PR: Audra McDonals brings talent and songs from new CD to Lenape

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 7/19/06 at 11:25am

For Immediate Release:

Vocal powerhouse Audra McDonald brings her talents to Lenape with previews from her upcoming CD

MARLTON, N.J. – A diva in the making comes to South Jersey for two stunning performances that will quench the thirst of theater buffs and knock the socks off newcomers. Lenape Regional Performing Arts Center shines a deserving spotlight on soprano and actress Audra McDonald on August 11 and 12.

McDonald is the most acclaimed musical theater star of her generation, winning an unprecedented three Tonys for her first major Broadway roles Carousel, Master Class and Ragtime -- and doing it before age 30. She went on to win a fourth for A Raisin in the Sun. Critics hail her as the next Broadway diva, comparing her musical talents to stage greats Barbra Streisand, Judy Garland and Julie Andrews.

Vincent Marini, producing artistic director for Lenape, expects McDonald to have the same impact on local audiences as did Linda Eder. Five years ago, Eder was a near-unknown when she opened Lenape's first season; every one of her return visits have sold out. McDonald "has a very, very unique voice that people really love," Marini says. "And she does a lot of songs that people really like."

McDonald's fourth solo CD is slated for release Sept. 26, and she will share some of its selections with the Lenape audience. While previous collections drew on her solid theater background, the 13 songs that make up "Build a Bridge" come from the pop world, including music written by Elvis Costello, Randy Newman, Laura Nyro, and Neil Young. Her first solo effort, "Way Back to Paradise," was a critical and commercial success, named Adult Record of the Year by the New York Times. Fans have been waiting since 2002's "Happy Songs" for another release.

McDonald grew up in a family that treasured music and song of the classical, jazz and gospel varieties. Her first piano and dance lessons came at age 3; by 9 she took formal voice training and tested the waters of local theater. Even as a youngster, McDonald was breaking barriers -- turning down a role cast along unflattering racial lines. Her reward would come years later when, as a 16-year-old, she won the lead role in the local troupe's production of Evita. As her career developed, McDonald gravitated toward such nontraditional roles.

"Audra McDonald is not just the most glorious singer now at work in the theater, but a sensational actress," wrote a Chicago Sun-Times reviewer in 2005. She is "a performer at the very peak of her astonishing powers.”

Lenape offers the Philadelphia region a chance to see a rising star in Audra McDonald. Performances start at 8 p.m. Friday, August 11 and Saturday, August 12 in Lenape's intimately-structured theater, 130 Tomlinson Mill Road in Marlton, N.J. Tickets are $45. For more information, call the box office at [phone] or visit http://www.sjtheater.com.

Audra McDonald is just one part of a summer series that offers something for everyone. Audiences will get a taste of the generation-jumping Beach Boys and the mega-hit repertoire of Kenny Loggins. Ticket-holders will get a sneak peek and chance to critique a musical in the making, and they'll enjoy a wondrous night of magic and illusion that carries a Broadway theme.

The Lenape Regional Performing Arts Center is a member of the South Jersey Cultural Alliance (SJCA) and the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia.

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[JarNerdAV]

Posted: 7/19/06 at 11:51am

"A diva in the making comes to South Jersey"

Please, she's already a DIVA ten times over...and I mean that in the best possible way. Who writes these things anyway?

[denise2]

Posted: 7/19/06 at 3:26pm

great seats available - 3rd row center - for this concert on Ebay. Great price!