BWW Album Review: Audra McDonald Sings Us All Happy

When you listen to an Audra McDonald album or concert, you can probably have a pretty good idea of what you're signing up for: exquisite vocals and a broad swath of the best selections of the American theatre. Her latest album, the recorded-live Sing Happy, delivers all this and more, with stunning vocals and a handful of tracks that capture McDonald's natural, charismatic rapport with her audience.

One of McDonald's greatest strengths as a performer has always been her unique combination of a theatrical focus on creating memorable characters and a classically-trained voice that hearkens back to Broadway's golden age. It seems fitting, then, that the opening song emphasizes the lyric "I am my own special creation": "I Am What I Am" from La Cage Aux Folles. McDonald's vocals are, of course, impeccable, and although her take on the self-empowerment anthem is more perky and less defiant than traditional versions, it's a bright burst of energy at the top of the show.

There's plenty of the "classic American songbook" to be found here, starting with a medley from State Fair early on. The title song, from a lesser-known Kander and Ebb show, is an insight into the spirit of the album: a celebration of the possibilities of music. "Vanilla Ice Cream" is a staple for every musical theatre soprano, and McDonald's version is unfussy in the best way, with just the right hint of mischief and joy. In these lighter, brighter songs, McDonald shines with the vocal purity of an ingénue and the interesting layers of a performer who knows just how to place every detail.

That attention to detail is easy to miss at times, but it's never more evident than in the cleverest arrangement on the album. Buried in the middle of the show is the unexpected combination of "Children Will Listen" from Into the Woods and South Pacific's "You've Got To Be Carefully Taught." Thematically, the two weave together into a bittersweet, cautionary piece reflecting on how ideas (and prejudices) are passed along, intentionally or not. Musically speaking, it's a sophisticated medley that intertwines songs from two of the greatest writers of American musical theatre to produce something truly remarkable.

That's not to say that the whole album is full of serious songs (although her gender-flipped "Being Alive" is a definite highlight). At one point, we take a hard right turn into modern comedy with "The Facebook Song," a hilarious paean to being friended by an ex on social media. You might not know how much you need to hear McDonald's elegant soprano dropping F-bombs and riffing on one of Facebook's most annoying outdated features (no spoilers here) - but believe me, you do.

There's very little to criticize here, as the album is as polished and well-performed as one would expect. A few of the tracks - "Chain of Love" and "Being Good Isn't Good Enough" - aren't particularly memorable and just blend into the background, but the set is arranged to sprinkle the "high points" throughout, so those less exciting moments are gone as quickly as they arrived. And those high points? Exquisite.

McDonald has, arguably, one of the most varied resumes in theatre today. But there are two roles that seem to have stuck in the public imagination the most and become her signature roles, at least to audiences today. Those roles provide the two most thrilling moments of the entire album. I can still remember finding myself tearing up unexpectedly during 2013's The Sound of Music Live when McDonald's Mother Abbess comforted Maria with "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," and this recording's version of the song more than does that memory justice. The year prior, McDonald won her fifth Tony for her role in The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, and it's hard to imagine a song better suited for her than the legendary "Summertime." Blending her classical vocals with the song's bluesy richness, every note is pure theatre magic. It's a reminder of why McDonald holds such a special place in today's theatre world - not that we needed any reminder at all.