Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell re-unite to sing "Wheels of a Dream" from Ragtime

Twenty years after they first performed the roles, Broadway stars Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell re-unite to sing "Wheels of a Dream" from Ragtime LIVE at the Kennedy Center.
"Let Freedom Ring!," part of the free daily performance series on the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage, features Tony®, Emmy®, and Grammy®-winning artist Audra McDonald and Two- time Tony®-winning artist Brian Stokes Mitchell and the Let Freedom Ring Choir led by Music Director Rev. Nolan Williams Jr.
In collaboration with Georgetown University. January 21, 2019.
Subscribe to The Kennedy Center! bit.ly/2gNFrtb
#audramcdonald #brianstokesmitchell #broadway #blackculturematters

[@KOLN555]

To be fair, Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell could probably sing any song together and make me cry.... but this song all the more so

[@seppyq3672]

They are both so amazing separately. But together, there are no words....

[@dzl8596]

They could sing the phone book and make me cry.

[@johnlancia8004]

Super

[@cards0486]

I agree. 100%.

[@anastasiabeaverhausen8220]

Makes me emotional every time. One of the greatest duets ever. Chills. Tears.

[@andyleclerc3600]

I was lucky to see these two in the original production, from near the front...one of the best days ever!

[@LamaThubten]

I can’t even imagine. 😢❤

[@joelashtonfogle]

Both voices compliment each other so well

[@cpiii6265]

Audra sounds EXACTLY the same! Craziness!

[@ThatsJustMyBabyDaddy]

A perfect pairing of song and voice. ❤

[@marcielipsitt7754]

Singing together for 27 years and I have been there from the start!

[@2034916]

Incredible! They should go on tour together singing the best of Broadway duets! Some Enchanted Evening, Tonight, Somewhere, If I Loved You, The Wheels of a Dream. The list is endless with their endless vocals.

[@MsDreamscaper]

That would be awesome. I've seen Audra in concert. Both have amazing voices.

[@efrenbojorquez]

3:07. The musician behind Audra just nods and shakes his head in awe. Just like us.

[@davidsolomon8203]

Audra’s voice is a natural wonder!!!

[@ajalyons2521]

My parents in my head. This little orphan girl dreamed of the two of them sweeping me away. Their voices are pure gold and they're so beautiful! They do not look remotely middle aged. These people are in their 50s shaming us young bucks. The ancestors ordained this performance.

[@arturoaustin7364]

Graicas

[@hollyellard4412]

I'm sooooo happy he still sounds so great in 2019! Same with Audra McDonald! Love them both!

[@suttonwjr]

With proper training and proper rest you can sound good lifelong!

[@shaxnerd418]

If anything they sound better! Brian Stokes Mitchell’s phrasing at the beginning just sent me. And Audra is…well…she’s perfect

[@jerrysumner4923]

They were scheduled to do a concert in 2020, I believe on March 24. We looked forward with great anticipation to this event. Sadly, dreadful Covid intervened. The combination of their voices is simply enchanting! We can’t give up the dream.

[@emilypadden6406]

This whole love story killed me...I used to listen to Sarah Brown Eyes on repeat and cry. So good.

[@zt6681]

I saw them in Ragtime when I was a child and definitely did NOT appreciate it as much as I do now. I could kick myself!

[@ryans634]

Gosh, I don’t think I expect this to make me cry so much...

[@michele9271]

Hallelujah!!!!!!!! Ragtime was my all time favorite broadway show - it had an exceptionally talented cast and and incredible story. A story of the ages! Bring it back to broadway 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@jerrysumner4923]

Nothing tops this

[@newyorker2581]

This show makes me soooo emotional! It was the show that introduced me to theatre and blessed me with my passion & career! I owe everything to these two (especially Audra!), Terrence McNally, Stephen Flaherty, Lynn Ahrens, E.L. Doctorow, everyone else involved in creating this masterpiece of a show, and finally (but certainly not least!) the genius who thought to showcase this show on PBS so this little girl's life could forever be changed with the gift that is theatre- THANK YOU!! The most heartfelt of thank-yous!

[@andygranick]

Simply magical.

[@leighbesstoad]

I hope the entire concert is available. Because this is amazing. And this was a free concert. Incredible. Two of our greatest stars.

