Enjoy an intimate evening with a national treasure as McDonald performs works from Broadway, the Great American Songbook and more
Courtesy photo.
SUMMARY
- UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Audra McDonald in Concert
- Thurs, Nov 30 | 7 p.m. | Campbell Hall
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- The highly acclaimed singer, actress, and Broadway icon presents an intimate evening of Broadway classics, American Songbook favorites and more.
- With an unprecedented six Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards and an Emmy, McDonald is America’s most decorated theater artist
- $100 Gold Circle / $85 / $60 / UCSB students $19 UCSB students (Current student ID required)
- Tickets & Info: www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu or call the box office at (805) 893-3535
“Audra McDonald is the finest stage actress of her generation. She is nothing short of magnificent.” The Wall Street Journal
“Broadway’s greatest voice.” New York Magazine
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Audra McDonald in Concert on Thursday, November 30 at 7 p.m. at UCSB Campbell Hall. The winner of a record-breaking six Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards and an Emmy, Audra McDonald is as stunningly eloquent in song as she is acting a role. She’s been named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people and received a National Medal of Arts for “her rich, soulful voice [that] continues to take her audiences to new heights.” Enjoy an intimate evening with a national treasure as McDonald performs works from Broadway, the Great American Songbook and more.
Audra McDonald – “Somewhere” (Michael Tilson Thomas Tribute) | 2019 Kennedy Center Honors
ABOUT AUDRA MCDONALD
Audra McDonald is unparalleled in the breadth and versatility of her artistry as both a singer and an actor. The winner of a record-breaking six Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards and an Emmy, in 2015 she was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people and received a National Medal of Arts – America’s highest honor for achievement in the field – from President Barack Obama. In addition to her Tony-winning performances in Carousel, Master Class, Ragtime, A Raisin in the Sun, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess and Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill – the role that also served as the vehicle for her Olivier Award-nominated 2017 debut in London’s West End – she has appeared on Broadway in The Secret Garden; Marie Christine (Tony nomination); Henry IV; 110 in the Shade (Tony nomination); Shuffle Along, or, The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed; Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (Tony nomination) and Ohio State Murders (Tony nomination).
On television, she was seen by millions as the Mother Abbess in NBC’s The Sound of Music Live! and played Dr. Naomi Bennett on ABC’s Private Practice. She won an Emmy Award for her role as host of PBS’ Live From Lincoln Center and has received nominations for Wit, A Raisin in the Sun, and Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. Having first appeared on CBS’ The Good Wife, she played Liz Reddick in The Good Fight on Paramount+ and Dorothy Scott in Julian Fellowes’ historical drama The Gilded Age on HBO and Max. On film, she has appeared in Seven Servants, The Object of My Affection, Cradle Will Rock, It Runs in the Family, The Best Thief in the World, She Got Problems, Rampart, Ricki and the Flash, Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast, the movie-musical Hello Again and MGM’s Aretha Franklin biopic, Respect. A Juilliard-trained soprano, her opera credits include La voix humaine and Send at Houston Grand Opera, and The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny at Los Angeles Opera, where the resulting recording earned her two Grammy Awards. McDonald has issued five solo albums on the Nonesuch label as well as Sing Happy with the New York Philharmonic on Decca Gold. She also maintains a major career as a concert artist, regularly appearing on the great stages of the world and with leading international orchestras. A founding member of Black Theatre United, board member of Covenant House International and prominent advocate for LGBTQAI+ rights, her favorite roles are those performed offstage as an activist, wife to actor Will Swenson and mother.
ABOUT UCSB ARTS & LECTURES
Founded in 1959, UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) is the largest and most influential arts and lectures organization between Los Angeles and San Francisco. A&L annually presents more than a hundred public events, from critically acclaimed concerts and dance performances by world-renowned artists to talks by groundbreaking authors and film series at UCSB and Santa Barbara-area venues. With a mission to “educate, entertain and inspire,” A&L also oversees an outreach program that brings visiting artists and speakers into local classrooms and other venues for master classes, open rehearsals, discussions and more, serving K-12 students, college students and the general public.
Audra McDonald is presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures
Lead Sponsor: Sara Miller McCune
$100 Gold Circle / $85 / $60 / UCSB students $19 UCSB students (Current student ID required)
For tickets or more information, call UCSB Arts & Lectures at (805) 893-3535 or purchase online at www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu.
UCSB Arts & Lectures gratefully acknowledges our Community Partners the Natalie Orfalea Foundation & Lou Buglioli for their generous support of the 2023-2024 season.