December 17, 2020
Watch: Broadway Stars Join Voices for Georgia Senate Runoff
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
A plethora of Broadway stars songfully converged - virtually, that is - in order to help voters focus on a runoff election taking place in Georgia next month that is seen as critical to Senate control and, by extension, to the policy agenda of the incoming Biden administration.
More than sixty stars lent their vocal talents to a soaring cover of the Hoagy Carmichael classic "Georgia on My Mind." Among them were Billy Porter, Bernadette Peters, BD Wong, Audra MacDonald, Peppermint, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Josh Gad, Adam Pascal, Leslie Uggams, Idina Menzel, Jai Rodriguez, Beth Malone, Rosie Perez, and Seth Rudetsky, along with dozens of others.
The gallery of musical celebs operated in a COVD-safe manner, with each actor performing the song in isolation. The video clips were then assembled into a single video presentation lasting more than four minutes and boasting seamless audio engineering that allowed each singer to shine before blending all their voices into a glorious finale.
The runoff election in Georgia was triggered when none of the candidates on the ballot won 50% or more of the vote in last month's elections. Republican incumbents David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler now face Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock, respectively.
The cover's video was released on YouTube on Dec. 14, which, Rolling Stone reported, was "the first day of voting for the January 5th runoff election," the results of which will determine whether the Democrats retake the Senate or Republicans retain a bare majority - and hence control - in the chamber.
"The song, which premiered during Stacey Abrams' Fair Fight organization's Rock the Runoff Virtual Concert, will help to raise funds and awareness for Fair Fight's work to ensure that every eligible Georgian has the resources and information they need to vote in the election," Rolling Stone noted.
Audra McDonald, who also produced, said, "We are in awe of the work that Stacey Abrams and Fair Fight have been doing to ensure that that is a reality for all Georgians, and knew that we wanted to raise our own voices to raise awareness about this important election in the way we know best – through music."
The runoff election will take place Jan. 5, 2021. The star-powered single can be purchased at BroadwayRecords.com.
Watch the video below.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
