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“The Gilded Age” Season 2 Out Now on HBO

The Gilded Age returned for its second season on HBO on October 29, with Audra McDonald reprising her role as Dorothy Scott.

From Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, The Gilded Age explores the social wars between old and new money in late-19th century New York City. The show also offers a rare depiction of New York’s Black elite of the time, including the Scott family of Brooklyn, of which Audra’s character Dorothy is the wife and mother.

In Season 2 of The Gilded Age, Dorthy’s daughter Peggy pursues her journalistic ambitions and travels South to document the creation of the Tuskegee Institute by Dr. Booker T. Washington, while the creation of the Metropolitan Opera brings tension to socialites back in Manhattan.

New episodes air every Sunday night through December 17.

Learn more about the season

Audra on Tour in North America

This fall and winter, following sold-out shows at London’s Palladium and New York’s Carnegie Hall, she continues touring her “Evening with Audra McDonald” performances with orchestras around the country and in Canada, in cities including Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Toronto, a favorite location to which she returns after a prolonged absence.

Interspersed with her large-scale performances are a few more intimate concerts with piano only, including at New York’s 92NY. For two evenings at that venue, McDonald presents a career retrospective to celebrate the 30th anniversary of her professional debut in New York, incorporating conversation and storytelling with longtime music director and collaborator, leading Broadway conductor Andy Einhorn, as well as clips from past performances. Einhorn will be on the podium for orchestral performances throughout the tour, and will accompany on piano for all but one of the solo evenings.

Go to the full schedule.

Tony Nomination for Ohio State Murders

Audra McDonald has been nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for her performance as Suzanne Alexander in Adrienne Kennedy’s play Ohio State Murders. This marks her tenth acting nomination and ties her with Chita Rivera and Julie Harris for the most Tony Award nominations received by a performer. Audra has won more Tony Awards than any other performer and is the only performer to have won the award in all four acting categories.

Audra also received nominations for Lead Actress in a Broadway Play from the Outer Circle Critics’ Awards, and Lead Performance in a Play from the Drama Desk Awards for the same role. This production of Ohio State Murders, which marked the 91-year-old Kennedy’s long-awaited Broadway debut, was also nominated by the Outer Circle Critics’ Awards and Drama Desk Awards for Best Revival of a Play. It was directed by Kenny Leon. 

“I am honored to have been nominated for Ohio State Murders,” said Audra. “Having the opportunity to work with Kenny Leon, and to be a part of Adrienne Kennedy’s long-overdue Broadway debut of her extraordinary, relevant, and powerful work, was one of the most important artistic experiences of my life.”

The Tony Awards will take place on Sunday, June 11 at 8 pm ET and will air live on CBS and Paramount+.  

Audra Wins Gracie Award

On Thursday, March 30, the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWMF) announced Audra as a 2023 Gracie Award winner for best actress in a supporting role – drama for her portrayal as Liz Reddick in The Good Fight on CBS.

The Gracies “recognize outstanding programming and individual achievement created by women, for women, and about women in all facets of media in news and entertainment.”

This year’s theme of  “Storytelling,” highlights and celebrates the narratives shared by the winners, which inform, inspire, captivate audiences, and enrich our collective comprehension of the world.

Audra Performs in Ragtime Reunion Concert

On March 27, Audra reunited with the Ragtime cast for Entertainment Community Fund’s one-night-only benefit reunion concert. This much-anticipated concert, which took place at the Minskoff Theater in New York, celebrated the 25th anniversary of Ragtime’s Broadway opening and raised more than $1 million in support of the programs and services to help people in the performing arts and entertainment community. 

Most of the original broadway cast of the Ahrens and Flaherty musical performed, including Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Peter Friedman, and Judy Kaye. Lea Michele, who originated the role of “Little Girl”, introduced a tribute segment honoring Ragtime company members who have passed away. Tony award-winning actress Kelli O’Hara played “Mother”, a role that was originally performed by the late Marin Mazzie.

Other featured cast members included Mark Aldrich, Shaun Amyot, John D. Baker, Jack Baumrind, Darlene Bel Grayson, Dara Paige Bloomfield, Sandra M. Bonitto, Sherry Boone, Jack Casey, Mark Cassius, Jamie Chandler-Torns, Albert Christmas, Jim Corti, Pierce Cravens, Larry Daggett, Bernard Dotson, Roberta Duchak, Donna Dunmire, Adam Dyer, Duane Martin Foster, Patty Goble, Elisa Heinsohn, David Hess, Adam Hunter, Mark Jacoby, Kimberly JaJuan, Anne Kanengeiser, Judy Kaye, Mary Sharon Komarek (Dziedzic), Joe Langworth, Kai Latorre, Joe Locarro, Dan Manning, Michael X. Martin, Mary McCandless, Anne L. Nathan, Lynnette Perry, Orgena Rose, Gordon Stanley, Steven Sutcliffe, Addyson Evelyn Tabankin, Keith Thomas, Todd Thurston, Vanessa Townsell-Crisp, Allyson Tucker, Rema Webb, Leon Williams, Bruce Winant, and Eric Jordan Young.

Watch a highlights video from the unforgettable evening here. Official merchandise from the one-night-only concert is also now on sale here.

 

All proceeds from this one-night only benefit concert, ​​as well as net proceeds from the sale of merchandise, support the Entertainment Community Fund, a national human services organization that addresses the unique needs of people who work in performing arts and entertainment with services focused on health and wellness, career and life, and housing.