Nonesuch to Release Audra McDonald's New CD, Sept. 26

Four-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald's fourth solo CD will take more of a pop angle than her previous ones, showcasing songs by songwriters such as Laura Nyro, John Mayers and Rufus Wainwright.  It will be released by Nonesuch Records on September 26th.

The follow-up to "Way Back to Paradise," "How Glory Goes" and "Happy Songs," "Build a Bridge" will feature much of the material that McDonald performed at Lincoln Center last year as part of the American Songbook series.

"Build a Bridge" will include 13 tracks--including "To a Child" and "Tom Cat Goodbye" (Laura Nyro), "My Stupid Mouth" (Mayer), "Damned Ladies" (Wainwright), "I Wanna Get Married" (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 will also be 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, who will star in the Roundabout Theatre Company's spring 2007 revival of the musical 110 in the Shade, 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 Poulenc's La Voix Humaine.

Featuring musical direction by Ted Sperling, "Build a Bridge" will also feature arrangements by Doug Petty, with jazz pianist Fred Hersch, drummer Shawn Pelton, guitarist Dan Petty, percussionist Jay Bellerose, and bassist Peter Donovan  (who is McDonald's husband) comprising the orchestra.