Audra McDonald | |
|---|---|
 McDonald at the74th Tony Awards in 2021 | |
| Born | (1970-07-03)July 3, 1970 (age 55) |
| Education | Juilliard School (BM) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Full list |
Audra Ann McDonald (born July 3, 1970)[1] is an American singer and actress. Primarily known for her work on theBroadway stage, she has won sixTony Awards, more performance wins than any other actor, and is the only person to win in all four acting categories.[2] As of the78th Tony Awards, she has earned a record-breaking eleven nominations.
In addition to her six Tony Awards, she has receivednumerous accolades including twoGrammy Awards and anEmmy Award. She was honored with theNational Medal of Arts in 2016 from PresidentBarack Obama, and was inducted into theAmerican Theater Hall of Fame in 2017.[3]
She has performed in musicals, operas, and dramas. She has received six Tony Awards for her roles inCarousel (1994),Master Class (1996),Ragtime (1998),A Raisin in the Sun (2004),Porgy and Bess (2012), andLady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill (2014). Her other Tony-nominated roles were inMarie Christine (2000),110 in the Shade (2007),Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (2020),Ohio State Murders (2023), andGypsy (2025).
On television, she portrayed Dr.Naomi Bennett in theABC seriesPrivate Practice from 2007 to 2011, and Liz Lawrence inThe Good Wife and its spinoff seriesThe Good Fight. She receivedPrimetime Emmy Award nominations for her roles inWit (2001),A Raisin in the Sun (2008), andLady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill (2016). She won thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Program for hostingLive from Lincoln Center (2015). On film, she has acted inRicki and the Flash (2015),Beauty and the Beast (2017),Respect (2021), andRustin (2023).
As a classical soprano, she has performed in staged operas with theHouston Grand Opera and theLos Angeles Opera, and in concerts with symphony orchestras like theBerlin Philharmonic andNew York Philharmonic. Her recording ofKurt Weill'sRise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (2008) with the Los Angeles Opera won theGrammy Award for Best Classical Album and theGrammy Award for Best Opera Recording. She maintains an active concert and recording career throughout the United States performing genres ranging from jazz standards to musical theatre.
Audra McDonald was born inWest Berlin,West Germany, the daughter of American parents, Anna Kathryn (Jones), auniversity administrator, and Stanley James McDonald Jr., a high school principal.[4] At the time of her birth, her father was stationed with theUnited States Army. McDonald was raised in her father's nativeFresno, California, the elder of two daughters; her sister, Alison, writes and directs for television and film. McDonald graduated from theRoosevelt School of the Arts program withinTheodore Roosevelt High School in Fresno.[5]
She got her start in acting with Dan Pessano and Roger Rocka'sGood Company Players, beginning in their junior company. In a feature article about her written when she was a child, she said that she knew she wanted to be involved in theater "when I had my first chance to perform with the Good Company Players Junior Company". She also said that the people who have had the most impact on her life are "Good Company director Dan Pessano and my mother".[6] She studied classical voice as an undergraduate underEllen Faull at theJuilliard School,[7] graduating in 1993.[8]
McDonald made herBroadway debut as a replacement portrayingAyah in the musicalThe Secret Garden in from 1992 to 1993. For her role as Carrie Pipperidge in theRodgers and Hammerstein musicalCarousel (1994), she won her firstTony Award forBest Featured Actress in a Musical. The following year she played Sharon Graham in theTerrence McNally playMaster Class (1995) earning her second Tony Award, this time forBest Featured Actress in a Play. Between 1996 and 1998 she played Sarah in the musicalRagtime, first at the Ford Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto, from December 1996 to August 1997, and then at theFord Center for the Performing Arts in New York from December 1997 to December 1998. For her performance inRagtime, which had a book written by McNally, McDonald won her third Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. In 1999 she played Marie Christine L'Adrese in the musicalMarie Christine on Broadway andThe Beggar Woman inSweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street atAvery Fisher Hall inLincoln Center.[9]
McDonald has also made many television and film appearances, both musical and dramatic. In 1996 she made her film acting debut inSeven Servants byDaryush Shokof.[10] After being cast inThe Object of My Affection andCradle Will Rock, in 1999, she appeared on the television seriesHomicide: Life on the Street; in television remake ofAnnie as Daddy Warbucks's secretary & soon-to-be wife, Miss Farrell; and in the television filmHaving Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years. In 2000, McDonald acted in two episodes ofLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit and in the television filmThe Last Debate.