[@kennedycenter]

Hi, Floyd! You can watch the full stream of this year's Let Freedom Ring! tribute here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHOTaKZ8l55obK8

[@geaj]

That show should still be running!

[@ActSingDanceFly]

I'm not crying... It's just the onions I'm cutting

[@josieiris2441]

I saw him live in Bremerton last week and I feel like I've missed out on so much. He is a wonderful man and an inspiration!

[@kathryngann3479]

This always gives me goose bumps

[@victordunson719]

Yep, that single teared me. One of the best performances of this song I have ever heard including the two times I saw them on Broadway.......

[@davidsolomon8203]

Has there EVER been a more THRILLING duet on Broadway?

[@andrewtucker2782]

This is Sarah brightman and Michael Crawford status right here

[@jerrysumner4923]

Audra and Stokes! Don’t get any better than that🎉

[@lunalin9870]

i wish BSM & Audra could be my parents😭

[@EnglishProfStyle]

One of my favorite musicals of all time. When I finally saw the touring show I cried the entire show. So beautiful and moving.

[@littlearrowsstorytyme7813]

My heart is so full!! A wonderful performance!! Bravo

[@janetkennedy5920]

She blows him away!!

[@paulhackett3836]

My favorite Broadway song. Saw it on the road in Kansas City. Audience was in awe

[@jerrysumner4923]

Incomparable duet!

[@iago07]

And THIS, ladies and gents and gender non-binary folks, is the voice and power of THE MOST TONY-WINNING FEMALE ACTOR of all time… THE Audra Macdonald 😍😍😍

[@jerrysumner4923]

Every time I hear it. Tears of joy!

[@OverDramaticPumpkins]

Instant goosebumps!

[@kassdiamond]

They are phenomenal.

[@katiemcteague]

Stunning as always. Two perfect voices blending in a perfect duet. I can listen to this forever.

[@jaygatz4335]

I saw them in Toronto in the original production. Powerful then - powerful now. They're both still in great voice.

[@camopug]

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@centerfold8]

This song gave me so much joy

[@tjshelton5632]

Wow this hit hard.

[@sandradiaz4366]

Legends.

[@youtubefan8459]

This is so beautiful. They still sound phenomenal. One of the most moving songs in Broadway.

[@EvaGrayzel]

Thank you for sharing this!!!

[@TheBebopyo]

the best of chills always

[@raquelf.1962]

Wonderful.This is a great musical!

[@beedubya8836]

Oh, just tears forming in my eyes.

[@BillYovino]

This rocks my soul.

[@williampacholski8398]

This song speaks to something so deep in the human condition - impossible not resonate on a deep level with the struggle, the dream, the commitment. Especially poignant today.

[@Moderndrama]

MAGNIFICENT!

[@jerrysumner4923]

The ultimate pair.

[@germainesota985]

Wow! This was so deeply emotional! I just finished teaching "At the River I Stand" where MLK gave his "Mountaintop" speech. Powerful!!

[@DavidAsset78]

The best!

[@fletcherhc653]

Amazing! Bravi!

[@sonjagood7305]

💜💜

[@francoisbessing]

In public and couldn't stop the tears...oh well..

[@erinpufunt]

They both sound exactly the same as they did 30 some years ago it’s amazing

[@CherieulaJ]

B.U.T. FULL!! 🎵🎶🎙🎤🎻🎺🎷🎸🎹🗣

[@robherrera1084]

GOSH AUDRA

[@arturoaustin7364]

Going through a big time and the house was the time to go to the beach

[@arturoaustin7364]

Hola tia I was a big big time for the time I had the house

[@robreynolds6546]

As a performer, whenever I see or hear footage of myself from twenty years ago, I think, "Wow, I thought I was god back then? I was terrible compared to now." I wonder if Audra and Brian think the same ting when they listen to the OCR of Ragtime :-D

[@andresuston7692]

People do that in everyday life, not just "performers".

[@dalty8741]

Orchestra is too loud

[@jacobwhite6748]

No clue why he sang really modern nasally the first lines and went back to traditional backspace Coalhouse

[@decadencewhimsyandsarcasm]

I believe it’s called acting

[@andresuston7692]

Jacob: you tryna tell someone how to sing now?