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. 

Win a chance to attend the world premiere of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and do a world of good by supporting the work of Covenant House. Audra is auctioning off two tickets to the screening and pre-party in Los Angeles on March 2 and donating the proceeds to help homeless youth across America.

Learn more about Covenant House here, and make a bid on CharityBuzz.com.

After postponing performances of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Gill because of the bundle of joy that is Sally James McDonald-Swenson (evidenced here, here, and here), Audra McDonald is finally bringing her award-winning performance of Billie Holiday to Wyndham’s Theatre in London for a 14-week run this summer.

Written by Lanie Robertson and directed by Lonny Price, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill opened at the Circle in the Square theater in 2014 to great acclaim, earning Audra her sixth Tony Award, an Outer Circle Critics Award and a Drama Desk Award.

In addition to her stage performance, Audra can also be seen in the HBO special, filmed live at Cafe Brasil in New Orleans.

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill opens at Wyndham’s Theatre on June 17, and tickets go on sale February 3. Visit  LadyDayWestEnd.com for more information.