McDonald was a three-time Tony Award winner by age 28 for her performances inCarousel,Master Class, andRagtime, placing her alongsideShirley Booth,Gwen Verdon andZero Mostel by accomplishing this feat within five years. She was nominated for another Tony Award for her performance inMarie Christine before she won her fourth in 2004 for her role inA Raisin in the Sun, placing her in the company of then four-time winning actressAngela Lansbury. She reprised herRaisin role fora 2008 television adaptation, earning her a secondEmmy Award nomination. McDonald would later score her fifth Tony Award win for her portrayal of Bess inBroadway'sThe Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, thus tyingAngela Lansbury andJulie Harris,[11] and her 2014 performance asBillie Holiday inLady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill would earn McDonald her sixth Tony award and make her the first person to win all four acting categories.
In 2001, she received her firstEmmy Award nomination forOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for theHBO filmWit, which starredEmma Thompson and was directed byMike Nichols.[12] In 2003, McDonald starred as Sarah Langley inIt Runs in the Family,[13] and as Jackie Brock in nine episodes of short-livedMister Sterling.[14] From 2005 to 2006, she acted in several television series and films, such asThe Bedford Diaries andKidnapped, while from 2007 to 2013 she playedDr. Naomi Bennett inPrivate Practice, a spinoff ofGrey's Anatomy, replacingMerrin Dungey, who played the role in the series pilot.[15][16] She sang with theNew York Philharmonic in the annual New Year's Eve gala concert on December 31, 2006, featuring music from the films; it was televised onLive from Lincoln Center byPBS.[17]
She has a close working relationship with composerMichael John LaChiusa who has written several works for her, including the Broadway musicalMarie Christine, the operaSend (who are you? i love you), andThe Seven Deadly Sins: A Song Cycle. With her fulllyric soprano voice,[18] McDonald appeared as Lizzie in theRoundabout Theatre Company's 2007 revival of110 in the Shade, directed byLonny Price atStudio 54, for which she shared theDrama Desk Award for Best Actress in a Musical withDonna Murphy.[19] On April 29, 2007, while she was in previews for the show, her father was killed when an experimental aircraft he was flying crashed north ofSacramento, California.[20]
McDonald is known for defying racial typecasting in her various Tony Award-winning and -nominated roles. Her performances as Carrie Pipperidge inNicholas Hytner's 1994 revival ofCarousel, Lizzie Curry inLonny Price's 2007 revival of110 in the Shade, andRose inGeorge C. Wolfe's revival ofGypsy have made her the first Black woman to portray those traditionally white roles in a major Broadway production. Of her groundbreaking work in encouraging diversity in musical theatre casting, she said in an interview forThe New York Times, "I refuse to be stereotyped. If I think I am right for a role I will go for it in whatever way I can. I refuse to say no to myself. I can't control what a producer will do or say but I can at least put myself out there."[21] In aTalk of the Nation interview onNPR, Asian-American actor Thom Sesma said McDonald's performance inCarousel "transcended any kind of type at all", proving her to be "more actress than African-American."[22]
McDonald has also performed in opera. In 2006 she made her opera debut at theHouston Grand Opera performingFrancis Poulenc'sLa voix humaine and the world premiere ofMichael John LaChiusa's one-woman operaSend (who are you? I love you).[23] She had previously performed in the world premiere ofJohn Adams'I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky which was given in concert, and can be heard on the 1997 recording of the opera. In 2007 she performed the role of Jenny Smith inKurt Weill'sRise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny at theLos Angeles Opera.[24] Her performance was recorded and won theGrammy Award for Best Opera Recording in 2009. In 2008, McDonald starred as Ruth Younger in the critically acclaimed television filmA Raisin in the Sun,[25] and was nominated at the60th Primetime Emmy Awards forOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie,[26] and at theNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie.[27]
McDonald appeared in a revised version ofGeorge Gershwin's operaPorgy and Bess, at the American Repertory Theatre (inCambridge, Massachusetts) from August through September 2011, and recreated the role on Broadway at theRichard Rodgers Theatre, which opened on January 12, 2012, and closed on September 23, 2012.[28] For this role, McDonald won her fifth Tony Award and her first in a Leading Actress category.[29] ThisAmerican Repertory Theater production was "re-imagined bySuzan-Lori Parks andDiedre Murray as a musical for contemporary audiences."[30]
