An Evening with Audra McDonald

Audra McDonald is unparalleled in the breadth and versatility of her artistry as both a singer and an actor. The winner of a record-breaking six Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards and an Emmy, in 2015 she received the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama and was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people. She won Tonys for her performances in “Carousel,” “Master Class,” “Ragtime,” “A Raisin in the Sun,” The Gershwins’ “Porgy and Bess” and “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill,” which also served as the vehicle for her Olivier-nominated West End debut. In 2025, she became the acting categories’ most decorated individual in Tony history after earning an unprecedented eleventh nomination for “Gypsy.”  

On television, McDonald won an Emmy as the official host of PBS’s “Live From Lincoln Center” and is known for recurring roles on “Private Practice” (ABC), “The Good Wife” (CBS), “The Good Fight” (Paramount+) and “The Gilded Age” (HBO). Her film credits include Disney’s live-action “Beauty and the Beast” and MGM’s Aretha Franklin biopic, "Respect.”  

A Juilliard-trained soprano, McDonald maintains a major career as a Grammy-winning recording and concert artist. Her latest solo album, “Sing Happy,” was recorded live with the New York Philharmonic for Decca Gold. She is a founding member of Black Theatre United, board member of Covenant House International and prominent advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights, whose favorite roles are those performed offstage, as an activist, wife to actor Will Swenson and mother to her amazing children.