Way Back to Paradise

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
A more explanatory title might be "Sons of Sondheim" since this disc is the first anthology of the young, brainy, literate, hip songwriters who are influenced by Stephen Sondheim and just might turn Broadway's artistic compass several degrees away from Disneyland. Musically, they break most unwritten precepts by freely modulating into distant keys and throwing traditional notions about form and symmetry to the wind when dramatic content dictates it. Adam Guettel is the master storyteller in "Come to Jesus" (about abortion) and "Baby Moon" (about pregnancy). Michael John La Chiusa writes great character sketches: his "Mistress of the Senator" might as well be a tour through the mind of Monica Lewinsky. Ricky Ian Gordon is the most subtle, poetic, and abstract, exploring interior states of being, using the words of Langston Hughes and others. McDonald is ideal throughout, deploying her lustrous soprano with the dramatic relish that has won her three Tony Awards. This could be a watershed release. --David Patrick Stearns

USA Today
On her first solo CD, the Tony Award-winning actress not once, but four times, delivers a new song that you know is a masterpiece.

Way Back to Paradise

Tracks:

Dream Variations
Way Back To Paradise
Come To Jesus
You Don't Know This Man
Tom
A Tragic Story
Song For A Dark Girl
Baby Moon
The Allure Of Silence
Stars And The Moon
I Follow
Mistress Of The Senator
A Lullaby
Daybreak In Alabama

Amazon.com

A more explanatory title might be "Sons of Sondheim" since this disc is the first anthology of the young, brainy, literate, hip songwriters who are influenced by Stephen Sondheim and just might turn Broadway's artistic compass several degrees away from Disneyland. Musically, they break most unwritten precepts by freely modulating into distant keys and throwing traditional notions about form and symmetry to the wind when dramatic content dictates it. Adam Guettel is the master storyteller in "Come to Jesus" (about abortion) and "Baby Moon" (about pregnancy). Michael John La Chiusa writes great character sketches: his "Mistress of the Senator" might as well be a tour through the mind of Monica Lewinsky. Ricky Ian Gordon is the most subtle, poetic, and abstract, exploring interior states of being, using the words of Langston Hughes and others. McDonald is ideal throughout, deploying her lustrous soprano with the dramatic relish that has won her three Tony Awards. This could be a watershed release. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

I love this album.......2006-12-25

I remember when Ms.McDonald won her first Tony award. Little did I know what a talent she has. In a bold and striking move, her first album is comprised of songs by little-known composers. Doing so lets us hear the next generation of Broadway composers, and lets Ms.McDonald interpret songs few of us have heard. She reminds me of Streisand....powerful voice that is original and stunning.

When Lord, when will Audra McDonald make her foray into opera?.......2005-08-12

She could sing the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List and I'd pay full price.

Excellent and Moody.......2005-01-18

Audra McDonald has won four Tony Awards, and this album will let you know why. She has a splendid, full-bodied voice, perfect for interpreting layered and textured music. For this album, she has chosen songs mostly by two of the best composers currently working: Michael John LaChiusa and Jason Robert Brown. She does both of them justice.

The title track is from LaChiusa's "Marie Christine", a retelling of Medea set in turn of the century New Orleans and Chicago. Ms. McDonald originated the role on Broadway, and sings a rendition on this album that is faithful to the version on the OBC album. A little too faithful, some who are looking for spicy shake-ups, but it's all right with me!

She sings two songs that, to me, are forever owned by Carolee Carmello: "You Don't Know This Man" from "Parade" and "Tom" from "Hello Again". She does them very well, but cannot make you forget Carolee.

I liked her "Stars and the Moon", but I prefer Jessica Molaskey on the "Songs for a New World" OBC.

The standout track on this CD is "Story of a Dark Girl", where Ms. McDonald brings the house down with her considerable power. It is a magic track.

A perfect companion piece for this album is "Blue Like That", the solo debut of another Broadway superstar, Melissa Errico. They work lovely together when they are played back to back.

All for the forging of new groud.......2003-12-18

The world needs more beautiful songs, and Audra McDonald gives them to us. With the release of her debut album, Ms. McDonald gives all of us a chance to hear up-and-coming music composers who demonstrate that good songs need not follow all the rules of songwriting. It is truly daring and exciting for any singer to make such a statement. "These are great songs by great composers and I have the voice to make them shine." It is so refreshing to see new artists who do not write their own material still find ways of giving us new music worth hearing.

As a musician and music lover, I highly recommend this recording. I look forward to similar statements by Ms. McDonald in the future.

A Talented Performer with Talented Composers.......2002-09-09

Honestly...Audra could be singing "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and people would fall at her feet proclaiming her as the creator of that song. In other words, there is nothing a reviewer can say that could honestly put down the vocal and emotional talent Audra possesses.

The beef that many people have with this CD is Audra's choice of material. Yes, it is a risk for a performer to make her recording debut with material from relatively unknown and young composers. As some reviewers have stated, some of the "best" songs from this disc were ones with which they were already familiar...If you're expecting Richard Rodgers, Jule Styne, or Jerry Herman you're in for a huge disappointment. In fact, if you're expecting Sondheim you're still in for a disappointment.

This CD is best approached with an open mind. Audra's emotional depth and honesty in her performance of this material clearly demonstrates her love, support and belief in not only these selections but their respective composers as well. Our duty is to trust a performer in his or her choice of material. If we value the performer, then we need to value and understand that every song is intentional. Every song is a personal, intimate moment that the performer is sharing with the rest of the world.

The songs on this disc deliberately and successfully stray from the exhausted popular form of verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus. Jenny Giering's "I Follow" is a gorgeous, quiet, introspective and haunting piece. Ricky Ian Gordon's song cycle pieces are brilliant and quite evocative of the moods of the Langston Hughes poems from which the text was derived. Adam Guettel is a master of fusing theatrical music with a contemporary "pop"-like quality to create music that is not only smart but ear-friendly as well.