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Since 2012, McDonald has served as host for thePBS seriesLive from Lincoln Center,[31] for which she won aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Program with the show's producers forSweeney Todd, airing in 2015.[32] In 2013, McDonald appeared in theHBO documentarySix by Sondheim,[33] and she played Mother Abbess in the 2013 NBC live television production ofThe Sound of Music Live!.[34][35] In 2014, she was featured inLynn Nottage's short playPoof!, alongside Tonya Pinkins. It was produced for radio and podcast by Playing On Air.[36]
McDonald playedBillie Holiday on Broadway in the playLady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill in a limited engagement that ended on August 10, 2014.[37] After previews that began on March 25, 2014, the play opened at theCircle in the Square Theatre on April 13, 2014.[37] Of the play, McDonald said in an interview, "It's about a woman trying to get through a concert performance, which I know something about, and she's doing it at a time when her liver was pickled and she was still doing heroin regularly...I might have been a little judgmental about Billie Holiday early on in my life, but what I've come to admire most about her – and what is fascinating in this show – is that there is never any self-pity. She's almost laughing at how horrible her life has been. I don't think she sees herself as a victim. And she feels an incredible connection to her music – she can't sing a song if she doesn't have some emotional connection to it, which I really understand".[37]
McDonald won theTony Award for Best Actress in a Play for this role, making her the first person to earn six Tony Award wins for acting (not counting honorary awards) and the first person to win a Tony Award in all four acting categories.[38] In her acceptance speech, "she thanked her parents for encouraging her to pursue her interests as a child."[39] She also thanked the "strong and brave and courageous" African-American women who came before her, saying in part, "I am standing onLena Horne's shoulders. I am standing onMaya Angelou's shoulders. I am standing onDiahann Carroll andRuby Dee, and most of all,Billie Holiday. You deserved so much more than you were given when you were on this planet. This is for you, Billie."[40] This performance was filmed at Cafe Brasil in New Orleans and broadcast onHBO on March 12, 2016.[41] McDonald received critical acclaim and was nominated for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her role in the broadcast.[42][43] She lost toSarah Paulson playingMarcia Clark inThe People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story. She was also nominated for theScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series.[44]
She appeared at the Williamstown Theatre Festival,Williamstown, Massachusetts, inEugene O'Neill's playA Moon for the Misbegotten in August 2015, co-starring with her husbandWill Swenson.[45] In 2016, McDonald starred on Broadway as the vaudeville performer Lottie Gee in a new musical titledShuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed about the making of the 1921 musicalShuffle Along.[46]Shuffle Along closed on July 24, 2016, and McDonald began a maternity hiatus at that time.[47][48]
McDonald had planned to make herWest End debut as Holiday inLady Day in June through September 2016,[49] but after becoming pregnant she postponed these plans.[50] She performed inLady Day in June 2017 through September 9, 2017, at theWyndham's Theatre in the West End.[51][52] In 2017, McDonald starred inDisney's live action remake filmBeauty and the Beast (based onthe 1991 animated film of the same name) asMadame de Garderobe, directed byBill Condon, and co-starring withEmma Watson andDan Stevens, earning a nomination at theNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture.[53] On August 1, 2017, it was announced that she had been added to the main cast for the second season ofThe Good Fight, reprising her role as Liz Lawrence fromThe Good Wife season 4.[54] McDonald stayed in the cast for the remaining seasons, and was nominated twice for theCritics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.[55] In 2019 McDonald played Frankie inFrankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune at theBroadhurst Theatre,[56] earning her ninth Tony Award nomination for her performance forBest Actress in a Play.[57]
