I say a little prayer for you

And then this happened:

Or at least is going to happen. Via my summer intern via The Guardian, I bring you the “OMG” moment of the week:

The “Queen of Soul” is to team up with the former queen of the US state department at a concert in Philadelphia next month. Aretha Franklin will duet with former US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, performing songs such as Natural Woman and Say a Little Prayer.

The
concert, a fundraising event for inner city children, takes place on 27
July, at the Mann Centre for the Performing Arts. Franklin and Rice
will appear as guests of the Philadelphia Orchestra and conductor
Rossen Milanov. Rice will accompany the orchestra for Mozart’s Piano
Concerto in D minor [Editor’s Note: #$(*!)@#(!@_@] , before joining Franklin to perform classic soul
anthems and a selection of arias.

And here’s the best part:

Franklin, 68, is a Democrat who did not vote for Rice’s former
employer. But the two seem to have put their differences aside to
collaborate for the concert. “Ms Rice is a consummate classical pianist
and since I sing the arias, I thought we could do something,” Franklin
said. “A bipartisan effort for our favourite charities.”

I was at the Kennedy Center for a Hilary/National Symphony Orchestra concert a few years back, and when Condoleezza Rice walked by the box office, the security guard said to me, “Here comes the Queen of Mean.” So the Queen of Soul and the Queen of Mean will SHARE THE STAGE AT LAST.

Further details are available on the Mann Center’s website:

Date: 

Tuesday, 7/27/2010 8:00pm

Links: 

Visit Aretha Franklin’s website

Visit The Philadelphia Orchestra’s website

Cost: 

$95, $75, $50, Lawn $24

Details: 

Click the Buy Tickets button to purchase your seats.

Rossen Milanov, conductor
Aretha Franklin, singer
Condoleezza Rice, piano

The Queen of Soul pairs up with former Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice for an evening of classics and R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Ms. Rice
will enchant us with selections from Mozart and more and will feature
Aretha on vocals with selections from her new album, A Woman Falling
Out of Love. This extraordinary effort is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Don’t miss this amazing duo with those fabulous Philadelphians for one
night only!