Audra McDonald

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Audra McDonald
Born	Audra Ann McDonald July 3, 1970 (1970-07-03) (age 39) Berlin, Germany
Occupation	actress, singer
Spouse(s)	Peter Donovan (2000–2009)

Audra Ann McDonald (born July 3, 1970) is a four-time Tony Award-winning and two-time Grammy Award-winning actress and singer. She currently stars in the ABC television drama Private Practice as Dr. Naomi Bennett.^[1]

Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Personal Life 4 Discography 4.1 Solo Recordings 4.2 Featured Recordings 4.3 Cast recordings 4.4 Audio books 5 Filmography 5.1 Feature films 5.2 Television 6 Theatre 6.1 Broadway 6.2 Off Broadway 7 Awards and nominations 8 References 9 External links

[edit] Early life

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.^[2] She got her start in acting with Dan Pessano and Good Company Players, beginning in their Junior Company. "I knew I wanted to be involved in theater when I had my first chance to perform with the Good Company Players Junior Company.", "The people who have had the most impact on my life: Good Company director Dan Pessano and my mother."^[3] She studied classical voice as an undergraduate under Ellen Faull at the Juilliard School,^[4] graduating in 1993.

[edit] Career

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 Gwen Verdon and Mary Martin. She reprised her Raisin role for a 2008 television adaptation, earning her a second Emmy Award nomination.^[5]

Throughout her career, McDonald has maintained ties to her classical training and repertoire. Carnegie Hall commissioned the song cycle The Seven Deadly Sins: A Song Cycle for McDonald, and she performed it at Carnegie's Zankel Hall on June 2, 2004.^[6] She sang two solo one-act operas at the Houston Grand Opera in March 2006: Francis Poulenc's La Voix Humaine and the world premiere of Michael John LaChiusa's Send (who are you? I love you).^[7] On February 10, 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.^[8] The recording of the Los Angeles Opera production of Kurt Weill's opera Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, featuring McDonald and Patti Lupone, won two Grammy Awards, for Best Opera Recording and Best Classical Album in February 2009.^[9]

McDonald has also made many television appearances, both musical and dramatic. In 2001, she received her first 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.^[10] She also has appeared on Homicide: Life on the Street (1999), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2000), Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years (1999), the short-lived Mister Sterling (2003), The Bedford Diaries (2006), and Kidnapped (2006-2007), and in the 1999 television remake of Annie as Daddy Warbucks' secretary Miss Farrell.^[11] She sang with the New York Philharmonic in the annual New Year's Eve gala concert on December 31, 2006, featuring music from the movies; it was televised on Live from Lincoln Center by PBS.^[12]

In films, 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 by Daryush Shokof which was her film acting debut in (1996).^[11]

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 next album, How Glory Goes (2000) combined both old and new works, and included composers Harold Arlen, Leonard Bernstein and Jerome Kern.^[4] Her next album Happy Songs (2002) was big band music from the '20s, '30s and '40s.^[13] Her fourth album, Build a Bridge (2006), features songs from the jazz/pop canon, from composers as diverse as Adam Guettel (who wrote the title song), Laura Nyro, Elvis Costello, Nellie McKay, Neil Young, Rufus Wainwright, John Mayer and Randy Newman.^[14]

She frequently performs in concert throughout the US^[15] and has performed with musical institutions such as the New York Philharmonic and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

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 Actress in a Musical with Donna Murphy.^[16] On April 29, 2007, while she was in previews for the show, her father was killed when an experimental aircraft he was flying crashed north of Sacramento.^[17]

McDonald appears as Naomi Bennett, ex-wife of Sam, portrayed by Taye Diggs, in the television drama Private Practice, a spinoff of Grey's Anatomy. She replaced Merrin Dungey, who played the role in the series pilot.^[18]

In September 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.^[19]

[edit] Personal Life

McDonald married bassist Peter Donovan in September 2000.^[4] They have one daughter, Zoe Madeline, who was born on February 14, 2001 and was named after McDonald's Master Class co-star and good friend Zoe Caldwell. Her middle name is another tribute, to Madeline Kahn. McDonald and Donovan divorced in 2009.^[20] She is currently dating her former 110 in the Shade costar Will Swenson.^[21]

[edit] Discography

[edit] Solo Recordings

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

[edit] 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)
• Guest Artist, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir's The Wonder of Christmas ("Sweet Little Jesus Boy", "Children Go Where I Send Thee") (2006)
• New York Pops American River Suite (featured on "Prologue/Through The Mist/Half Moon") [Recording offered as a FREE download for a limited time on the official New York Pops website.]

