Audra McDonald's 'Bridge' Concert Airs on PBS Tonight

Four-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald's "American Songbook" concert will be aired on PBS' "Live from Lincoln Center" tonight, October 12th.  In the metropolitan area, it will be seen on WNET Channel 13 from 8-9:30 PM ET (check local listings).

McDonald has returned to Lincoln Center to launch the ninth season of the "American Songbook" series.  She also performed "Build a Bridge" on October 11th at Rose Hall at Jazz at Lincoln Center.  For the concert, she is joined by Tony Award-winners Patti LuPone and Jason Robert Brown, as well as by Threepenny Opera star Nellie McKay.  Tony Award-winner Ted Sperling provides musical direction and conducts.

McDonald, who will return to Broadway in the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of 110 in the Shade in spring of '07, is treating audiences to songs from her new CD, "Build a Bridge," which features an array of songs by contemporary pop and musical theatre composers. 

The follow-up to "Way Back to Paradise," "How Glory Goes" and "Happy Songs," "Build a Bridge" features much of the material that McDonald previously performed at Lincoln Center last year as part of "American Songbook."  It was released by Nonesuch Records in September.

"Build a Bridge" includes 13 tracks--including "To a Child" and "Tom Cat Goodbye" (Laura Nyro), "My Stupid Mouth" (John Mayer), "Damned Ladies" (Rufus Wainwright), "I Wanna Get Married" (Nellie McKay), "God Give Me Strength" (Burt Bacharach and />Elvis Costello), "I Think It's Gonna Rain Today" (Randy Newman), "Wonderful You" (Jane Kelly Williams), and "My Heart" (Neil Young).  A number of musical theatre composers are also represented on the CD.  McDonald will also include The Light in the Piazza's "Dividing Day" and Myths and Hymns' "Build a Bridge" (/>Adam Guettel), "Cradle and All" (/>Jessica Molaskey and />Ricky Ian Gordon) and "Bein' Green" (Joseph Raposo).

McDonald won Tony Awards for her performances in Carousel, Master Class, Ragtime and most recently, A Raisin in the Sun. She has also appeared on Broadway in Henry IV and Marie Christine. McDonald's film and television credits include It Runs in the Family, "The Bedford Diaries," "Mister Sterling," Cradle Will Rock, "Law and Order: SVU," the telemusical of Annie, and the HBO movie Wit. She is also acclaimed as a concert artist, and was recently seen in the Houston Grand Opera's double bill of Michael John LaChiusa's (who are you? I Love You) and Francis Polenc's La Voix Humaine.

Visit www.lincolncenter.org to order tickets to tonight's concert.