Audra McDonald in CAROUSEL- Page 2

[Melissa25]

Posted: 11/24/20 at 2:48pm

I did not get to see Audra in Carousel so I am happy to come upon this thread.  I just happily spent 45 minutes going down an Audra rabbit hole which I consider to be a very smart use of time.  I gather that this YouTube clip of her performing Mr. Snow was not available back in 2011 when the thread was started. Luckily it is available for us all now. Mr. Snow

Almira said "You had to be there."  I felt the exact same way during a Wednesday April 2014 matinee performance of Lady Day. What an electric performance. I bought tickets on my way out of the theater to return again the following month. I really miss playing hooky on the occasional Wednesday to slip in a matinee. 

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 11/24/20 at 9:17pm

I had no idea the recording is no longer in print. It’s such a gorgeous cast album.

How I wish I could’ve seen Audra McDonald and Donna Murphy in their respective Tony winning roles that season. I’m so glad that YouTube clip exists. I never imagined that’s how “Mister Snow” was staged from listening to the album. Audra McDonald sings it with such energy and ferocity and humor and precision (without ever sounding anything less than spontaneous), I figured she would be running all around the stage. But, no, leave it to the genius of Audra to make the song a showstopper by sitting down and pouring her heart into that gorgeous song. I have listened to so many versions of “Mister Snow”—it’s one of the most sublime (and efficient from a narrative/character perspective) songs in the Broadway canon IMO—but Audra’s the only one that brings me to tears. The way she sings the lyric “for I love that Mister Snow,” the saucy delivery of the line “here I am!”... perfection. Thanks to folks for sharing their memories of what it was like to witness her live. These kinds of thread are the reason I keep returning to this board.