each) but delicious segment of what eventually becomes “June is Busting Out All Over”. I mean, they say things like “get away you roustabout riff-raff”, so obviously it’s awesome. Also awesome: Young Audra Ann belting. And Jessie Mueller doing anything. Basically, this is a minute of happiness.
Click on the song title to see corresponding sheet music!
