Audra McDonald
Birth name	Audra Ann McDonald
Born	03 July 1970 (1970-07-03) (age 37) Berlin, Germany
Spouse(s)	Peter Donovan (2000-present)
Notable roles	Sarah in Ragtime Lizzie Curry in 110 in the Shade
Tony Awards
Featured Actress - Musical 1994 Carousel 1998 Ragtime Featured Actress - Play 1996 Master Class 2004 A Raisin in the Sun

Audra Ann McDonald (born July 3, 1970) is a four-time Tony Award-winning American actress and singer. July 3 is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 181 days remaining. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ... Peter Donovan is an accomplished bassist. ... Look up ragtime in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 110 in the Shade is a musical with a book by N. Richard Nash, lyrics by Tom Jones, and music by Harvey Schmidt. ... What is popularly called the Tony Award (formally, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) is an annual award celebrating achievements in live American theater, including musical theater, primarily honoring productions on Broadway in New York. ... The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical is awarded to the actress who is voted the best non-starring actress in a musical, whether a new production or a revival. ... Carousel in Bobbejaanland, Belgium] (Bobbejaan Schoepen Archive) A carousel (or carrousel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating platform with seats for passengers. ... Look up ragtime in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A Raisin in the Sun is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted on Broadway in 1959. ... is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... What is popularly called the Tony Award (formally, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) is an annual award celebrating achievements in live American theater, including musical theater, primarily honoring productions on Broadway in New York. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... A singer is a musician who uses their voice to produce music. ...

Biography

Born in Berlin, Germany and raised in Fresno, California, the elder of two daughters, she began to study acting at a young age to counteract her diagnosis as "hyperactive." She studied classical voice as an undergraduate at the Juilliard School of Music, graduating in 1993. This article is about the capital of Germany. ... Nickname: Location in the state of California County Fresno Government  - Mayor Alan Autry Area  - City 104. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... The Juilliard School is a performing arts conservatory in New York City, informally but definitively identified as simply Juilliard, and most famous for its musically-trained alumni. ...

McDonald became a three-time Tony Award winner by the age of 28 — for her performances in Carousel, Master Class, and Ragtime — placing her alongside Shirley Booth, Gwen Verdon and Zero Mostel by accomplishing this feat within five years. She was nominated for another Tony Award for her performance in Marie Christine before she won her fourth in 2004 for her role in A Raisin in the Sun, placing her in the company of other four-time winning actresses Angela Lansbury, Gwen Verdon and Mary Martin. Only Julie Harris has won more, having earned five in competition and a special one acknowledging lifetime achievement. Carousel is a 1945 stage musical by Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (book and lyrics) that was adapted from Ferenc Molnars play Liliom. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Ragtime is a musical with a book by Terrence McNally, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and music by Stephen Flaherty. ... Shirley Booth (August 30, 1898 – October 16, 1992) was an acclaimed American actress. ... Gwyneth Evelyn Verdon (January 13, 1925 – October 18, 2000) was an acclaimed Tony Award-winning American dancer and actress, known professionally as Gwen Verdon. ... Mostel in Sirocco (1951) Zero Mostel (February 28, 1915 – September 8, 1977) was a Brooklyn-born stage and film actor best known for his portrayal of comic characters such as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof , Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Max... Marie Christine is a musical play written by Michael John LaChiusa. ... A Raisin in the Sun is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted on Broadway in 1959. ... Angela Lansbury CBE (born October 16, 1925) is a four-time Tony-winning, six-time Golden Globe-winning, three-time Oscar-nominated, and eighteen-time Emmy-nominated English actress, best-known for playing mystery writer Jessica Fletcher on Murder, She Wrote. ... Gwyneth Evelyn Verdon (January 13, 1925 – October 18, 2000) was an acclaimed Tony Award-winning American dancer and actress, known professionally as Gwen Verdon. ... Mary Martin photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1949 Mary Virginia Martin (December 1, 1913 – November 3, 1990) born in Weatherford, Texas was a Tony Award winning American star of (mainly stage) musicals. ... Actress Julie Harris photo taken by Carl Van Vechten 1952 Julie Harris (born Julia Ann Harris on December 2, 1925 in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan) is an American actress. ...

