Audra McDonald

Infobox actor
name = Audra McDonald


imagesize =
caption =
birthname = Audra Ann McDonald
birthdate = Birth date and age|1970|7|3
birthplace = Berlin, Germany
occupation = actress, singer
spouse = Peter Donovan (2000–present)
tonyawards = Featured Actress - Musical
1994 "Carousel"
1998 "Ragtime"
Featured Actress - Play
1996 "Master Class"
2004 "A Raisin in the Sun"
awards = Drama Desk Awards
1994 "Carousel"
2004 "A Raisin in the Sun"
2007 "110 in the Shade"
Theatre World Awards
1994 "Carousel"
Outer Critics Circle Award
1994 "Carousel"
2004 "A Raisin in the Sun"

Audra Ann McDonald (born July 3, 1970) is an American four-time Tony Award-winning actress and singer. She currently stars in the ABC television drama "Private Practice" as Dr. Naomi Bennett. [cite news | author= | title='Practice' is perfect for McDonald | url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3ib2e03aed98ee11408481b5f676fc4bf3 | work=The Hollywood Reporter | date=2007 | accessdate=2008-05-21]

Biography

Born in Berlin, Germany and raised in Fresno, California, the elder of two daughters, she began to study acting at a young age to counteract her diagnosis as "hyperactive". McDonald graduated from the Roosevelt School of the Arts program within Theodore Roosevelt High School in Fresno. [cite news | author= | title=Audra - Living Her Dream | url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=FB&p_theme=fb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAE83372BB1CEA1&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM | work=The Fresno Bee | date=15 January 1989| accessdate=2008-05-21] She studied classical voice as an undergraduate at the Juilliard School of Music, graduating in 1993.

McDonald became a three-time Tony Award winner by the age of 28 — for her performances in "Carousel", "Master Class", and "Ragtime" — placing her alongside Shirley Booth, Gwen Verdon and Zero Mostel by accomplishing this feat within five years. She was nominated for another Tony Award for her performance in "Marie Christine" before she won her fourth in 2004 for her role in "A Raisin in the Sun", placing her in the company of other four-time winning actresses Angela Lansbury, Gwen Verdon and Mary Martin. She reprised her "Raisin" role for a 2008 television adaptation.

Throughout her career McDonald has maintained ties to her classical training and repertoire. In 2005 "" was commissioned for and performed by her at Carnegie's Zankel Hall. She sang two solo one-act operas at the Houston Grand Opera in 2006: Francis Poulenc's "La Voix Humaine" and the world premiere of Michael John LaChiusa's "Send (who are you? I love you)". In 2007, McDonald starred with Patti LuPone in the Los Angeles Opera production of Kurt Weill's opera "Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny" directed by John Doyle.

McDonald has also made several television appearances, both musical and dramatic. In 2001, she received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie for the HBO film "Wit" starring Emma Thompson and directed by Mike Nichols. She also has appeared on ', ', "", the short-lived "Mister Sterling", "The Bedford Diaries", and "Kidnapped", and in the 1999 television remake of "Annie" as Daddy Warbucks' secretary Miss Farrell. She rang in 2007 with the New York Philharmonic in a concert of music from the movies televised on "Live from Lincoln Center" by PBS.

On the big screen, McDonald has appeared in "Best Thief in the World" (2004), "It Runs in the Family" (2003), "Cradle Will Rock" (1999), "The Object of My Affection" (1998), and "Seven Servants" (1996).

McDonald has recorded four solo albums for Nonesuch Records. Her first, the 1998 "Way Back to Paradise", featured songs written by a new generation of musical theatre composers who had achieved varying degrees of prominence in the 1990s, particularly Michael John LaChiusa, Adam Guettel and Jason Robert Brown. Her subsequent albums, "How Glory Goes" and "Happy Songs", have featured more traditional theater and cabaret songs along with some songs by these new composers. Her fourth album, "Build a Bridge", features songs from the jazz/pop canon, from composers as diverse as Laura Nyro, Elvis Costello, Nellie McKay, Neil Young, Rufus Wainwright, John Mayer and Randy Newman. She frequently appears in concert and has performed with a number of the most prestigious orchestras world-wide.

McDonald married bassist Peter Donovan in 2000. They have one daughter, Zoe Madeline.

McDonald appeared as Lizzie in the Roundabout Theatre Company's 2007 revival of "110 in the Shade", directed by Lonny Price at Studio 54, for which she shared the Drama Desk Award for Best Acress in a Musical with Donna Murphy. In May, while she was in previews for the show, her father was killed when an experimental aircraft he was flying crashed north of Sacramento.

McDonald appears as Naomi Bennett, ex-wife of Sam, portrayed by Taye Diggs, in "Private Practice", a spinoff of "Grey's Anatomy". She replaced Merrin Dungey, who played the role in the series pilot.

