FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 29, 2024  MEDIA CONTACT: Sydney Ritter
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Broadway is back with timeless performers at Scottsdale Arts

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts is once again hosting show-stopping performances from legendary Broadway performers.

The Seth Rudetsky Concert Series continues this season with Audra McDonald while Patti LuPone visits the center for a breathtaking show that audiences are sure to enjoy.

“Broadway fans in the community have been loud and clear about artists they desire to see return to our stage,” said Abbey Messmer, programming director for Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. “Audra McDonald and Patti LuPone are undoubtedly all-time favorites, so we are thrilled to be able to present these incredible performers for a concert between their projects and awards.”

The Seth Rudetsky Broadway Concert Series invites audiences to an intimate concert and conversation with Rudetsky — musician, actor, author and radio host — and McDonald, who was recently nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for her work on “The Gilded Age.” McDonald reunites with Rudetsky for the show on Saturday, March 23. Together, they will perform her most iconic songs and share exclusive behind-the-scenes stories.

From her appearances on stage and on film, McDonald is widely accredited for several of her performances, earning six Tony Awards®, two Grammys® and an Emmy Award®. She is one of the most influential artists in the business, as exemplified by her accolades, being named one of Time magazine’s most influential people in 2015 and even receiving the National Medal of Arts from former President Barack Obama himself. Audiences can expect powerful performances from McDonald while also getting to know her on a more personal note.

Later this season will be only one opportunity to hear Patti LuPone’s booming voice, and it will be on Tuesday, April 16, as she celebrates her renowned career through a “personal musical memoir.” Titled “Patti LuPone: A Life in Notes,” it is a program of songs that reflect on her life, growing up in America through the rock ‘n’ roll 1950s and the socially turbulent ’60s to success in career and family.

There cannot be enough said about LuPone’s historic career. She is one of the most decorated Broadway performers in the industry, with a long list of accolades from her performances in “Gypsy,” “Evita,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Anything Goes,” “Les Misérables” and many more.

“We hope it’s not true that Patti might be done with Broadway for good, but between her television, movie and podcast projects, she’s astonishingly busy,” Messmer said. “We are so fortunate to welcome her in April as one of only 13 concert dates, shared with venues such as Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center.”

Audience members will enjoy a grand evening of heartfelt performances from LuPone as she takes them on a personal journey of her music career.

Acclaimed Broadway performer Kelli O’Hara was originally scheduled to perform with Rudetsky this spring, but due to scheduling conflicts, that concert was moved to the center’s fall lineup. O’Hara will now perform on Oct. 19 with Rudetsky.

The Seth Rudetsky Concert Series starring Audra McDonald with Seth Rudetsky as music director & host is sponsored by Hotel Valley Ho, Ethelyn Cohen and Sacks Tierney P.A.

News release prepared by Srija Raghavapuram, communications intern at Scottsdale Arts