The Official Website of Singer and Actress Audra McDonald
Audra was featured on the cover of Backstage Magazine’s September issue. In an interview with Casey Mink, Audra talks about Black Theatre United, her career to date, and her new film RESPECT. Read the article, here.
Audra will be the first recipient of the Étoile Award, an honor granted annually to an international television actor or actress at the Series Mania Festival. Audra will accept her award on opening night on August 26 in Lille, France. Spectrum’s The Bite, in which she stars opposite Taylor Schilling, will also have its French premiere at the festival. Learn more, here.
For the first time in 75 years, the Theatre World Awards, which typically recognize debut performances, will bypass its annual ceremony and instead present a one-night-only virtual event honoring Broadway’s best. This year’s honorees are Audra McDonald, Patti LuPone, and André De Shields. On July 11, LuPone and De Shields receive the 8th Annual John Willis Award for Lifetime Achievement vent in the Theatre, while Audra will be honored with the Dorothy Loudon Special Award for Excellence in Theatre in recognition of her overall excellence and contribution to the field. All proceeds from this virtual event go towards presenting next year’s Awards, set for June 2022. The stream will be available to watch for free on BroadwayWorld.com on July 11 at 7pm ET.
Audra McDonald has been included in Variety’s 2021 Inclusion Report. Released annually, this list showcases top creatives pushing forward the needle on diversity and inclusion. Audra is recognized this year for her role in the co-founding of Black Theatre United, an organization created to address the systemic racism in the country and theater community. Founded by 21 artists including Brian Stokes Mitchell, Billy Porter and Vanessa Williams, BTU is currently working towards creating mentorships, fighting voter suppression and ensuring safe and anti-racist spaces as theatre reopens. Read the full inclusion report here.
Audra McDonald recently appeared on CBS’s The Talk to discuss several of her upcoming TV and film appearances. She returns in season 5 to CBS’ hit show “The Good Fight” premiering on Paramount+ on June 24. Audra then talks about her role in the new Spectrum Originals drama series “The Bite” and what it was like to film during quarantine. Finally, on her portrayal of Barbara Franklin in the upcoming biopic Respect, Audra says, “”It was an honor to be asked to be a part of it. There’s not a lot that is known about Barbara Franklin…She was a singer. If you look at Aretha Franklin, you’re looking at Barbara…”
Watch segments from the interview below!
