Lady Day Previews — Page 4

Luckily for Audra, Broadway doesn't go for booze and dope...

The play itself is nothing incredible. It does have some genuinely funny/touching moments and stories and it serves its purpose, which is basically to be a star vehicle for someone with a plethora of talents. And that is where Audra McDonald comes in.

This just may be the finest stage performance I've seen this season, which is saying quite a lot, considering the wealth of strong performances we've had. But this is one that deserves to go down in the history books and one that anyone who calls themselves a theater-lover should not miss. I can't state it any more plainly: do not miss this performance.

What Audra has managed to do in terms of manipulating her voice, both while singing and speaking, is nothing less than astonishing. She saunters out, gets a roaring entrance welcome, opens her mouth and you can literally hear the audience gasp and sigh after her first few notes. I left the theater unable to find the right adjectives to describe what Audra is managing to do nightly in this show. Transfixing and hypnotizing are certainly two appropriate ones though. I didn't want to blink or breathe and miss a second of what she was doing. The word brilliant gets thrown around a lot on here, but to see Audra in this show is to truly grasp the meaning of the word. It's a performance I will never, ever forget.

The music is so gorgeous, the direction is fantastic, and the technical aspects are lovely. The play is certainly nothing astonishing, but when you have a performance like this, a mediocre script is not the end of the world. The three musicians also deserve a huge acknowledgement. They're excellent.

But this is Audra's show. And boy, does she deliver.

Updated On: 3/28/14 at 08:39 PM

Going next week. I usually worry about managing expectations when the word of mouth is anywhere near this. But I'd like to think that if even a quarter of what I've heard is true (and I have no reason to believe it isn't, given those who have weighed in and what they've offered about the performance), that there might be no mitigation of the thrill and admiration for what Audra has done here.

My friend went to the box office around noon and was able to get two rush tickets for tonight's performance.

Just saw the show. Audra is giving a truly incredible performance. I had high expectations because of what I've read on here, but I was still blown away.

I was in the 2nd row on the left side of the house, and the view was fantastic.

I saw the matinee today with my parents, who typically favor more of loud soaring ballad musical . We left with the same reaction: Audra McDonald is giving a jaw dropping performance. She has, once again, managed to top herself.

Let me talk about atmosphere. For the first time in a long time, I feel like Circle in te Square is being used to it's potential. You get a night club atmosphere. Lighting is used effectively and gives the right tough. I enjoyed our seats, which were in the 4th row, but I don't think there's any disappointing seats here because Audra is singing to all spaces and utilizing the round stage to her advantage.

Like many, I wad intrigued by the idea of Audra McDonald as Billie Holiday. She has won; I'm now a member of the Church of Audra McDonald can do anything. It's not just how she uses her voice, but it's her movement, her expression, and her posture. This is a master class in acting without even opening your mouth. And when she opens het mouth, it's a masterpiece.

I think Audra would be spectacular as the "your call is valuable to us" voice on customer service lines. She has yet to do wrong in my eyes. But this was a new dimension. What jnb9872 said about it like being channeled through a medium? Yep. That. It blew me away. I'm getting chills thinking about it.

Audra is legendary in so many roles. This is no exception. It was as exciting as hearing her sing Sarah in Ragtime, to me. Run to this show. You need to see it, just to get a dose of brilliance. If this extends or transfers or tours, this could become another legendary Audra McDonald role, no doubt.

Updated On: 3/29/14 at 11:13 PM

That's what I'm doing now!

As soon as she began to sing her first note, the girl next to me just put her hands up and said "What?!"

I'd love to know more about the rehearsal process. This show seemed so thrown together. How long did it take her to get the voice down? Etc. I'd love to know how it all came together.

I swear, I could talk for days about that brief pause after Audra sang the first few lyrics of the opening song. It was like the audience was holding their breath, anxious to see if she'd be able to pull it off. And then after those first few notes, you could legitimately hear a ton of people gasp, sigh, and whisper "wow." I wanted to stand up in that split second and just start cheering. I could've gone home after that first number and been more than happy with my experience and her performance. But she only gets stronger as the night goes on, which is just unreal to me.

She sang those first few notes and I felt a lump in my throat. I could go on and on and on...truly. She's magnificent.

In reply to ^

*SPOILER***
I actually thought her mic went out! It seemed very sudden to me, but I totally see the dramatic choice to do that. But yeah, def thought her mic went out.

Saw the show this afternoon. I echo every last thing that Wickedrocks said. The work Audra McDonald does is so spot on, it's almost frightening, and it left me shaken walking out of the theatre.

There is no excuse to miss this performance. This one will be talked about for a long time.

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Saw this today. Blown away by McDonald. She never seems to dispoint. I rushed today, got there at 10:45 for a 12pm opening and was about 15th in line, but managed to get a seat in the third row on the left side, and had a fine view. Highly recomend this show.

Completely different things. If you want a more traditional style play, see Mothers and Sons. If you want to see an incredible star turn, see Lay Day.