On June 17, Audra McDonald makes her long-awaited West End debut playing Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. Earning her a record-breaking sixth Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics’ Circle Award, and an Emmy nomination for its HBO filmed version, Audra’s performance of the iconic jazz legend features some of her best known hits.

Written by Lanie Robertson and directed by Lonny Price, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill opened at the Circle in the Square Theatre in New York City in 2014. Audra reprises the role for this 12 week limited run on the West End.

Performances run through September 9 at the Wyndham’s Theatre. Visit LadyDayWestEnd.com for tickets and more information.

Honoring the jazz great Ella Fitzgerald, Audra McDonald joins host Harry Connick, Jr. at the annual Jazz at Lincoln Center Gala on April 26. The event celebrates the First Lady of Song’s centennial with an evening of performances by some of today’s most talented performers, including Renée Fleming, Roberta Gambarini, Diana Krall, Alison Krauss, Marilyn Maye, Camille Thurman, Kenny Washington, and Cécile McLorin Salvant.

The event will be livestreamed online on April 26, 2017 at 7 pm ET. Tune in below to watch “Ella at 100 – Forever the First Lady of Song.”

Joining activists Jessica Chastain, Chelsea Clinton, Gayle King, Blake Lively, and Shari Redstone, Audra McDonald is named one of the honorees at Variety’s Power of Women event. Audra is being recognized for her work with Covenant House, an organization that provides support to homeless youth across the United States.

Audra joined the board of Covenant House in 2014 and has participated in the organization’s annual sleep out to raise money for room, board, and aid for homeless youth.

In advance of her West End debut in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Audra McDonald performs at the 2017 Laurence Olivier awards on Sunday, April 9. Audra sings with the Olivier Awards’ orchestra during the event’s In Memoriam tribute.

The awards ceremony will be streamed live on Facebook beginning with the red carpet show at 4:30 pm BST/11:30 AM EDT, and will broadcast on Magic Radio in the UK and Sirius XM in the US. In addition to the live broadcasts, the Olivier Awards will also air on ITV in the UK on Tuesday, April 11 at 8 pm BST.

Audra follows the Olivier Awards with four concerts at the Leicester Square Theater from April 12 through 15 and brings her Tony-Award winning performance of Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill to Wyndham’s Theatre on June 17. 

Audra McDonald brings Disney to life in the live-action adaptation of the classic film “Beauty and the Beast,” in theaters March 17. Audra joins Emma Watson as Belle, Dan Stevens as the Beast and the “illustrious cast” of household objects as the gregarious singing Garderobe (Indiewire).

“To hear McDonald’s glorious voice on the big screen is just one of this film’s many pleasures,” writes Deadline, rounding out the film that “marries visual spectacle and sumptuous design…casting a spell on old fans and newcomers alike” (USA Today). “This Beauty is its own resplendent creature,” commends Time, “loaded with feeling” and “wild, vivid and crazy-beautiful.”

“Beauty and the Beast” is directed by Bill Condon, written by Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos, and features music from the original film and three new songs by Alan Menken and Tim Rice.