Winner of 4 Tony awards, nominated again this year for her starring roll in the musical revival, “110 in The Shade”, she is definitely a “Broadway Baby”.Like another of my favorites, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Ms McDonald can usually be found on the Broadway musical stage, they’ve worked together several times, most notably in “Ragtime”.She too interprets, and inhabits a song, making it her own, but, she is also the consummate actress - one of her Tony’s was for the revival of the Lorraine Hansberry play “A Raisin in the Sun”  (with P.Diddy) and she has appeared in numerous dramatic film and TV roles.

On Build a Bridge, her latest album, Ms McDonald includes something different - Laura Nyro, Randy Newman - she always brings her superb story telling gifts to the music, regardless of music styles.

Audra’s 4 Tony wins:

Carousel,

Master Class

Ragtime

A Raisin in the Sun

2007 Tony Awards on Sunday June 10th- perhaps # 5?

*btw - “Broadway Baby” is a song from a Stephen Sondheim show called Follies  which opened on Bwy April’71:

“I’m just a
Broadway Baby.
Walking off my tired feet.
Pounding Forty-Second Street
To be in a show.”