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S51E20: Audra McDonald at the London Palladium | Clip

What is Audra McDonald’s Connection to “Cornet Man”?

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Audra McDonald performs “Cornet Man” from “Funny Girl” and explains her special connection to the song from her high school show choir days.

TRANSCRIPT

I sang the song that I'm going to sing for you now.

And, you know, you get your adjudication sort of sheets afterwards and they tell you what your score is and whatever.

And one of the judges said, “Okay, you're great, but what could you possibly know about the song you're singing?

You're only 14 years old.

” And I was so offended because I had known from the time I was nine-years-old that I wanted to be on Broadway someday.

So I had studied this character.

I studied the show.

I knew what their objectives were, what their wants, the whole trajectory.

I knew.

So, I was very offended.

Well, I'm 52 now and I have no idea what I was doing singing that song at 14.

So I'm going to sing it For you now and perhaps you'll understand why.

All right, hit it.

♪ Well ♪ ♪ I just put the kids to sleep ♪ ♪ And swept the shack ♪ ♪ Took my sweet man's satchel down ♪ ♪ And watched him pack ♪ ♪ I said, "darling, while the stove still smolders ♪ ♪ Unpin your woman's hair and rub her shoulders" ♪ ♪ I threw myself across the doorway ♪ ♪ Begging, "stay, sweet man, stay" ♪ Why did nobody stop me?

Was there no adult in my life?

But they didnt, so I kept going.

♪ But there's more in my man's life than this old hag [audience laughs] ♪ It's Jelly Roll Morton ♪ ♪ And a shiny cornet And jazzin' the rag ♪ ♪ The lady ain't been born ♪ ♪ Can take the place of a horn ♪ ♪ With a cornet man ♪ ♪ A-goin' where there's blowin' ♪ ♪ Trav'lin' cornet man ♪ ♪ Just anytime they call him ♪ ♪ He'll leave his wife and kiddies ♪ ♪ Sittin' with their tongues out ♪ ♪ To play for peanuts in a dive And blow his lungs out ♪ ♪ He'll hop a choo-choo on a moment's notice ♪ ♪ To play some dates with Billy Bates ♪ ♪ Or Rag-time Otis ♪ ♪ The lady ain't seen light Can give a horn a fair fight ♪ ♪ With a cornet man ♪ ♪ A rootin', shootin', ever-tootin' Dapper Dan.. ♪