There are times when a performance is so captivating that the audience is bonded together, and with the performer, by an undeniable gravitational pull. Such was the case as Audra McDonald charmed us on Friday, September 6 at Groton Hill Music. A pro from start to finish, she drew us into each song as she explained her connection to it, the reason she chose it, and sometimes even its place in the set. Along with her exquisite musicianship, it made for an evening of spellbinding music and connection.
We even sang along with her in “I Could Have Danced All Night” from “My Fair Lady”, and surprised her with our own musicality and pitch. “Wow!” she exclaimed. “That was one of the best an audience has sung that. Well,” she corrected herself, “Maybe the third best, with the first two being at the Palladium in London, where, you know, they have the accent going for them, and on a gay cruise.” We all proudly accepted bronze for our efforts in this way.
As McDonald took us backward and forward through musical theater, each song a gem, we remembered shows we hadn’t seen for a long time, or had never seen, and listened to the lyrics in a new way. She closed with the iconic “Cabaret”, infecting new life into it, imploring us to truly live our best lives and be our very best selves.
Rescheduled to this date from early August due to McDonald testing positive for Covid, making this the last date on her tour, perhaps also bumped up the level of performance. And of course, the concert hall at Groton Hill makes everything magical and every performer sound their best.
We headed off to a wedding the day after the concert, and I carried with me the joy of being in community, surrounded by our love for live music, and the enchantment of a star performer at the height of her career.
I think back to when we first ordered tickets and balked slightly at the price but charged ahead anyway. I’m so glad we did, and can’t wait until she returns. I’m already making a list of who will receive early (or late) holiday gifts and can join me in my reverie as we get to know more about Audra McDonald and what she will bring to the next feast for the ears.
Two Acton residents are on the Board of Directors of Groton Hill; 250 music students are from Acton, and many Acton residents regularly attend performances (including over 50 at this performance). For more information about events and instruction, contact www.grotonhill.org
Meg Stafford is an award winning author of two memoirs, speaker, storyteller and columnist. Her forty years as a licensed psychotherapist have provided invaluable insight into the quirks and passions of the human experience.
