With six Tony Awards to her name and the only actor to win a Tony in each of the four acting categories, Audra McDonald has more than earned a place among Broadway royalty. Stepping outside of a character and a show to perform a solo concert is often a hallmark of iconic musical performers. Furthermore, McDonald is a classically trained vocalist, having studied at Juillard. So, there is perhaps no better way to see Audra McDonald live than when she embarks on one of her concert tours.

McDonald launched a winter concert tour at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles on December 2nd and proved in less than two hours how much she deserves those six Tony Awards and the legions of fans she has amassed in her years on the stage.

It is difficult to describe how wondrous McDonald’s voice is and the impact of the concert without sounding hyperbolic — but hearing her sing live was revelatory. Much like attending a rock concert, where the booming of the bass in the speakers resonates in your body so that you can feel the vibrations of the music from head to toe, Audra McDonald does that with the sheer power and emotion that drips from every note—which is not to say that she does not also dot her concerts with moments of levity and an unabashed joy in her work.

This was the first of thirty-two concerts and McDonald was endearingly nervous as she began the evening, bringing in new lyrics and songs to her repertoire. She jokingly declared that she was calling the evening a “dress rehearsal” unless it went well and then she would dub it a concert. From the first notes, it was clear that this was not a dress rehearsal, but a raw, astounding performance that is not adequately described by the word “concert.”

McDonald performed a wide variety of songs — from standards like Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “It Might as Well be Spring” to an ample mix of Kander and Ebb pieces, including the title track from her latest album “Go Back Home,” to songs by well-known modern composers like Jason Robert Brown to a delightful mix of lesser known pieces by up and coming composers like Dave Malloy.

For every traditional rendition of a Broadway standard like “Moments in the Woods” from “Into the Woods” and “He Plays the Violin” from “1776,” she threw in an equal amount of surprises and new material. She induced giggles throughout the audience with selections from Gabriel Kahane’s “Craigslistleider,” in which Craigslist entries are sung operatically for comedic effect. It was reminiscent of her recurring gag on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” where she sang responses from “Yahoo! Answers” in her signature soprano — a shtick that elicits titters of laughter for the sheer ridiculousness of the juxtaposition of such silly language with a formal vibrato.

In addition to this outright bit of comedy, she also brought a new twist to heartfelt standards. McDonald told the story of how she wanted to sing a song from Stephen Schwartz’s “The Baker’s Wife,” and how, at the suggestion of her music director, she had decided to sing the lusty young male lover’s song “Proud Lady.” An unexpected addition to her songbook already, but it was made even better when she announced that when she had approached him with the idea, Stephen Schwartz had decided to write her new lyrics to make the song from the perspective of the Baker’s Wife.

Singing a ukulele accompanied rendition of Cole Porter’s “Let’s Not Talk About Love,” she delighted audiences with a second verse a friend had written specifically to fit her life, including references to Billie Holiday and her love affair with Chipotle. Afterwards, she joked, “Don’t tell Stephen Sondheim, I changed Cole Porter’s lyrics.” The evening was full of witty bon mots like this, funny stories, and wry jokes about singing “Memory” and “Defying Gravity” – McDonald kept the audience in her thrall with her lightheartedness and joy amidst stirring, poignant ballads.

Though her voice, with its rich tones, sense of effortlessness, power, and ability to reach unthinkably high notes with beauty and clarity is her greatest asset, Audra McDonald’s true magic comes from her gifts as an actress and performer. Each song she sings is a story, weighted with pathos and importance. You lean in to each song, gripped with the story she has to tell, be it a humorous recitation of types of men to avoid or an aching story of love lost too soon. McDonald’s repertoire circles around themes of love, loss, and second chances – songs inherently heavy with emotion accentuated by her powerful, deeply felt takes on them.

She perfectly lands Jason Robert Brown’s cabaret standard “Stars and the Moon,” a bittersweet reflection on the regret of not choosing passion and the unknown in life.  The notes of regret in her voice pierced through the flawless execution of the song’s complicated vocal acrobatics. This came early in the show and her deft handling of this excellent example of melodic storytelling was just a glimpse of what was to come.

Later in the show, McDonald tackled “I’ll Be Here,” another song from her 2013 album “Go Back Home” that was originally featured in the musical “Ordinary Days” by Adam Gwon. The song tells the story of a woman whose husband died on September 11th. It is a beautiful piece that opens with the charming tale of their coming together and ends with the tearful acceptance and relief of knowing it is ok to let go.  McDonald aces every beat and emotional nuance in the song — from the thrill of their mishap-laden meet-cute to the grief-stricken tightness of sudden loss to the gasp of relief at moving on, it is all there in her voice and you live the story of this couple with her telling.

Every second of her set is delightful — flitting from comedic tongue twisters to unusual lullabies, but she has two true showstoppers. McDonald takes on Kander and Ebb’s “Maybe This Time” from “Cabaret,” which was originally written for Kaye Ballard but popularized by the inimitable Liza Minnelli. I almost forgot I had ever heard Minnelli sing it, despite its firm associations with her image, once McDonald finished her rendition. There were sharp intakes of breath as the recognizable piano vamp began, and McDonald delivered on the expectations those gasps belied. The song is about a woman who has always felt worthless, unable to get a win in life or in love, and the desperate hope that maybe this time will be different. The desperation, ragged pain, and clawing attempts to break out of this pattern are evident with every note, and Audra seemed to teeter on the edge of breaking as her voice swelled with raw emotion in the final chorus.  She hit you with her hope and her heartbreak, devastating you in the space of a single song.

Finally, she concluded with “Climb Every Mountain” from “The Sound Of Music,” reprising her role as the Mother Abbess from NBC’s live broadcast of the musical last year. The song is notable for its moving, inspirational message, and the power and vocal chops it demands of any who sing it. After bearing witness to McDonald’s tour-de-force show, I had tears streaming down my face from the first strains of the song. It was a profoundly stirring end to a show that was poignant and affecting from her first steps on to the stage.

The chance to see McDonald live in concert is the chance to see a legend on stage — her shows are sure to be remembered alongside those of women like Patti Lupone, Stockard Channing, Ethel Merman, and Bette Midler. If you find yourself anywhere near where she’s performing, do everything you can to see her. Her engagement at the Walt Disney Concert Hall was one night only this time around, but she is performing five more times in the state of California on this tour. She is a marvel — an empathetic, emotive performer who leaves every ounce of herself on the stage. She holds you enthralled for every second she’s onstage with her vivacious energy and raw power. What a gift to see her live, yes, but even that the American theater has a voice and actress as stunning as Audra McDonald.

Audra McDonald in Concert was a one-night engagement presented by the LA Phil at the Walt Disney Concert Hall (111 S. Grand Ave.). For more information about her tour visit AudraMcdonald.net

Contact Staff Writer Maureen Lee Lenker here or follow her on Twitter @maureenlee89

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