Arena Stage Gala Features Local Musical Great Mary McBride

“I love that we are already spilling drinks,” Mary BcBride laughed as water bottles fell from atop a speaker during the first song of her all-American musical set at the Kreeger Theatre during the 2018 Arena Stage Gala Thursday night.

After an awards presentation to acknowledge DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, this year’s Beth Newburger Schwartz award recipient, McBride held a one-night only concert performance in between cocktails and dinner, her first hometown gig in over 5 years.

Starting with Sam Cooke and following with personal favorites by such greats as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles “and others you may be less familiar with… like me, Mary McBride,” the local favorite was “tickled to be at Arena Stage.”

The audience particularly enjoyed hearing McBride reprise her song from Brokeback Mountain, No One’s Gonna Love You Like Me.  In between songs, the singer/songwriter entertained with witty anecdotes about life as a performer on the road.