Whitney Houston In Focus, an upcoming documentary about the early life and rise to fame of the iconic Whitney Houston, is now in production with plans to release in early 2022. Audra McDonald will serve as narrator and executive producer for the project, that is based on an upcoming book on Houston by photographer Bette Marshall. Of the singer, McDonald said: “Whitney Houston is an artist I worshipped from the moment I first heard her sing. Her voice was simply miraculous and her artistry was perfection. We all witnessed her superstardom, and I’m honored to help tell this part of Whitney’s st ..read more

Audra McDonald is set to make her return to Broadway in Adrienne Kennedy’s play Ohio State Murders, directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon (Fences, A Soldier’s Play). The play marks Kennedy’s Broadway debut at age 90, exploring the effects of racism in the United States. Audra McDonald stars as Suzanne Alexander, a fictional Black writer who, upon returning to Ohio State University to discuss her writing, becomes entangled in a dark mystery. In 2020, McDonald participated in a streamed reading of the play for the “Spotlight on Plays” series to benefit The Actors ..read more

Lukas Gage (The White Lotus) and Zachary Quinto (American Horror Story) star in FilmNation’s Down Low, leading an all-star cast including Audra McDonald, Judith Light (American Crime Story: Impeachment), and Simon Rex (Red Rocket). The comedy feature, written by Gage and Phoebe Fisher, centers around a deeply repressed man, the uninhibited young man that gives him a happy ending, and all the lives they ruin along the way. Down Low will serve as Rightor Doyle’s feature directorial debut and be produced by Ashley Fox, Lucas Wiesendanger, and ..read more

Audra McDonald will star alongside Colman Domingo (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Scottsboro Boys), Chris Rock (Fargo, Top Five), and Glynn Turman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) in a new film focusing on gay, civil rights activist Bayard Rustin. McDonald will play the role of organizer and activist Ella Baker as the film chronicles the facilitation of the 1963 March on Washington. Rustin will be first feature film from the Higher Ground, Michelle and Barack Obama’s production company in partnership with Netflix.   Click here to learn more ..read more

Led by host Audra McDonald, the 74th Tony Awards celebrated Broadway’s reopening with beloved performances and long-awaited reunions for theater’s biggest stars. In addition to serving as the evening’s emcee on Paramount+, McDonald reprised her role in the original cast of Ragtime for a performance of “Wheels of a Dream” with Brian Stokes Mitchell on the CBS special “Broadway’s Back!” Vulture praised her hosting duties as a highlight of the night, stating: “Audra McDonald entering as host, bringing with her the calming fact of being Audra. Whet ..read more

Audra McDonald will host the 74th Annual Tony Awards on Sunday, September 26, streaming exclusively on Paramount+ at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT. The event, honoring the shows from the 2019-20 season that were cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will stream live from New York City’s Winter Garden theater. Immediately following, Leslie Odom Jr. will host the second part of the evening, The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back, airing on CBS from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT. Audra commented, “I’m elated that the Tony Awards are back! I am so glad that we’ve found a way to gather safely to honor and ..read more

Audra was featured on the cover of Backstage Magazine’s September issue. In an interview with Casey Mink, Audra talks about Black Theatre United, her career to date, and her new film RESPECT. Read the article, here: https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/audra-mcdonald-career-profile-good-fight-respect-73803 ..read more

Audra will be the first recipient of the Étoile Award, an honor granted annually to an international television actor or actress at the Series Mania Festival. Audra will accept her award on opening night on August 26 in Lille, France. Spectrum’s The Bite, in which she stars opposite Taylor Schilling, will also have its French premiere at the festival. Learn more, here ..read more

On July 7, Audra appeared on the TODAY show to talk about her role in Spectrum’s sci-fi series, “The Bite”, in which she plays a doctor during the COVID pandemic who finds that her patients are tuning into zombies. She also discusses how they navigated staying safe while filming. Watch the clip here ..read more

For the first time in 75 years, the Theatre World Awards, which typically recognize debut performances, will bypass its annual ceremony and instead present a one-night-only virtual event honoring Broadway’s best. This year’s honorees are Audra McDonald, Patti LuPone, and André De Shields. On July 11, LuPone and De Shields receive the 8th Annual John Willis Award for Lifetime Achievement vent in the Theatre, while Audra will be honored with the Dorothy Loudon Special Award for Excellence in Theatre in recognition of her overall excellence and contribution to the field. All proceeds from t ..read more