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In 2021, McDonald portrayed Rachel Boutella in television seriesThe Bite and hosted the television ceremony of the74th Tony Awards.[58][59] In 2021, she appeared asBarbara Siggers Franklin inAretha Franklin'sbiographical musical drama filmRespect, earning a nomination at theNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture.[60] In 2022, she starred as Dorothy Scott inHBO's television seriesThe Gilded Age.[61] That year, she appeared in the Broadway production ofOhio State Murders, earning her tenth Tony Award nomination. In 2023, McDonald portrayedcivil rights activistElla Baker in theNetflix biographical dramaRustin.[62] That same year she acted in the comedyDown Low and theAva DuVernay directed dramaOrigin.[63] In May 2024, it was announced that McDonald would return to Broadway as Mama Rose in a revival ofGypsy, with previews beginning November 21.[64] Her performance in Gypsy would earn her a record-breaking 11th Tony Award nomination, surpassing the previous three-way tie she had shared withJulie Harris andChita Rivera.
McDonald has maintained ties to her classical training and repertoire. She frequently performs in concert throughout the U.S.[65] and has performed with musical organizations such as theNew York Philharmonic and theMormon Tabernacle Choir.Carnegie Hall commissioned the song cycleThe Seven Deadly Sins: A Song Cycle for McDonald, and she performed it at Carnegie's Zankel Hall on June 2, 2004.[66] She sang two solo one-act operas at theHouston Grand Opera in March 2006:Francis Poulenc'sLa voix humaine and the world premiere ofMichael John LaChiusa'sSend (who are you? I love you).[67] On February 10, 2007, McDonald starred withPatti LuPone in theLos Angeles Opera production ofKurt Weill's operaRise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny directed byJohn Doyle.[68] The recording of this production ofMahagonny won two Grammy Awards, for Best Opera Recording and Best Classical Album in February 2009.[69]
In September 2008, AmericancomposerMichael John LaChiusa was quoted inOpera News Online, as working on an adaptation ofBizet'sCarmen with McDonald in mind.[70]
McDonald has recorded five solo albums forNonesuch Records. Her first, the 1998Way Back to Paradise, featured songs written by a new generation of musical theatre composers who had achieved varying degrees of prominence in the 1990s, particularly LaChiusa,Adam Guettel andJason Robert Brown.
Her next album,How Glory Goes (2000), combined both old and new works, and included composersHarold Arlen,Leonard Bernstein andJerome Kern.[7] Her third album,Happy Songs (2002), was big band music from the 1920s through the 1940s.[71] Her fourth album,Build a Bridge (2006), features songs from jazz and pop.[72]
In May 2013, Audra McDonald released her first solo album in seven years,Go Back Home, with a title track from theKander and Ebb musicalThe Scottsboro Boys. To coincide with the album's release, McDonald performed a concert atAvery Fisher Hall in New York City that aired on thePBS seriesLive from Lincoln Center titledAudra McDonald In Concert: Go Back Home.[73]
At the2010 BCS National Championship Game on January 7, McDonald sangAmerica the Beautiful for the sold-out stadium fans to celebrate the final game of the college football season.[74]
In May 2000, Audra McDonald appeared as "The Beggar Woman" inLonny Price's concert version ofStephen Sondheim'sSweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, performed at Avery Fisher Hall atLincoln Center, New York, with theNew York Philharmonic withGeorge Hearn andPatti LuPone. She reprised the role in some performances of the March 2014 Lincoln Center concert production, again directed by Price, this time oppositeBryn Terfel andEmma Thompson. She performed three concerts, titled "Audra McDonald Sings Broadway", in theSydney Opera House in November 2015, which also included "The Facebook Song" byKate Miller-Heidke.[75] In late December 2023, McDonald was a guest narrator atDisney's Candlelight Processional atWalt Disney World.[76]
McDonald married bassist Peter Donovan in September 2000.[7] They have one daughter, Zoe Madeline Donovan, named after McDonald's close friend andMaster Class co-starZoe Caldwell and the lateMadeline Kahn. McDonald became close friends with Kahn after they filmed a TV pilot together, and she found out she was carrying a girl the same day she sang at Kahn's memorial.[77] McDonald and Donovan divorced in 2009.[78]
She marriedWill Swenson on October 6, 2012.[79] On October 19, 2016, she gave birth to their daughter, Sally James McDonald-Swenson.[80] She is the stepmother to Swenson's two sons from his previous marriage.[81]
McDonald attendedJoan Rivers' funeral in New York on September 7, 2014, where she sang "Smile".
