This Is Why You Should Keep Watching Audra McDonald

Forbes

5 hours ago

THE VIEW - (5.22.14) Guest co-host and political commentator Margaret Hoover; Seth MacFarlane; ... More Sherri and Jenny dissect the latest pop culture news;Tony award nominee Audra McDonald ("Lady Day at Emersons Bar and Grill). "The View" airs Monday-Friday (11:00 am-12:00 pm, ET) on the Walt Disney Television Network. (Photo by Fred Lee/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
There is a difference between simplistic ability and that of talent, and Audra McDonald is a steady and bright emulation of both, with an extraordinary ability.
A blatant force in American theater, the talent of Audra McDonald lies not only in her voice and performance range, but in the depth of her contributions to Broadway's legacy. Her career spans over three decades as both an unmatched practitioner of theater and a transformative cultural figure, redefining what's possible on the stage for women, for Black artists, and for the totality of American theater.
McDonald's name is debossed in Broadway history for notable reasons. She holds a record-breaking six Tony Awards, the most for any performer, and is the only actor to have won in all four competitive acting categories with lead and featured roles in both musicals and plays. With 11 Tony nominations to date, she's also the most nominated performer in the award's history. She won her first Tony at just 23 years old for her performance in Carousel, announcing her evident coming in the game.
Now, over 30 years later, her recent nomination for Gypsy has brought her 360 degree moment in a manner that is both symbolic and historic. Who would have thought, given the trials Black women have endured in the world of theater, that it would be a Black woman who now holds that title? Should McDonald win her category on Sunday night, she will break her own record once again, solidifying her place not just as the most decorated talent in Tony history, but as the living, breathing document of evolution. The Berlin born actress is not just someone you should watch. She is history in motion.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 19: Audra Mcdonald speaks onstage during "Gypsy" Broadway Opening ... More Night at Majestic Theatre on December 19, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by)
Her recent performance as Mama Rose in Gypsy has only cemented that legendary status. The role is historically one of Broadway's most demanding and mythic roles and McDonald brought a refined emotional complexity and sharp vocal precision to a character long associated with white actresses like Ethel Merman and Patti LuPone. Her portrayal was not just a simple rendition, it was more of a reinvention. For many, seeing a Black woman embody such an iconic role on a major stage was an act that was overdue.
McDonald is the first Black woman to portray Mama Rose on Broadway, a milestone in and of itself. The production did more than reimagine what is a Broadway classic, it triggered a national conversation about who is privy to take on one of the most iconic roles in American theater. For decades, characters like Mama Rose have been treated as sacred territory and portrayed almost exclusively by white actresses. McDonald's casting directly challenged such a legacy, influencing audiences and institutions alike to reckon with long-held assumptions about race, authorship, and tradition. Her performance proved that emotional truth and theatrical power are not bound by race and that Broadway's most revered characters can, and should, be reimagined to reflect the advanced modern world.
When asked by Gayle King in a recent CBS Mornings interview, 'What does the word legend mean to you when it's applied to you?,' McDonald replied with her class act humility:
McDonald is just transparently a deeply grounded artist who understands her role in a lineage that is larger than herself.
Actress Lena Horne in the show Broadway Rhythm, 1975. (Photo by Afro American Newspapers/Gado/Getty ... More Images)
Her career is deeply rooted in a long line of Black women who have carved space in American theater under impossible odds. Long before McDonald stood center stage at Lincoln Center or belted out operatic prestige on Broadway, Black women were forcing their way into an industry that refused to see them as equals. Figures in the likes of Ethel Waters, who is among one of the first Black women to headline on Broadway in the 1930s, and the unforgettable Lena Horne, a class act multi-talent who thrived in both musical theater and film despite the racist obstructions of Hollywood, laid the foundation. Often Black women were relegated to stereotypical roles as maids, mammies, or exoticized figures. And when they did break through, it was within tight confines dictated by white producers and audiences.
Waters made history integrating Broadway with her 1933 performance in As Thousands Cheer, but faced immense racism and the burden of appeasing white sensibilities. Horne, with all her elegance and vocal prowess, refused demeaning roles but paid the price with limited opportunities. Foremothers like Waters and Horne were rarely granted the institutional support afforded to white performers. Yet, they still managed to bust the door open, one so wide, that the likes of McDonald could one day walk through it.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 05: Audra Mcdonald attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: ... More Tailoring Black Style" at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by)
Walking right into that door opened by many of her predecessors, McDonald has been allowed to flourish in a wide range of roles typically denied to Black women. From Shakespeare to Sondheim, she has played characters written with no regard for race, ultimately redefining what it means to be a leading lady in American theater. Today's Black actresses continue to face typecasting, wage gaps, and underrepresentation in this creative leadership. McDonald stands as both a beneficiary of past resilience and a bridge to a new era and is representative of greater equity on and offstage.
From Ragtime, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill, and A Raisin in the Sun, all roles that earned her Tony accolades, and now Gypsy, Audra McDonald's body of work is without a doubt pretty weighty. The Fresno native has shared the stage with theater legends, notable directors. And the reverb of her influence, especially on aspiring Black performers in theater arts, can never be overstated. It is fair to conclude that McDonald is at the infancy at her cultural peak. We have not seen the last of her at all. Keep watching.