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'Audra Ann McDonald' (born July 3, 1970) is a four-time Tony Award-winning American actress and singer.

Contents

Biography

Discography

Solo Recordings

Featured Recordings

Cast Recordings

Bootleg Recordings

Audio Books

Awards and nominations

Tony Awards

Other awards

External links

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.
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.
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 '', '', '', 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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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].

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)

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)'

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External links

★ Audra McDonald's site at Nonesuch Records

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★ 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