Led by host Audra McDonald, the 74th Tony Awards celebrated Broadway’s reopening with beloved performances and long-awaited reunions for theater’s biggest stars. In addition to serving as the evening’s emcee on Paramount+, McDonald reprised her role in the original cast of Ragtime for a performance of “Wheels of a Dream” with Brian Stokes Mitchell on the CBS special “Broadway’s Back!”

Vulture praised her hosting duties as a highlight of the night, stating:

“Audra McDonald entering as host, bringing with her the calming fact of being Audra. Whether it was because she’s on CBS’s The Good Fight or something else, Paramount+ made the superb choice of having Audra McDonald, beloved ultraprofessional, as emcee. She cares, she has authority, she knows everyone, she’s gracious and enthusiastic, and they’re definitely going to listen to her. She even makes thanking the accounting firm seem genuine.”

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.