As of 2014, McDonald resides with her family inCroton-on-Hudson, New York.[82]
In October 2020, McDonald joined many other Broadway stars in a virtual voter education and letter-writing party sponsored byVoteRiders to raise awareness about voter ID requirements.[83]
In June 2020, McDonald and a coalition of professionals from across the theatre industry launched Black Theatre United, an organization whose mission is to inspire reform and combat systemic racism within the theatre community and throughout the nation. Emphasizing four goals – awareness, accountability, advocacy, and action – BTU works at the community and national levels to elevate anti-racist causes and support the Black community through various resources and initiatives.[84]
McDonald joined other Broadway stars includingLin-Manuel Miranda,Josh Groban,Idina Menzel,Laura Benanti, andKristin Chenoweth in 2018 to recordSinging You Home, a bilingual children's album designed to benefit organizations that aid families separated at the border.[85]
She joined theCovenant House board of Directors in 2014. Covenant House oversees programs for homeless youth in 27 cities in six countries across the United States, Canada, and Latin America. Audra was the recipient of their 2018 Beacon of Hope Award.[86]
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Seven Servants | Opera Singer | |
| 1998 | The Object of My Affection | Wedding Singer | |
| 1999 | Cradle Will Rock | Blitzstein – "Joe Worker" Singer | |
| 2003 | It Runs in the Family | Sarah Langley | |
| Tea Time with Roy & Sylvia | Sylvia | Short film | |
| 2004 | The Best Thief in the World | Ruth | |
| 2009 | She Got Problems | Herself | Short film |
| 2011 | Rampart | Sarah | |
| 2015 | Ricki and the Flash | Maureen Brummel | |
| 2017 | Beauty and the Beast | Madame de Garderobe | also voice[87] |
| Hello Again | Sally | ||
| 2020 | Song of Rapa Nui | Narrator | Voice; documentary |
| 2021 | Respect | Barbara Siggers Franklin | |
| 2023 | Down Low | Patty | |
| Rustin | Ella Baker | ||
| Origin | Miss Hale | ||
| Whitney Houston in Focus | Narrator | Voice; documentary short |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years | YoungBessie Delany | Television film |
| Homicide: Life on the Street | Teresa Giardello | Episode: "Forgive Us Our Trespasses" | |
| Annie | Grace Farrell | Television film | |
| 2000 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Audrey Jackson | 2 episodes |
| The Last Debate | Barbara Manning | Television film | |
| 2001 | Wit | Susie Monahan | Television film |
| 2003 | Mister Sterling | Jackie Brock | Main cast (9 episodes) |
| 2005 | Passion: Live From Lincoln Center | Clara | Television special |
| 2006 | The Bedford Diaries | Professor Carla Bonatelle | 8 episodes |
| 2006–2007 | Kidnapped | Jackie Hayes | 3 episodes |
| 2007–2013 | Private Practice | Dr.Naomi Bennett | Main cast (77 episodes) |
| 2007–2024 | Great Performances | Herself | 9 episodes |
| 2008 | A Raisin in the Sun | Ruth Younger | Television film |
| 2009 | Grey's Anatomy | Dr. Naomi Bennett | Episode: "Before and After" |
| The Music Instinct: Science and Song | Narrator | Voice; television documentary | |
| 2010 | Submissions Only | Tracy Mintzer | Episode: "Dangerous Anaesthesia" |
| 2012–2013 | Sesame Street | Chicken | 3 episodes |
| 2013 | It Could Be Worse | Sharon | Episode: "Starring Veronica Bailey" |
| The Good Wife | Liz Lawrence | Episode: "Runnin' with the Devil" | |