In September of 2008, American musical theatre composer Michael John LaChiusa was quoted in Opera News Online, as working on an adaptation of Bizet's opera Carmen with McDonald in mind. [cite news |author=Portantiere, Michael |title=Over the Borderline |url=http://www.metoperafamily.org/operanews/issue/article.aspx?id=4980&issueID=325 |work=Opera News Online |date=September 2008, vol 73, no. 3 |accessdate=2008-09-02]

Discography

olo Recordings

* "Way Back to Paradise" (1998)
* "How Glory Goes" (2000)
* "Happy Songs" (2002)
* "Build a Bridge" (2006)

Featured Recordings

* "Dawn Upshaw Sings Rodgers & Hart" (duet on "Why Can't I?") (1996)
* "Leonard Bernstein's New York" ("A Little Bit in Love" and "Tonight" duet with Mandy Patinkin) (1996)
* "George and Ira Gershwin: Standards and Gems" ("How Long Has This Been Going On?") (1998)
* "George Gershwin: The 100th Birthday Celebration" ("Porgy and Bess" selections) (1998)
* "Cradle Will Rock" ("Joe Worker") (1999)
* "Myths and Hymns" ("Pegasus") (1999)
* "My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies" ("The Webber Love Trio") (1999)
* "Broadway In Love" ("You Were Meant For Me" from "The Object of My Affection") (2000)
* "Broadway Cares: Home for the Holidays" ("White Christmas") (2001)
* "Bright Eyed Joy: The Songs Of Ricky Ian Gordon" ("Daybreak in Alabama", etc.) (2001)
* "ZEITGEIST" ("Think Twice") (2005)
* "Barbara Cook at the Met" ("When Did I Fall In Love?" and "Blue Skies") (2006)
* "Jule Styne in Hollywood" ("10,432 Sheep") (2006)
* "The Wonder of Christmas" ("Sweet Little Jesus Boy", "Children Go Where I Send Thee") (2006)

Cast Recordings

* "Carousel" (1994 Broadway Revival Cast Recording) (1994)
* "Ragtime" (Original Cast Recording) (1998)
* "I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky" (Studio Cast Recording) (1998)
* "Wonderful Town" (Studio Recording) (1999)
* "Marie Christine" (Original Cast Recording) (1999)
* "Annie" (1999)
* "Sweeney Todd Live at the New York Philharmonic" (2000)
* "Dreamgirls in Concert" (Concert Cast Recording) (2001)
* "110 in the Shade" (2007 Broadway Revival Cast Recording) (2007)

Bootleg Recordings

* Only Heaven (Ricky Ian Gordon) 1997
* "Live at the Donmar, London" (2000)
* "Creators at Carnegie: " (hour one) (2004)
* "Creators at Carnegie: Live At Carnegie Hall" (hour two) (2004)
* "Send (who are you? i love you)" (2006)
* "The Human Voice" (2006)
* "Audra McDonald Sings the American Songbook Live from Lincoln Center" (2006)
* "Audra McDonald Sings the Movies Live from Lincoln Center" (2006)
* "Discoveries at Disney Concert Hall" (2007)
* "Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny" (2007)

Audio Books

* Alice Walker's "By The Light of My Father's Smile" (1998)
* Connie Briscoe's "A Long Way From Home" (1999)
* Rita Dove's "Second-Hand Man" (2003)

Filmography

* "The Object of My Affection" (1998) – Wedding Singer
* "Wit" (2001) – Susie Monahan
* "A Raisin In The Sun" (2008) – Ruth Younger
* "Private Practice" (2007–2008) – Dr Naomi Bennett

;guest appearances
* "" (2000) – Audrey Jackson

Theatre

Broadway

* "Carousel" (1994)
* "Master Class" (1996)
* "Ragtime" (1998)
* "Marie Christine" (1999)
* "A Raisin in the Sun" (2004)
* "110 in the Shade" (2007)

Awards and nominations

;Awards
* 1994: Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical – "Carousel"
* 1994: Theatre World Award – "Carousel"
* 1994: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical – "Carousel"
* 1994: Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical – "Carousel"
* 1995: Ovation Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play – "Master Class"
* 1996: Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play – "Master Class"
* 1998: Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical – "Ragtime"
* 2004: Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play – "A Raisin in the Sun"
* 2004: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play – "A Raisin in the Sun"
* 2004: Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play – "A Raisin in the Sun"
* 2007: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical – "110 in the Shade"

;Nominations
* 1999: Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical – "Marie Christine"
* 2001: NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Variety - Series or Special – "Audra McDonald in Concert"
* 2004: Drama League Award – "A Raisin in the Sun"
* 2007: Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical – "110 in the Shade"
* 2008: Primetime Emmy Award: Outstanding Supporting Actress In a Miniseries or a Movie for "A Raisin in the Sun"

References

External links

*
*
* [http://www.nonesuch.com/Hi_Band/index_frameset2.cfm?pointer=mcdonald.gifAudra McDonald's site at Nonesuch Records]
* [http://www.americantheatrewing.org/downstagecenter/detail/audra_mcdonald Audra McDonald] - "Downstage Center" interview at American Theatre Wing.org
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8310617678595561535&q=innerviews InnerVIEWS with Ernie Manouse: Audra McDonald] (TV Interview)
* [http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200702/20070205.html Audra McDonald's February 5, 2007 interview on the Tavis Smiley Show] (TV Interview)
* [http://uarts.info/wiki/index.php?title=Audra Audra McDonald in Show Music Magazine]

###@@@KEY@@@###succession box
title=Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress - Musical
years=1993-1994
for "Carousel"
before=Rachel York
for "Putting It Together"
after=Rachel York
for "Victor/Victoria"