McDonald plays the Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at 8 PM. Tony winner Ted Sperling conducts a Broadway-sized orchestra.
The singing actress, according to Carnegie Hall, will present "her trademark mix of show tunes, classic songs from movies, and pieces written expressly for her by leading contemporary composers."
This concert is part of McDonald's previously reported 17-city concert tour across North America; for additional details visit nonesuch.com.
In a statement on the Carnegie Hall website, McDonald says, "Toward the end of Porgy and Bess, Sportin' Life sings to Bess about leaving Charleston for New York: 'That’s where you belong, sister!' He may or may not be right with respect to Bess, but I can definitely tell you, I've been hearing those words eight times a week and I know the man is right: New York is where I belong.
"After racking up three-quarters of a million frequent flyer miles commuting back-and-forth to L.A. every week for the past four years, I’m glad to be home, in all senses of the word. I've returned to my house, my family, my friends, and my dog. But I've also returned to singing, where I left a big piece of my heart when I was doing television. And finally, tonight, I'm home in front of a New York audience again. "As the old commercial goes, I'm not a doctor, but I played one on TV. It was nice to have the perks of running a practice alongside the likes of Tim Daly and Taye Diggs, without the stress of going to medical school or taking patients' lives in my hands. But all that time, I really missed singing my songs, practicing the chemistry of music and words. The thought-cloud of a lyric, perfumed by music — a song is unique in its ability to convey emotion and meaning in a way that is abstract and yet, simultaneously, incredibly human.
"It's impossible for me to express in a few short words how happy I am to be 'home' at Carnegie Hall, to share with you some songs I love in the best way I know how."
A four-time Tony Award winner for her work in A Raisin in the Sun, Master Class, Carousel and Ragtime, Audra McDonald was also seen on Broadway in 110 in the Shade, Henry IV and Marie Christine. The singer-actress made her solo Carnegie Hall concert debut in an evening of songs scored for big bands, performing several tunes from her Nonesuch CD "Happy Songs." McDonald's other solo recordings, "Way Back to Paradise" and "How Glory Goes," are also on the Nonesuch label. The acclaimed actress co-starred in the NBC series "Mister Sterling" and was also seen in the WB series "Bedford Diaries." McDonald made her Houston Grand Opera with a double bill of Send (who are you? I love you) and La Voix Humaine. McDonald was recently seen in the ABC series "Private Practice."
Tickets, priced $37-$108, are available at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, 154 West 57th Street, or can be charged to major credit cards by calling CarnegieCharge at (212) 247-7800 or by visiting the Carnegie Hall website, carnegiehall.org.