While well known for her singing abilities, McDonald has won acclaim for her dramatic performances as well. In 2001, she received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie for the HBO film Wit starring Emma Thompson and directed by Mike Nichols. She also has appeared on Homicide: Life on the Street, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years, the short-lived Mister Sterling and Kidnapped, and in the 1999 television remake of Annie as Daddy Warbucks' secretary Miss Farrell. She rang in 2007 with the New York Philharmonic in a concert of music from the movies televised on Live from Lincoln Center by PBS. An Emmy Award. ... HBO (Home Box Office) is an American premium cable television network. ... 1999 Faber and Faber edition of the play. ... Emma Thompson (born April 15, 1959) is an Emmy-, BAFTA- and Academy Award-winning English actress, comedian, and screenwriter. ... Mike Nichols (born Michael Igor Peschkowsky) is an Academy Award winning movie director of films such as The Graduate and Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. He was born on November 6, 1931 in Berlin, to a Jewish Russian family. ... Homicide: Life on the Street is an American television drama series chronicling the life of a fictional Baltimore police homicide unit. ... Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - Season 5 DVD Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (also known as Law & Order: SVU) is the first of three spin-offs of Law & Order (the other two being Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Law & Order: Trial by Jury; all series are presented on the NBC... Mister Sterling was an American television serial drama created by Lawrence ODonnell that ran from January to March in 2003. ... Annie is a musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. ... The New York Philharmonic is the oldest active symphony orchestra in the United States, organized during 1842. ... Live from Lincoln Center is an ongoing television concert series on PBS. It premiered in 1976 and is still running, although it is not a daily, weekly, or even monthly program. ... Not to be confused with Public Broadcasting Services in Malta. ...

On the big screen, McDonald has appeared in Best Thief in the World (2004), It Runs in the Family (2003), Cradle Will Rock (1999), The Object of My Affection (1998), and Seven Servants (1996). For the original 1937 musical, see The Cradle Will Rock. ... The Object of My Affection is a movie starring Jennifer Aniston, Paul Rudd, John Pankow, Alan Alda, and others. ...

McDonald has recorded four solo albums for Nonesuch Records. Her first, the 1998 Way 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 Michael John LaChiusa, Adam Guettel and Jason Robert Brown. Her subsequent albums, How Glory Goes and Happy Songs, [1] have featured more traditional theater and cabaret songs along with some songs by these new composers. Her fourth album, Build a Bridge [2], features primarily pop songs by such singer-songwriters as Laura Nyro, Elvis Costello, Nellie McKay, Neil Young, Rufus Wainwright, John Mayer and Randy Newman. Nonesuch Records is currently allied with Warner Bros. ... Michael John LaChiusa (born 1962) is a musical theatre composer and lyricist best known for his unusual sounding compositions for shows in the post-modern school. ... Adam Guettel (pronounced Gettle; b. ... Jason Robert Brown (born 1970 in Ossining, New York) is an American musical theater composer and lyricist. ... Laura Nyro (born Laura Nigro) (October 18, 1947 – April 8, 1997) was an American songwriter and singer, one of the most influential musicians to emerge in the 1960s. ... Elvis Costello (born Declan Patrick MacManus August 25, 1954 in London) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter. ... Nellie McKay (born Nell Marie McKay on 13 April 1982) is a British-born American singer-songwriter, actress and former stand-up comedian, noted for her critically-acclaimed debut album Get Away from Me. ... Neil Percival Young[1] OM (born November 12, 1945, Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and film director from Omemee, Ontario. ... Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright (born July 22, 1973) is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter. ... John Clayton Mayer (born October 16, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

She frequently appears in concert and has performed with a number of the most prestigious orchestras world-wide.

McDonald married bassist Peter Donovan in 2000. They have one daughter, Zoe Madeline. Peter Donovan is an accomplished bassist. ...

