by Elisa Lichtenbaum
In May 2024, Great Performances presents its seventh annual “Broadway’s Best” lineup, premiering on PBS (check local listings), pbs.org/gperf, the PBS App. Audra McDonald fans are in for a extra-special treat as she’s featured in two exciting premieres: Audra McDonald at the London Palladium (Friday, May 17 at 9 p.m.) and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s 80th Anniversary: My Favorite Things (Friday, May 31 at 9 p.m.).
Before you enjoy these specials, check out these five fun facts about the six-time Tony Award winner.
1) She received her classical music training at Juilliard.
Audra McDonald received her classical musical training at New York’s prestigious Juilliard School. The young lyric soprano initially found the highly competitive conservatory atmosphere discouraging as she struggled to find her artistic identity. She credits Thomas Grubb, Instructor of French Vocal Repertoire and Diction at Juilliard, in helping her discover the key to her artistry, which enabled her to thrive at Juilliard and beyond.
McDonald discusses her experiences at Juilliard in this one-hour interview from the American Masters Digital Archive, filmed during production of the 2003 American Masters documentary Juilliard.
She reflects on the Juilliard teacher who changed her life in this emotional interview excerpt.
2) She fainted at her final audition for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel – but still landed the role that led to her first Tony.
McDonald was in the middle of singing “Mister Snow” at her final audition for Lincoln Center Theater’s 1994 revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel when she suddenly fainted. Despite the disruption in her audition, the 23-year-old Broadway baby landed the part of Carrie Pipperidge, garnered rave reviews, and earned a Tony Award as Best Featured Actress in a Musical – the first of her six record-breaking Tony wins – just one year after graduating from Juilliard.
Audra McDonald sings “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel in Great Performances – Rodgers & Hammerstein’s 80th Anniversary: My Favorite Things.
3) She is a founding member of Black Theatre United.
In June 2020, Audra McDonald and a coalition of professionals from across the theater industry announced the launch of Black Theatre United, a non-profit organization whose mission is to inspire reform and combat systemic racism within the theater community and throughout the nation. Hear inspiring words from LaChanze, Billy Porter, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Tamara Tunie, Vanessa Williams, and other founding members of Black Theatre United at the organization’s inaugural gala in this ALL ARTS Dispatch segment.
Audra McDonald discusses the mission of Black Theatre United in this June 2020 PBS NewsHour story.
4) She joined Christine Baranski and Meryl Streep for a special 90th birthday toast to Stephen Sondheim – in her bathrobe.
On April 26, 2020, as the world shut down during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, a starry line-up of Broadway icons came together via Zoom to celebrate Stephen Sondheim’s 90th birthday in Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration, a streaming concert on Broadway.com and YouTube benefiting ASTEP (Artists Striving to End Poverty). One of the most talked-about highlights of the concert featured a formidable, cocktail-swigging trio — Audra McDonald (bourbon), Christine Baranski (red wine), and Meryl Streep (a martini, shaken) — singing “The Ladies Who Lunch” from Company, decked out in fluffy white bathrobes at home.
Watch Audra McDonald, Christine Baranski, and Meryl Streep sing “The Ladies Who Lunch” in Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration.
5) She voiced a singing chicken on Sesame Street.
McDonald provided the singing vocals for a chicken in “Elmo the Musical: Circus the Musical,” a segment in a 2012 Sesame Street episode that followed Elmo’s pursuit of circus stardom. Sesame Street puppeteer Stephanie D’Abruzzo (a Tony nominee for Avenue Q) provided the speaking voice and movements of the character, but the glorious soprano sounds in the musical numbers are 100% Audra!
Watch Audra McDonald and Elmo sing “Keep on Clucking” in “Elmo the Musical: Circus the Musical.”
Great Performances “Broadway’s Best” line-up is part of Broadway and Beyond, a special collection of theater and arts programming from The WNET Group you can enjoy on-air and online. If you live in the tri-state area, visit thirteen.org/broadway for more information.
Elisa Lichtenbaum | @ElisaVonTap
Elisa Lichtenbaum is a Senior Writer at The WNET Group, where she is editor of the monthly THIRTEEN program guide and writes about arts and culture.
