The play, written by Lanie Robertson and directed by Lonny Price, tells the story of the legendary jazz icon’s loves and losses through a turbulent but extraordinary life. Providing the backdrop to these stories are the moving and stirring songs that Holiday is most famous for – “God Bless the Child,” “What a Little Moonlight Can Do,” “Strange Fruit,” “Crazy He Calls Me,” and “Taint Nobody’s Biz-ness.” The production will play at Wyndham’s Theater from June 25 to September 3. The official opening is scheduled for July 5. 

In Shuffle Along, McDonald will take on the role of “Lottie Gee” and Brian Stokes Mitchell will appear in the role of “F.E. Miller.” Billy Porter takes on the role of “Aubrey Lyles,” with Brandon Victor Dixon and Joshua Henry as “Eubie Blake” and “Noble Sissle.”

McDonald made Broadway history with a record-setting sixth Tony Award for her perfomance in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. She also has the distinction of being the first person to receive awards in all four acting categories. She has also won Tony’s for Carousel, Master Class, Ragtime, A Raisin in the Sun, and Porgy and Bess. We’ll cross our fingers and hope that her performance in the West End production will wow British audiences as much as it did those on Broadway and bring her an Olivier Award.

For tickets and more information about the West End production of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill visit here.

BREAKING! @audraequalitymc will take a break from #ShuffleAlong to do @LadyDayWestEnd! #br… https://t.co/ud5ogDQFZn pic.twitter.com/IYpDc6lh1n

— Broadway Black (@BroadwayBlack) January 15, 2016

The post Audra McDonald To Make West End Debut In Lady Day appeared first on Broadway Black.

The six-time Tony winner will be absent from the production for three months starting Tuesday, June 21, 2016 through Sunday, September 25. It’s been announced that her absence is to fulfill a prior commitment. However, there have been no details released on what that commitment is or who will fulfill the role in her absence. McDonald is scheduled to return to the show on September 27.

Shuffle Along will present the landmark 1921 African-American musical revue Shuffle Along alongside the behind-the-scenes details that led the songwriting team of Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake and librettists F.E. Miller and Aubrey Lyles to create this groundbreaking work. In what has been billed as a revival, McDonald will take on the role of “Lottie Gee” and Brian Stokes Mitchell will appear in the the role of “F.E. Miller.” Porter takes on the role of “Aubrey Lyles,” with Brandon Victor Dixon and Joshua Henry as “Blake” and “Sissle.”

Other cast members include Adrienne Warren from Bring It On: The Musical, Darius de Haas (Rent, Kiss of the Spider Woman), Felicia Boswell (Motown: The Musical, Memphis), and Christian Dante White, c0-creator of Broadway Legacy.

George C. Wolfe will write the book and direct and Savion Glover will choreograph the highly anticipated production. As previously announced, the rest of the creative team includes Orchestrator Daryl Waters (musical supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations), Santo Loquasto (scenic design), Ann Roth (costume design), Scott Lehrer (sound design), Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer (lighting design), and Shelton Becton (musical director).

In 2014, the extraordinarily talented McDonald made Broadway history with a record-setting sixth Tony Award, for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. She also has the distinction of being the first person to receive awards in all four actress acting categories. She has also won Tonys for Carousel, Master Class, Ragtime, A Raisin in the Sun, and Porgy and Bess.

Shuffle Along begins previews at the Music Box Theatre on March 14, 2016. For more information on tickets, click HERE.

The post Audra McDonald to Take Shuffle Along Hiatus appeared first on Broadway Black.

McDonald fans are accustomed to seeing her sharing her incredible talent on the stage (A Raisin in the Sun, Lady Day at Emerson Bar and Grill) and on television (“Private Practice). But she is no stranger to the big screen. She’s appeared in “Seven Servants,” “The Object of My Affection,” “Cradle Will Rock,” “It Runs in the Family,” “Rampart,” and “The Best Thief in the World.” McDonald will also provide the voice of “Garderobe” in Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” slated for release in 2017.