McDonald appeared as Lizzie in the Roundabout Theatre Company's 2007 revival of 110 in the Shade, directed by Lonny Price at Studio 54, for which she shared the Drama Desk Award for Best Acress in a Musical with Donna Murphy. In May, while she was in previews for the show, her father was killed when an experimental aircraft he was flying crashed north of Sacramento. The Roundabout Theatre Company is a non-profit, subscription based theatre company, based in New York City. ... 110 in the Shade is a musical with a book by N. Richard Nash, lyrics by Tom Jones, and music by Harvey Schmidt. ... Lonny Price (born March 9, 1959) is an American actor, writer, and director, primarily in theatre. ... The original Studio 54 logo. ... Created in 1955, the Drama Desk Award was created to recognize Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway shows in addition to Broadway shows. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Sacramento is a Spanish- and Portuguese-language word meaning sacrament; it is a common toponym in parts of the world where those tongues were or are spoken. ...

McDonald has been cast as Naomi Bennett, wife of Sam (portrayed by Taye Diggs), in Private Practice, the upcoming Grey's Anatomy spinoff. She is replacing Merrin Dungey, who played the role in the series pilot [3]. Taye Diggs (born Scott Diggs on January 2, 1971 in Rochester, New York[1]) is an American theatre, film and television actor. ... Private Practice is the upcoming spin-off of the award-winning popular television show, Greys Anatomy. ... This article is about the television series. ... Merrin Dungey as Francie Calfo on Alias Merrin Dungey, born August 6, 1971, Sacramento, California, is a film and television actress. ...

Discography

Solo Recordings

• Way Back to Paradise (1998)
• How Glory Goes (2000)
• Happy Songs (2002)
• Build a Bridge (2006)

Featured Recordings

• Dawn Upshaw Sings Rodgers & Hart (duet on "Why Can't I?") (1996)
• Leonard Bernstein's New York ("A Little Bit in Love" and "Tonight" duet with Mandy Patinkin) (1996)
• George and Ira Gershwin: Standards and Gems ("How Long Has This Been Going On?") (1998)
• George Gershwin: The 100th Birthday Celebration (Porgy and Bess selections) (1998)
• Cradle Will Rock ("Joe Worker") (1999)
• Myths and Hyms ("Pegasus") (1999)
• My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies ("The Webber Love Trio") (1999)
• Broadway In Love ("You Were Meant For Me" from The Object of My Affection) (2000)
• Broadway Cares: Home for the Holidays ("White Christmas") (2001)
• ZEITGEIST ("Think Twice") (2005)
• Barbara Cook at the Met ("When Did I Fall In Love?" and "Blue Skies") (2006)
• Jule Styne in Hollywood ("10,432 Sheep") (2006)
• The Wonder of Christmas ("Sweet Little Jesus Boy", "Children Go Where I Send Thee") (2006)

Cast Recordings

• Carousel (1994 Broadway Revival Cast Recording) (1994)
• Ragtime (Original Cast Recording) (1998)
• I Was Looking at the Ceiling and then I Saw the Sky (Studio Cast Recording) (1998)
• Wonderful Town (Studio Recording) (1999)
• Marie Christine (Original Cast Recording) (1999)
• Annie (1999)
• Sweeney Todd Live at the New York Philharmonic (2000)
• Dreamgirls in Concert (Concert Cast Recording) (2001)
• 110 in the Shade (2007 Broadway Revival Cast Recording) (2007)

The New York Philharmonic is the oldest active symphony orchestra in the United States, organized during 1842. ...

Bootleg Recordings

• Live at the Donmar, London (2000)
• Creators at Carnegie: The Seven Deadly Sins (hour one) (2004)
• Creators at Carnegie: Live At Carnegie Hall (hour two) (2004)
• Send (who are you? i love you) (2006)
• The Human Voice (2006)
• Audra McDonald Sings the American Songbook Live from Lincoln Center (2006)
• Audra McDonald Sings the Movies Live from Lincoln Center (2006)
• Discoveries at Disney Concert Hall (2007)
• Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (2007)

Audio Books

• Alice Walker's By The Light of My Father's Smile (1998)
• Connie Briscoe's A Long Way From Home (1999)
• Rita Dove's Second-Hand Man (2003)

