Ariana Grande threw back to her Broadway roots with her new at-home performance
These days, Ariana Grande is known for being a pop powerhouse. But true fans know she got her start on Broadway back in 2008. She still loves a musical theater moment all these years later, so fans were delighted when she teamed up with composer Jason Robert Brown for an at-home performance of “Still Hurting” from his musical The Last Five Years. Fair warning: It’s sure to give you goosebumps.
Grande started her career on Broadway in 13, another Brown-produced musical. On Monday night, she helped show her support for the Broadway community—which has been shut down indefinitely due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic—by performing a stunning rendition of the beloved ballad. She joined many others for Brown’s virtual SubCulture Artist-in-Residency concert. Though it streamed for free, it raised money for SubCulture musicians and staff affected by the shutdown.
Grande provided the powerful vocals to “Still Hurting,” while fellow Broadway alumni provided instrumentals.
As per usual, she absolutely slayed her version of the song from the 2001 musical. We fully have tears in our eyes watching this—especially when Grande was virtually joined by the other musicians.
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According to Broadway.com, Brown spoke about why he planned the at-home concert in a statement prior to the event.
“What I have missed and mourned the most over these last extraordinary weeks has been my ability to connect with music—to play and sing with other musicians, and to feel the audience responding,” he said. “Sitting here watching the news go by, I had to do something, I had to figure out some way to let these notes and words in my head come out and be shared with my collaborators and my audience, and so, here we are.”
He continued, speaking specifically about Grande’s involvement.
“All of us in our homes, making music however and whenever we can, with an amazing team to help pull it all together, and two of the greatest singers on the planet Earth: the patron saint of the SubCulture Residency, Shoshana Bean, and Grammy-winner, icon, and total theater nerd Ariana Grande,” Brown said. “We’ve put together a show about what we’ve lost, what we’ve discovered and what we’re grateful for, and I can’t wait to share it with you.”
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For her part, the “7 rings” singer seemed equally thrilled to be a part of the performance. Grande shared several tweets highlighting her appreciation for the artists with whom she collaborated.
You can click here to donate to SubCulture. There’s no petition yet, but we’re thinking of starting one to get Grande back on Broadway once it opens again.
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