Audra McDonald
with the Minnesota OrchestraSat Nov 4, 2023
Orchestra Hall
Audra McDonald is unparalleled in the breadth and versatility of her artistry as both a singer and an actor. The winner of a record-breaking six Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards and an Emmy, in 2015 she was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people and received a National Medal of Arts—America’s highest honor for achievement in the field—from President Barack Obama. She returns to Orchestra Hall with her signature mix of art songs, pop tunes and Broadway classics.
A Few Things to Know
- Talk about range: in addition to her stage credits, McDonald has appeared as a prominent character in ABC’s primetime show Private Practice, HBO’s The Gilded Age and had a voice role on the highly acclaimed animated Netflix show BoJack Horseman.
- Fellow recipients of the 2015 National Medal of Arts included Mel Brooks, Morgan Freeman, Phillip Glass, Terry Gross and Wynton Marsalis.
The Grammy Award-winning Minnesota Orchestra, led by Danish conductor Thomas Søndergård—who is serving as music director designate during the 2022-23 season—is recognized for distinguished performances around the world, award-winning recordings and broadcasts, educational engagement programs, and commitment to building the orchestral repertoire of the future. Founded in 1903, the Orchestra has an extensive history of touring throughout Minnesota, nationally and abroad, including high-profile visits in recent years to Cuba, Europe and South Africa. Recording projects undertaken in the past two decades include complete cycles of symphonies by Beethoven, Sibelius and Mahler, all recorded under Osmo Vänskä, who is now the Orchestra’s conductor laureate.
Audra McDonald is unparalleled in the breadth and versatility of her artistry as both a singer and an actor. The winner of a record-breaking six Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards and an Emmy, in 2015 she received a National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama and was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people.
Leading Broadway music director and conductor Andy Einhorn most recently served as the music supervisor and musical director for the Broadway productions of Hello, Dolly! starring Bette Midler and Carousel starring Renée Fleming, both of which earned Grammy nominations for their original Broadway cast recording. Einhorn’s previous Broadway music directing and conducting credits include Holiday Inn, Woody Allen’s Bullets Over Broadway, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Brief Encounter, and Sondheim on Sondheim. His other Broadway work includes Evita and The Light in the Piazza.
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