'Ragtime,' 'Gilded Age' actress and soprano coming to State Theatre New Jersey

Editor's Note: Audra McDonald's concert at the State Theatre New Jersey, originally scheduled for Jan. 21, has been postponed until 8 p.m. March 15, 2024, due to illness. Original tickets will be valid for the new date. If you need to exchange, donate or refund your tickets, before Feb. 16 call State Theatre Guest Services at 732-246-7469 Tuesday to Friday between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. or visit the State Theatre in person at 15 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick Tuesday to Friday between 12 and 4:30 p.m.

With six Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards, an Emmy, the National Medal of Arts, performances around the globe in theater, music and television and so much more under her belt, it may seem like there's not a lot Audra McDonald hasn't done.

But in the acclaimed soprano's newest concert endeavor, she's tackling material she says she's shied away from in the past.

McDonald will perform at 8 p.m. March 15, at the newly renovated State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick. Andy Einhorn serves as music director and pianist.

"There's a lot of great old material that I'm doing, some tunes that I've been afraid of for a very long time because I thought I wasn't old enough, I didn't understand enough, or I just wasn't right to sing certain songs, certain roles," she said. "And now I'm sort of like, 'Hey, I'm 53!' I call it Filterless 50s."

One example is "Cabaret," which she says she was afraid to sing for many years.

"I'll sing it because I was able to find my own way," she said. "I talk to the audience about why that particular song ended up becoming a part of my repertoire after all these years. It's something that was quite unexpected that brought it up in my consciousness and into my repertoire. Before that, it had absolutely been a song that I absolutely avoided."

She says she's also focused on songs that can bring healing, particularly to those who feel overlooked.

"I'm singing songs to me that speak to people who feel othered, wanting to be seen and respected and heard. There's some songs about that, and great old, old songs that everybody knows, but focusing the lens, especially with marginalized communities in our country. Music is a universal language, it's a great unifier. And so, I'm just wanting to spread a little healing in that way."

And of course there's also the songs that fans just expect to hear, like "Summertime" from "Porgy & Bess."

While McDonald says she's sung the song seemingly a million times, she doesn't feel the need to switch it up, but rather promises audiences to always be present in the moment, which brings about authenticity.

"Whatever is happening in my world or in the world or in my heart at that particular moment, or even what may have come out of my mouth 10 seconds before I sang the song, I bring all that in with me to the interpretation of the song in that particular moment," she said.

A new look at 'Ragtime'

Life experiences also impact understanding and interpretation of material, which makes it a blessing to return to later, McDonald said, like last year's "Ragtime" reunion, which benefited the Entertainment Community Fund.

"When I played Sarah in 'Ragtime' on Broadway, I had never experienced pregnancy before. I had never been a mother. So to come back to that role having given birth to two children, it was a whole completely different experience singing 'Your Daddy's Son.' To understand what labor was, to understand that pain and that that fear and what your body's going through, and then to put that through Sarah's young eyes all alone, it just absolutely rocked my world. There's a lot I didn't understand before that I do now."

'The Gilded Age'

McDonald's success in the television realm means some of her fans have never connected with her as a singer before. She currently appears in Julian Fellowes' "The Gilded Age."

"People are like, 'Oh, you're in "The Gilded Age" or 'I love "Private Practice"' or whatever. 'You sing?' I always enjoy that. I like discovering new demographics of audiences and how people connect to my work. That's an honor."

She said that the proliferation of Broadway talent appearing in the show has been a joy.

"Sometimes the crossover isn't available to all of us. So for people to get a chance to cross over in this way and get known to a larger audience for their incredible talents that all of us in the theater world have always known has been very fulfilling."

Telling the story is also key and a privilege, she said, bringing to the surface the forgotten or never told stories of the Black population in America at the turn of the century.

Audra McDonald in concert

McDonald loves forging bonds through her work, particularly on the concert stage, she said.

"Human connection. It's not just for me and the audience, it's the audience and the audience. I like that everybody comes in as relative strangers and that hopefully we all have a communal experience that brings us closer to our humanity," she said.

Other upcoming performances include the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and stops in Cincinnati, New York City, Westport and Greenvale, New York, Boston and more. Visit audramcdonald.com/calendar for the full schedule.

GO: Audra McDonald; 8 p.m. March 15; $49 to $99, State Theatre New Brunswick, 15 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick. For tickets or more information, call State Theatre Guest Services at 732-246-7469 or visit at STNJ.org.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Audra McDonald concert tour has her embracing Filterless 50s in song