Like many of us, 5-time Tony Award winning actress/singer (and "Private Practice" star) Audra McDonald – who will perform an Ann Arbor concert on Sunday, September 15, courtesy of UMS – spent much of Labor Day weekend getting the kids in her family (McDonald's daughter, Zoe, plus husband Will Swenson's two sons) ready for the start of a new school year.

The difference, of course, is that unlike the rest of us, she flew across the country on that Sunday to rehearse for the San Francisco Symphony's opening night gala.

Such is the life of an in-demand performer who's as comfortable doing a comedy bit with Jimmy Fallon, or dropping a mic – tongue very much in cheek – with Neil Patrick Harris to conclude the Tony Awards ceremony, as she is turning in a scorching performance daily in "Porgy and Bess."

"I’ve been lucky to have a couple of opportunities over the past few months to let my hair down and have fun with some amazing colleagues," McDonald said via an email interview. "After doing 'Porgy and Bess' – which was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my professional life, but is a very serious and emotionally taxing piece – it’s nice to do some things that are on the lighter side."

Here are McDonald's responses to some additional questions from The Ann Arbor News.

Q. People often associate you with intensely dramatic roles like Bess (in "Porgy and Bess") and Sarah (in "Ragtime"). Would you enjoy venturing into more comedic roles?
A. Absolutely. I love doing comedies. But the most important thing to me when considering a new role, regardless of whether it’s comedic or dramatic, is that it challenges me. I like the ones that test my limits and help me grow as an artist.

Q. Does your daughter, Zoe, have an interest in acting or singing, or is she interested in completely different pursuits?
A. She plays drums, saxophone, piano, violin, guitar and bass! She’s definitely following in her father’s footsteps more than mine. [Zoe's father is McDonald's first husband, musician Peter Donovan.]

Q. Does Zoe bristle at being occasionally mentioned by her famous mom on Twitter?
A. She’s doing her own thing and busy being 12 years old, so she doesn’t really follow my Twitter feed.

Q. Your new album, "Go Back Home," is your first in 7 years, and you went through a lot of personal and professional changes in that time [the death of her father, the break-up of one marriage and the start of another]. Did those changes, in a way, shape your vision for the album?
A. These are songs that I've been looking at and singing for a while and which have come together in a very organic way. It's from the last seven years – themes that have been popping up in my life. Then they kind-of popped up artistically through these songs. So, "Go Back Home" is not only one of the song titles, it also has a lot to do with my coming back to the theater, coming back home.

Q. I heard you talking in an interview about “Edelweiss" (one of the songs included on "Go Back Home") – that it's the song you sang in your first professional audition as a kid. Why and how did you choose that song at that time?
A. When I was just a year old, my uncle gave me a music box that played “Edelweiss” from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s "The Sound of Music." I had it in my room for as long as I can remember. I was not sure what to sing for my first audition (for a dinner-theater troupe in Fresno) and I needed to have a piece of musical theater music to sing. My parents suggested I sing “Edelweiss” because I knew it from the music box. My dad played the piano for me at the audition, and I got in! That started me on my theater journey. I still sing it in concert today and finally recorded it for "Go Back Home." When I sing it, I think about my home, my dad, and my child.

Q. Will the Ann Arbor show primarily feature tunes from the new album?
A. The program is quite eclectic; some of the songs are from my new album, but all are pieces I love to sing. I’ll be doing a good mix of standards from the great American songbook, Broadway-favorites and lesser-known gems, and a few newer songs that haven't been produced yet, some by musical theatre composers who’ve become my dear friends. There’ll be something for everyone.

Q. Tell me about your experience with Twitter – interacting with fans through this relatively new medium. You seem to have a lot of fun with it.
A. I first joined Twitter in 2009 to express my disappointment after the New York State Senate voted to reject a same-sex marriage bill. While many of my Tweets are still about marriage equality and gay rights, over the past few years, I’ve found myself tweeting more about the silly things that happen on a daily basis with my family.

Q. “Private Practice” marks your longest sustained television work. What was the biggest adjustment for you, working on a dramatic, hour long series?
A. I loved being on "Private Practice," but the show tapes in L.A., and I was commuting back and forth every week. I missed New York, and while being on the show was an incredible experience, I felt it was time for me to return to the stage.

Q. How did your involvement in "Private Practice" come about, and what appealed to you about that opportunity?
A. The offer came just a few months after my father had passed away, and I felt like television would offer me a fresh start. Television requires a different set of muscles. Shooting an episode of a TV series can be physically exhausting, but you’re doing scenes in much smaller chunks, with many interruptions and breaks. You have to learn to jump right back into a specific dramatic moment even if you’ve been mentally going over your grocery list while the crew is setting up the next shot. You’re focusing on many small, individual moments, rather than the whole picture. I actually really like the variety, which is why I don't limit myself to one particular genre.

Q. Your production of “Porgy and Bess” sparked controversy and heated discussion, with Stephen Sondheim’s angry letter to The New York Times in the middle of it. Did you see any positive consequences, in the long run, from this passionate exchange?
A. In the end, if it has people talking about theater, there are worse things. I’d rather them talk about theater than a lot of other things going on right now. I think it’s good – it created dialogue.

Q. We're seeing a kind of movie musical renaissance in recent years. Have you been approached about any future movie musical projects?
A. Funny you should ask. I actually have a project along these lines on the horizon, although I can’t say more than that at this point.

Jenn McKee is an entertainment reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at jennmckee@annarbor.com or 734-623-2546, and follow her on Twitter @jennmckee.