Awards and nominations

Tony Awards

• Won: Best Featured Actress in a Musical, Carousel (1994)
• Won: Best Featured Actress in a Play, Master Class (1996)
• Won: Best Featured Actress in a Musical, Ragtime (1998)
• Nominated: Best Actress in a Musical, "Marie Christine" (1999)
• Won: Best Featured Actress in a Play, Raisin in the Sun (2004)
• Nominated: Best Actress in a Musical,110 in the Shade (2007)

Other awards

• Won: Theatre World Award, Carousel (1994)
• Won: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Carousel (1994)
• Won: Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Carousel (1994)
• Won: Ovation Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play, Master Class (1995)
• Nominated: NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Performance in a Variety Series/Special, Audra McDonald in Concert (2001)
• Won: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, A Raisin in the Sun (2004)
• Nominated: Drama League Award, A Raisin in the Sun (2004)
• Won: Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, A Raisin in the Sun (2004)

The Theatre World Award is an American honor given annually to an actor or an actress in recognition of an outstanding breakout performance in their New York City stage debut. ... Begun during the 1949-1950 theater season, the Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway. ... The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), is one of the oldest and most influential hate organizations in the United States. ... Created in 1935, the Drama League Awards honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing. ... Andrea Martin (born January 15, 1947) is a Tony Award-winning American actor and comedienne. ... My Favorite Year is a Broadway musical based on the film of the same name, with a book by Joseph Dougherty, music by Stephen Flaherty, and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens. ... The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical is awarded to the actress who is voted the best non-starring actress in a musical, whether a new production or a revival. ... Carousel is a 1945 stage musical by Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (book and lyrics) that was adapted from Ferenc Molnars play Liliom. ... Gretha Boston is a Tony award winning actress. ... Show Boat is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. One notable exception is the song Bill, which was originally written for Kern in 1918 by P. G. Wodehouse but reworked by Hammerstein for Show Boat, and two songs... Frances Sternhagen (born January 13, 1930) is an American actress. ... The Heiress is a 1949 film which tells the story of two young people who want to marry despite the girls fathers objections. ... A Tony Award for the Best Performance by a Featured Actress has been awarded since 1947. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Lynne Thigpen (December 22, 1948 – March 12, 2003) was an Image Award-nominated American film and television actress. ... Wendy Wasserstein (October 18, 1950 – January 30, 2006) was an award-winning American playwright and an Andrew Dickson White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University. ... Lillias White on the poster for the Sydney production of her one-woman show Lillias White (born July 21, 1951) is an award-winning American singer and actress. ... The Life is an award-winning musical with a book by David Newman, Ira Gasman and Cy Coleman, music by Coleman, and lyrics by Gasman. ... The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical is awarded to the actress who is voted the best non-starring actress in a musical, whether a new production or a revival. ... Ragtime is a musical with a book by Terrence McNally, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and music by Stephen Flaherty. ... Kristin Chenoweth (born Kristi Dawn Chenoweth on July 24, 1968) is an American singer and Tony Award-winning American musical theatre, film, and television actress. ... Youre a Good Man, Charlie Brown is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner and a book by John Gordon, based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip Peanuts. ... Michele Pawk (born November 16, 1961 in Butler, Pennsylvania) is an American actress and singer. ... Hollywood Arms is a comedy by Carrie Hamilton and Carol Burnett set in Hollywood, California in 1941 and 1951. ... A Tony Award for the Best Performance by a Featured Actress has been awarded since 1947. ... A Raisin in the Sun is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted on Broadway in 1959. ... Adriane Lenox (born August 11, 1956 in Memphis, Tennessee) is an African-American actress. ... This article is about the mental state. ...

External links

• Audra McDonald's site at Nonesuch Records
• Audra McDonald at the Internet Movie Database
• Audra McDonald at the Internet Broadway Database
• Audra McDonald - Downstage Center interview at American Theatre Wing.org
• InnerVIEWS with Ernie Manouse: Audra McDonald (TV Interview)
• Audra McDonald's February 5, 2007 interview on the Tavis Smiley Show (TV Interview)
• Audra McDonald in Show Music Magazine