As rock musician “Ricki Rendazzo,” Streep is a one-time wife and mother of three who left her family behind to follow her dreams of rock ‘n’ roll stardom in California. Now, the singer and guitarist must face the music when she returns home to Indiana to reconnect with her ex-husband “Pete,” troubled daughter “Julie,” engaged son “Josh” and younger son “Adam.” Filled with regret, Ricki hopes to find redemption for all of the bad choices that she made in the past.

In addition to Streep and McDonald, who plays “Pete’s” new wife “Maureen,” the cast includes stellar actors and musicians, including Kevin Kline as “Pete,” Mamie Gummar (Streep’s real-life daughter) as Julie and Rick Springfield as “Greg,” Ricki’s lead guitarist and sometime lover.

Since everyone knows McDonald can sing and act, wouldn’t it be fun to see a film in which the roles were reversed and she was the rock star musician? Hmmm, let’s keep our fingers crossed.

The post Audra McDonald Joins Meryl Streep & Kevin Cline on the Big Screen appeared first on Broadway Black.

The series, which airs on the Disney Channel and Disney Junior, chronicles an African American girl named Dottie “Doc” McStuffins who decides she wants to become a doctor like her mother. She practices her dream by fixing toys and dolls. When she puts on her stethoscope, toys, dolls and stuffed animals come to life and she can interact with them. With help from her stuffed animal friends – “Stuffy the Dragon,” “Hallie the Hippo,” “Lambie the Lamb,” and “Chilly the Snowman” – Doc helps toys recover, or “feel better,” by giving them checkups and diagnosing their illnesses with an encyclopedia called “The Big Book of Boo Boos.”

McDonald is featured in the episode entitled “Itty Bitty Bess Takes Flight.” Her character, “Bess,” is the pilot of a tiny tin airplane. Doc and the toys help her get back into shape after her joints become rusty.

McDonald introduces and voices her character:

McDonald sings a song about her animated character:

In 2014, the extraordinarily talented McDonald made Broadway history with a record-setting sixth Tony Award for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. She also has the distinction of being the first person to receive awards in all four acting categories.

A year after graduating from Julliard, McDonald won her first Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for Carousel at Lincoln Center Theater. She received two additional Tony Awards in the featured actress category over the next four years for her performances in the Broadway premieres of Terrence McNally’s Master Class (1996) and his musical Ragtime (1998). In 2004, she won her fourth Tony, starring alongside Sean Combs and Phylicia Rashad in A Raisin in the Sun. In 2012, she won her fifth–and her first in the leading actress category–for her role in The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess.

In addition to her Tony Awards, Audra McDonald’s luminous soprano has garnered her two Grammy Awards and a long list of other accolades.

“Doc McStuffins” also features the voices of Kiara Muhammad as the lead character as well as veteran Broadway and film actress Loretta Devine as “Hallie”, Kimberly Brooks as “Dr. Myiesha McStuffins” (Doc McStuffins’ mother) and Gary Anthony Williams as “Marcus McStuffins” (Doc McStuffins’ father).

The post Audra McDonald Soars In Doc McStuffins appeared first on Broadway Black.

“Sleep Out” is an event and fundraiser by Covenant House in which Broadway stars spend a night sleeping outside in solidarity with homeless youth in order to raise money and awareness of the growing problem in New York and nationwide. In addition to committing to her “Sleep Out” date Audra has begun the mission of raising at least $10,000 for Covenant House and is offering a few incentives for those willing to contribute to her making her goal. Starting today you can make a number of contributions at different levels and receive the following rewards:

For a $35 donation, Audra will recognize you in a “Cool People Hall of Fame” on her Facebook page
For a $100 donation, Audra will give you a shout-out on Twitter
For a $275 donation, Audra will send you a personalized autographed copy of the Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill cast recording (courtesy of PS Classics)
For a $500 donation, Audra will record your voicemail greeting (sent as an MP3)
For a $1,000 donation, Audra will sing happy birthday on video to you or a special person of your choosing

“Sleep Out: Broadway Edition” officially takes place August 17 but due to her schedule she won’t be able to attend that date and has will be taking part on her own on October 5th, just after joining the Covenant House International Board of Directors in September. For info on how much she’s raised and how you can contribute be sure to visit the Covenant House site and give your support.

This is the type of news we like to see from our favorite stars, keep it up Audra!

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