Six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald (Shuffle Along, Lady Day) will return to Broadway to star in a revival of Terrence McNally’s Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, this May, according to Deadline. She will be joined by Michael Shannon as her “Johnny”; the two-hander production will be directed by Arin Arbus who is making her Broadway directorial debut.rnrnThe strictly limited engagement will hit the Broadway stage at a Shubert theater that has yet to be announced and will play for 16-weeks beginning previews in May. The engagement marks McNally’s 80th birthday.rnrnThe play, a two-hander, is about a pair of co-workers trying to figure out how they wish to relate to each other after a satisfying sexual encounter.rnrnThe previous Broadway staging in 2002 starred Edie Falco, and Stanley Tucci and the movie version starred Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer in 1991. The play originally premiered Off-Broadway in 1987 starring Kathy Bates and F. Murray Abraham.rnrnThe Frankie and Johnny creative team will include Riccardo Hernandez (Sets), Emily Rebholz (Costumes), Natasha Katz (Lighting), Nevin Steinberg (Sound), J. Jared Janas (Hair, Wig, and Makeup), Laurie Goldfeder (Production Stage Manager) and 101 Productions, Ltd. (General Manager).
Andrew Shade
Drew Shade is a visionary creative force at the intersection of Black theatre, media, and culture. As the Founder and Creative Director of Broadway Black, Off-Book: The Podcast, and The Antonyo Awards, he champions artistic excellence and amplifies the voices of Black theatre artists with intention, heart, and unapologetic pride.
His work has been featured in The New York Times, Playbill, Deadline, The Observer, and Apple TV’s Dear…, and he's collaborated with brands and institutions such as NBC, BET, Audible, Universal Pictures, SheaMoisture, The Public Theater, Signature Theatre, National Black Theatre, and more. He has also served as a cultural consultant and curator for countless Broadway productions for over a decade — establishing himself as a trusted voice and tastemaker in theatre and media.
In addition to his work behind the scenes, Shade is a performer and creative artist in his own right, with credits including Classical Theatre of Harlem’s The First Noel at The Apollo, The Preacher’s Wife musical at The Alliance Theatre, and a Sondheim tribute concert at Carnegie Hall led by Tituss Burgess. He’s also lent his voice to campaigns for Google and continues to explore visual storytelling through photography — from red carpets to press coverage.
Rooted in joy, justice, and the belief that Black theatre is both legacy and revolution, Shade continues to build platforms and shine light where it’s long been overdue — so Black artists are seen, heard, and celebrated on their own terms.
“Have a belief in yourself that is bigger than anyone’s disbelief.” – August Wilson