| Audra McDonald: Go Back Home | Self | Television special | |
| The Sound of Music Live! | Mother Abbess | Television special | |
| The Ordained | Anthea | Television film | |
| 2014 | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | Lucy Barker | Television special |
| 2015 | Doc McStuffins | Itty Bitty Bess | Voice, episode: "Itty Bitty Bess Takes Flight"[87] |
| 2016 | Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill | Billie Holiday | Television special |
| Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas | Caroler | Television special | |
| 2017 | Saving My Tomorrow | Narrator | Voice, episode: "Kids Who Love the Earth" |
| 2018 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Herself (Guest Judge) | Episode: "Snatch Game"[88] |
| 2018–2019 | BoJack Horseman | Mother Superior | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2018–2022 | The Good Fight | Liz Lawrence-Reddick | Main cast (47 episodes) |
| 2019 | An Emmy for Megan | Herself | Episode: "New Minimum Length" |
| 2020 | American Experience | Additional Voices | Episode: "The Vote Part 2" |
| Central Park | Ashley | Voice, episode: "A Fish Called Snakehead" | |
| Vampirina | Medusa | Voice, episode: "Vee and the Family Stone" | |
| 2021 | The Bite | Rachel Boutella | Main cast (6 episodes) |
| 74th Tony Awards | Herself (host) | Television special | |
| 2022–2025 | The Gilded Age | Dorothy Scott | 14 episodes |
| Year | Show[89] | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | The Secret Garden | Ayah(replacement) | St. James Theatre 1992 – January 3, 1993 |
| 1994–1995 | Carousel | Carrie Pipperidge | Vivian Beaumont Theater February 18, 1994 – January 15, 1995 |
| 1995 | Master Class | Sharon Graham | Philadelphia Theatre Company March 1995 |
| Something Wonderful | Performer | Gershwin Theatre July 12, 1995 | |
| 1995–1997 | Master Class | Sharon Graham | John Golden Theatre October 26, 1995 – June 29, 1997 |
| 1996–1999 | Ragtime | Sarah | Ford Centre for the Performing Arts (Toronto) December 8, 1996 – August 31, 1997[90][91] |
| Ford Center for the Performing Arts (Broadway) December 26, 1997 – October 29, 1999 | |||
| 1999 | Marie Christine | Marie Christine L'Adrese | Vivian Beaumont Theater October 30, 1999 – January 9, 2000 |
| 2000 | Ragtime | Sarah | Ford Center for the Performing Arts January 10–16, 2000 |
| Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | Lucy Barker, The Beggar Woman | Avery Fisher Hall,Lincoln Center May 4–6, 2000 | |
| 2001 | Dreamgirls | Deena Jones | New York Actor's Fund Benefit Concert |
| 2002 | Carousel | Julie Jordan | Carnegie Hall June 6, 2002 |
| 2003 | Passion | Clara | Ravinia Festival August 22–23, 2003 |
| 2003–2004 | Henry IV, Part 1 | Lady Kate Percy | Vivian Beaumont Theater October 28, 2003 – January 18, 2004[92] |
| 2004 | A Raisin in the Sun | Ruth Younger | Royale Theatre March 30 – July 11, 2004 |
| The Seven Deadly Sins: A Song Cycle | Performer | Carnegie Hall June 2, 2004 | |
| R shomon | Young Woman | Williamstown Theatre Festival July 21 - August 1, 2004[93] | |
| Sunday in the Park with George | Dot / Marie | Ravinia Festival September 3–4, 2004 | |
| 2005 | Passion | Clara | Lincoln Center March 30 – April 1, 2005 |
| Wonderful Town | Eileen Sherwood | Berlin Philharmonic | |
| Anyone Can Whistle | Nurse Fay Apple | Ravinia Festival August 26–27, 2005 | |
| 2006 | La voix humaine/Send (who are you? I love you) | Singer | Houston Grand Opera March 2006 |