[edit] 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- by John Adams (Studio Cast Recording) (1998)^[22]
• 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 (2001 Concert Cast Recording) (released February 2002)^[23]
• 110 in the Shade (2007 Broadway Revival Cast Recording) (2007)
• Rodgers & Hammerstein's Allegro (First Complete Recording) (2009)^[24]

[edit] Audio books

• Alice Walker, By The Light of My Father's Smile (1998)^[25]
• Connie Briscoe, A Long Way From Home (1999)^[26]
• Rita Dove, Second-Hand Man (2003)^[27]

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Feature films

Year	Film	Role	Notes
1996	Seven Servants
1998	The Object of My Affection	Wedding Singer

[edit] Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1999	Annie	Grace Farrell
2000	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Audrey Jackson	Episodes: "Contact", "Slaves"
2001	Wit	Susie Monahan	Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress
2007-present	Private Practice	Dr. Naomi Bennett
2008	A Raisin In The Sun	Ruth Younger	Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress
2009	Grey's Anatomy	Dr. Naomi Bennett	Episode: Before and After

[edit] Theatre

[edit] Broadway

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

[edit] Off Broadway

From June 25, 2009 through July 12, 2009, McDonald starred as Olivia in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night at The Public Theatre Shakespeare In The Park. Also starring was Anne Hathaway as Viola.^[28]

[edit] 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
• 2009: Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording - Kurt Weill: Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny
• 2009: Grammy Award for Best Classical Album - Kurt Weill: Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny

Nominations

• 2000: Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical – Marie Christine
• 2001: NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Variety - Series or Special – Audra McDonald in Concert
• 2001: Primetime Emmy Award: Outstanding Supporting Actress In a Miniseries or a Movie for Wit (HBO)
• 2004: Drama League Award – A Raisin in the Sun
• 2007: Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical – 110 in the Shade
• 2008: Image Awards: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for Private Practice
• 2008: Primetime Emmy Award: Outstanding Supporting Actress In a Miniseries or a Movie for A Raisin in the Sun
• 2009: Image Awards: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for Private Practice

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Audra McDonald at the Internet Broadway Database
• Audra McDonald at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Audra McDonald at the Internet Movie Database
• Audra McDonald at Nonesuch Records
• Audra McDonald - Downstage Center interview at American Theatre Wing.org
• InnerVIEWS with Ernie Manouse: Audra McDonald (TV Interview)
• Audra McDonald's February 5, 2007 interview on the Tavis Smiley Show (TV Interview)

Award for Audra McDonald v • d • e Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play (1976-2000) Shirley Knight (1976) · Trazana Beverley (1977) · Ann Wedgeworth (1978) · Joan Hickson (1979) · Dinah Manoff (1980) · Swoosie Kurtz (1981) · Amanda Plummer (1982) · Judith Ivey (1983) · Christine Baranski (1984) · Judith Ivey (1985) · Swoosie Kurtz (1986) · Mary Alice (1987) · L. Scott Caldwell (1988) · Christine Baranski (1989) · Margaret Tyzack (1990) · Irene Worth (1991) · Brid Brennan (1992) · Debra Monk (1993) · Jane Adams (1994) · Frances Sternhagen (1995) · Audra McDonald (1996) · Lynne Thigpen (1997) · Anna Manahan (1998) · Elizabeth Franz (1999) · Blair Brown (2000) Complete list: (1947-1975) · (1976-2000) · (2001-present) v • d • e Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play (2001-present) Blair Brown (2000) · Viola Davis (2001) · Katie Finneran (2002) · Michele Pawk (2003) · Audra McDonald (2004) · Adriane Lenox (2005) · Frances de la Tour (2006) · Jennifer Ehle (2007) · Rondi Reed (2008) · Angela Lansbury (2009) Complete list: (1947-1975) · (1976-2000) · (2001-present) v • d • e Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical Kelly Bishop (1976) · Delores Hall (1977) · Nell Carter (1978) · Carlin Glynn (1979) · Priscilla Lopez (1980) · Marilyn Cooper (1981) · Liliane Montevecchi (1982) · Betty Buckley (1983) · Lila Kedrova (1984) · Leilani Jones (1985) · Bebe Neuwirth (1986) · Frances Ruffelle (1987) · Judy Kaye (1988) · Debbie Shapiro (1989) · Randy Graff (1990) · Daisy Eagan (1991) · Tonya Pinkins (1992) · Andrea Martin (1993) · Audra McDonald (1994) · Gretha Boston (1995) · Ann Duquesnay (1996) · Lillias White (1997) · Audra McDonald (1998) · Kristin Chenoweth (1999) · Karen Ziemba (2000) Complete list: (1950-1975) · (1976-2000) · (2001-present)

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