Theatre Legends
Audra McDonald
About Audra McDonald
Audra Ann McDonald has appeared on the stage in both musicals and dramas, on television and on the silver screen. She has won six Tony Awards, more than any other actor, and is the only person to win all four acting categories. McDonald graduated from the Roosevelt School of the Arts program and studied classical voice as an undergraduate under Ellen Faull at the Juilliard School, graduating in 1993.
McDonald was a three-time Tony Award winner by age 28 placing her alongside Shirley Booth, Gwen Verdon and Zero Mostel by accomplishing this feat within five years. She won her fourth in 2004 for her role in A Raisin in the Sun, placing her in the company of Angela Lansbury. She reprised her Raisin role for a 2008 television adaptation, earning her a second Emmy Award nomination.
On June 10, 2012, McDonald scored her fifth Tony Award win for her portrayal of Bess in Broadway’s The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, thus tying Angela Lansbury and Julie Harris. Her 2014 performance as Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill earned McDonald her sixth Tony award and made her the first person to win all four acting categories.
Artist Links
Videos
Classic Clips: Audra McDonald (1994)
2014 Tony Award - Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
2014 Tony Awards Show Clip: Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill
Performance (Working In The Theatre #217)
Select Credits
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Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill - Billie Holiday, Circle in the Square Theatre
2014 Tony Award Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
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The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess - Bess, Richard Rodgers Theatre
2012 Tony Award Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
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A Raisin in the Sun - Ruth Younger, Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre
2004 Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Play
- Marie Christine - Marie Christine L'Adrese, Vivian Beaumont Theatre
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Ragtime - Sarah, Lyric Theatre
1998 Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Musical
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Master Class - Sharon, John Golden Theatre
1996 Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Play
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Carousel - Carrie Pipperidge, Vivian Beaumont Theatre
1994 Best Featured Actress in a Musical
