As she continues her Tony Award-winning Broadway performances as Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill—now extended through October 5—Audra McDonald will sleep outside in solidarity with homeless youth one night this summer as part of Sleep Out: Broadway Edition 2014.
The fundraising event is organized by Covenant House, the largest privately funded agency in the Americas providing shelter, food, immediate crisis care, and an array of other services to homeless and runaway youth. Audra will join the Covenant House International Board of Directors in September.

As part of Sleep Out: Broadway Edition 2014, Audra has embarked on a campaign to raise $10,000 or more for the organization. She is already well on her way to meeting her goal, but to encourage people to donate further, she is now offering an array of one-of-a-kind prizes in exchange for donations that are made between today and next Friday, August 15 at noon EDT.

Click here to visit Audra’s fundraising page and make a donation. Supporters will be contacted with details on how to redeem their prize.

Since its founding in 1972, Covenant House has helped over 1.2 million young people with immediate assistance and the support needed to a transition from a life on the streets to a life with a future. The largest privately funded nonprofit agency in the Americas, Covenant House provides food, shelter, clothing and immediate crisis care, medical care, educational and vocational programs, drug abuse treatment and prevention programs, legal aid services, recreation programs, mother/child programs, transitional living programs, life-skills training and street outreach. In 2013, they helped 56,110 youth at 22 locations across the United States, Canada, and Latin America; an average of 1,820 every night of the year.

While Sleep Out: Broadway Edition 2014 officially takes place on August 17 in New York City, Audra will sleep outside in solidarity with homeless youth on a different night this summer, as she will be traveling that evening.

Visit www.covenanthouse.org for information.

PS Classics’ original Broadway cast recording of Audra McDonald in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill has topped four Billboard charts in its first week of release, reaching #1 in Cast Albums, #1 in Jazz, #1 in Traditional Jazz, and #1 in Heatseekers. The album has already attracted a slew of rave reviews from the press. The New York Times wrote, “Onstage and in this two-disc cast album, Ms. McDonald ‘becomes’ Billie Holiday. Her performance transcends impersonation to become an indelible rite of spiritual communion between two great artists.” Entertainment Weekly agreed, stating, “It’s the performance everyone’s been talking about: six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald’s latest star turn. It’s a fully transportative experience for the audience, whose reactions help create the illusion carried by McDonald’s performance. The two-disc set offers an immersive translation of the show, a feat not reflected in several of this season’s recent cast albums.” Recorded live at the Circle in the Square Theatre during performances in late May, the album was produced by PS Classics co-founder Tommy Krasker and staff engineer Bart Migal. The album is available for purchase on Amazon and iTunes.

“Does vodka really kill bees and wasps?” This is one of several colorful questions that Audra and Jimmy Fallon answered last night in a reprise of their now signature segment for The Tonight Show, “Yahoo! Answers: Lounge Singers.” This time Audra and Jimmy were joined by actor Josh Charles, who was on hand to lend his vocals and surprisingly virtuosic pianism. You can watch the segment here:

Today PS Classics released the original Broadway cast recording of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. The two-disc set, which was recorded live at the Circle in the Square Theatre during performances in late May 2014, includes a complete rendering of the show.

Lanie Robertson’s musical play recounts Billie Holiday’s life story through the songs that made her famous. Among the songs featured on the recording are “God Bless the Child,” “What a Little Moonlight Can Do,” “Strange Fruit,” and “Tain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do.”

Buy the album from Amazon or iTunes.

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill runs through September 21 at the Circle in the Square Theatre.

It was announced yesterday that Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill‘s limited engagement at the Circle in the Square Theatre has been extended for a third time and will now play through September 21, 2014.  Lanie Robertson’s musical play, which began previews on March 25 and opened on April 13, recounts Billie Holiday’s life story through the songs that made her famous. This news comes just one month after Audra won her record-breaking sixth Tony Award for her portrayal of the legendary jazz singer.

The production will be dark from September 1 through September 7 while Audra takes a previously scheduled vacation. ​Starting September 9, audiences will have a chance to catch Audra’s final 16 performances. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

Last night at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, Audra McDonald won a record-breaking sixth Tony Award for her portrayal of the legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday in Lanie Robertson’s musical play Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. Her latest win, her first in the Lead Actress in a Play category, also marks the first time a performer has won Tonys in all four acting categories. Audra previously won as Best Featured Actress in a Play (A Raisin in the Sun and Master Class), Best Lead Actress in a Musical (The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess) and Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Ragtime and Carousel).

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill runs through August 10 at the Circle in the Square Theatre. Click here to purchase tickets.