| 2007 | Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny | Jenny Smith | Los Angeles Opera February 2007 |
| 110 in the Shade | Lizzie Curry | Studio 54 April 13 – July 29, 2007 | |
| 2009 | Twelfth Night | Olivia | Delacorte Theater June 25 – July 12, 2009 |
| 2011 | Porgy and Bess | Bess | American Repertory Theater August – September 2011 |
| 2011–2012 | Richard Rodgers Theatre December 17, 2011 – September 23, 2012 | ||
| 2014 | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | Lucy Barker, The Beggar Woman | Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center March 5–8, 2014 |
| Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill | Billie Holiday | Circle in the Square Theatre March 25 – October 5, 2014 | |
| 2015 | A Moon for the Misbegotten | Josie Hogan | Williamstown Theatre Festival August 2015 |
| 2016 | Shuffle Along | Lottie Gee | Music Box Theatre March 14 – July 24, 2016 |
| 2017 | Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill | Billie Holiday | Wyndham's Theatre June 27 – September 9, 2017[94][95] |
| 2019 | Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune | Frankie | Broadhurst Theatre May 4 – July 28, 2019[56] |
| 2022–2023 | Ohio State Murders | Suzanne Alexander | James Earl Jones Theatre November 11, 2022 – January 15, 2023[96] |
| 2023 | Ragtime | Sarah | Minskoff Theatre March 27, 2023 |
| 2024 | Gutenberg! The Musical! | The Guest Producer | James Earl Jones Theatre January 28, 2024 |
| 2024–2025 | Gypsy | Rose Thompson Hovick | Majestic Theatre November 21, 2024 – August 17, 2025 |
Over her career she has received sixTony Awards out of eleven nominations (the most of any performer in the history of the Tony Awards), twoGrammy Awards out of three nominations, oneEmmy Award out of five nominations in addition to nominations for twoScreen Actors Guild Awards. She was honored with theNational Medal of Arts in 2016 from PresidentBarack Obama, and was inducted into theAmerican Theater Hall of Fame in 2017. McDonald received the Golden Plate Award of theAmerican Academy of Achievement presented by Awards Council memberGeneral Colin Powell in 2012.[97][98]
On September 22, 2016, Audra McDonald was awarded theNational Medal of Arts by PresidentBarack Obama for 2015. The Award states, in part: "for lighting up Broadway as one of its brightest stars.... In musicals, concerts, operas, and the recording studio, her rich, soulful voice continues to take her audiences to new heights."[99] In 2017, she was inducted into theAmerican Theater Hall of Fame.[3] McDonald served as thegrand marshal of the 2024Tournament of Roses Parade.[100]
Audra McDonald in Concert (2013–14)
23 concerts total; the gap between May and October 2013 is due to McDonald's work with television and her album coming out, causing the three and a half month gap. The tour ended due to McDonald's show,Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill opening on Broadway, but she picked up again with a new tour once the show closed.
An Evening with Audra McDonald (2014–15)
37 concerts; this tour marked her Australian debut. The lack of August shows was due to her run inA Moon for the Misbegotten.
Other concerts
Source:[104]
Source:[107]
Audra McDonald (BM '93, voice)
Golden Plate Awards Council member General Colin L. Powell, presents Audra McDonald with the Gold Medal of the American Academy of Achievement in a 2012 ceremony at the Academy's headquarters in Washington, D.C.
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