If Mullally sang like her "Will & Grace" character Karen, every lens in the Center for the Arts would have been shattered and every eardrum tortured.
But behind a lurking rhythm of snappy, pulsating piano, Megan Mullally sang "St. James Infirmary" in a hypnotic voice that made the air tremble with every high note.
"This song describes a cheerful time about a dead girlfriend!" Mullally exclaimed before the song, earning a hearty laugh from the audience.
Mullally was able to keep her comedy act as she conversed and joked with the crowd between what she called "a truckload of different music" at the CFA Saturday evening, where she performed with her band, Supreme Music Program.
"The band was amazing," said 48-year old Liz Pope, "very versatile."
Supreme Music Program flawlessly switched between an array of musical styles, from country to rock while altering with unique covers of their favorite songs. There was an electric violin and a guitar ringing in southern country songs and a banjo kicking out rockish blues. Mullally genre-hopped effortlessly, crossing from a crooning country star to a raging rock singer.
Though most recognize her as the squeaky-voiced Karen on "Will & Grace," Mullally proves she is much more. Hitting all her high notes, Mullally not only had the voice, but her personality was not left backstage.
In her opening song, Mullally threw in a quirky country voice that paralleled Karen's tone as she blew the crowd away with resonating vocals, throwing in a flirtatious wink at the song's conclusion.
"She still maintained her great sense of humor," said Curtis Lanning, a junior architecture major, "but she also seemed very down to earth. I'm so use to seeing her on TV. It wasn't something I expected, but I'm glad that I was able to see her in a different context."
There were several moments during the show when Mullally was captivated by the instrumental savvy of her band. She swayed with them, and at times, hopped around the stage.
Mullally and company focused their set list on songs that told descriptive sorrowful stories. "Far from Me" was a rich country tune mixed with a soulful blues vibe.
Mullally sang songs from some familiar names like Ryan Adams and Eva Cassidy to the not-so known like Frogpond.
For the many that could only identify her under the "Will & Grace" title, Mullally tore herself away from that light with a ringing voice and a wide smile across her face.
"Everyone thinks she's nothing but that character," said Bard Sullivan, a UB graduate, "but she blew us away."
Who would have thought the shrill-voiced druggie Karen could transform into a singer with such a ripping voice?
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
