WHO IS RHIANNON GIDDENS?

Discovering a new talent.
By Rachel James (Treasurer/Writer)

As everyone has heard, Audra McDonald is not only singing gorgeously and tapping her face off in Shuffle Along, but she's doing it all while growing a human inside her! It was announced that she'll be in the show until July 24th, and then the role of Lottie Gee will be played by Rhiannon Giddens.  The first thought that came to my mind when I heard this news: who is Rhiannon Giddens?

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To answer that question, I ended up in YouTube spiral that needed to be shared.  Firstly, here she is killing it at the Grand Ole Opry:

 

Then there was that time she blew everyone's mind at the Americana Music Festival (and showed off her fiddle skills):

 

Or that time she accompanied herself in this gorgeous version of "La Vie en Rose":

 

And, then there's that time she did a song in Gaelic - like you do:

 

Basically, thank you to the twists and turns of nature and fate that brought this woman and her talent into my eardrums.  I can't wait to see her on stage at the Music Box!

RACHEL JAMES is a native New Yorker and theatre baby. Her plays have been produced by The 52nd Street Project and Starfish Theatreworks. She currently makes a living as a Broadway treasurer.
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