Flashback Friday: Audra McDonald Kicked Off the "Stars and the Moon" Craze

Jason Robert Brown's Songs for a New World, running at New York City Center through June 30 as part of the Encores! Off-Center series, first hit the New York stage back in 1995, debuting at the WPA Theatre with direction by Daisy Prince. Over the past 23 years, many of its tunes have become mainstays of cabaret shows and audition rooms alike — but the most popular and oft-covered one of the lot is unequivocally "Stars and the Moon."

Stage legends from Betty Buckley to Sutton Foster have tried their hand at the song, but today, we've chosen to flash back to one of its earliest and most notable renditions, by the great (and now six-time Tony-winning) Audra McDonald. She recorded "Stars and the Moon" for her 1998 album Way Back to Paradise, so chances are good that everyone since has just been trying to match her performance.