Build a Bridge
Audra McDonald may well have the best voice and interpretative skills of all current musical-theater singers. This album, though, is oddly disappointing. McDonald's gorgous soprano is as pure as ever, but her feisty attitude and sly sense of humor are less in evidence than on previous recordings (just check out "A Little Bit in Love" on a studio recording ofWonderful Town). On this pared-down sounding outing, the tunes mix pop-rock songwriters both contemporary (John Meyer, Rufus Wainwright, Nellie McKay) and old-school (Neil Young, Laura Nyro, Randy Newman--though Dusty Springfield's version of Newman's "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" remains the definitive one), along with composers from the artier side of musical theater (Adam Guettel, Ricky Ian Gordon). Things start off great with a haunting take on Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello's "God Gave Me Strength." Highlights include a poker-faced version of McKay's parody of 1950s matrimonial bliss, "I Wanna Get Married" and Wainwright's tango-ish "Damned Ladies." But Doug Petty's arrangements and production are too monochromatic, and the songs quickly meld into each other--typically, Nyro's "Tom Cat Goodbye" feels a bit flaccid. Someone please get McDonald a huge orchestra for her next outing.--Elisabeth Vincentelli