Audra has been awarded the Tony Award for “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical” for her portrayal of the downtrodden Bess in The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, currently running at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway. The honor places her in the illustrious company of Broadway legends Julie Harris and Angela Lansbury as the only people in Tony history to win five performance awards. Having received her first Tony Award in 1994 for Carousel, Audra is the only actress to accomplish this feat within a 20-year period and is the youngest performer and first African-American to do so. The award also marks Audra’s first Tony in the Leading Actress category. The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess also received a Tony for “Best Revival of a Musical.”