Audra McDonald News

Performances begin tonight, March 15, for Shuffle Along Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed, the new production that presents both the 1921 musical itself, and additionally details the events that catalyzed the songwriting team of Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake, and librettists F.E. Miller and Aubrey Lyles, to create this groundbreaking work.

Performances begin tomorow, Tuesday, March 15, for SHUFFLE ALONG Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed, the new production that presents both the 1921 musical itself, and additionally details the events that catalyzed the songwriting team of Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake, and librettists F.E. Miller and Aubrey Lyles, to create this groundbreaking work. SHUFFLE ALONG has a new book and is directed by George C. Wolfe, choreographed by Savion Glover, and stars six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald, Tony Award winners Brian Stokes Mitchell and Billy Porter, and Tony Award nominees Brandon Victor Dixon and Joshua Henry, heading a cast of 34. Opening night is Thursday, April 28 at the Music Box Theatre (239 West 45 Street).

On Friday's LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT, 6-time Tony award winner Audra McDonald explained how she prepared for playing Billie Holiday in LADY DAY.

Six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald brought her acclaimed portrayal of Billie Holiday in the Broadway smash LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR & GRILL to HBO

Nick Adams Hosts Broadway For Africa! Reuniting with his co-stars in Priscilla Queen of the Desert,  Will Swenson and Tony Sheldon,with special guests Alison Luff, Julia Murney, Tryphena Wade, Eliseo Roman and The Skivvies Monday, April 4 at 7pm Birdland   The Broadway at Birdland concert series is proud to announce that Nick Adams will host Broadway For Africa!, a star-studded benefit featuring a host of Broadway talent on Monday, April 4 at 7pm.   

On the latest episode of BroadwayRadio's 'This Week on Broadway,' James Marino, Michel Portantiere, and Matt Tamanini chat with Broadway's Patti Murin about her recent efforts to reform theatrical message boards. In the discussion, she addresses what led to her initial blog post, the pushback she has had from online posters, and the positive response that she received from BroadwayWorld's Editor-in-Chief Robert Diamond.

There is an undeniable electricity that the world's greatest bring to everything that they do. There is something nearly tangible, yet dizzyingly elusive about watching legends at their best; that is how I felt when six-time Tony-winner Audra McDonald became the troubled Jazz icon Billie Holiday in tonight's broadcast of LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR AND GRILL on HBO. Though the material itself doesn't always rise to the level of its star's genius, the transformative power of McDonald's talent transports you into a completely different time and place; namely the small Emerson's Bar and Grill in Philadelphia in March 1959.

Six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald brings her acclaimed portrayal of Billie Holiday in the Broadway smash LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR & GRILL to HBO tonight, March 12 (9:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT).

If this is Friday, then there's got to be a new production opening tonight, right? And sure enough, down in Woodbury - home of the Arts Center of Cannon County - 2015 First Night Honoree Darryl Deason unveils his latest directorial assignment with Memphis, The Musical, starring Melinda Paul (most recently seen onstage in Circle Players' Sister Act) and Michael Adcock (who has performed on stages throughout Middle Tennessee) and an ensemble filled with many local stage veterans (including Quantavius Rankins, who closed Dreamgirls at Murfreesboro's Center for the Arts less than a fortnight ago) and newcomers.

Audra McDonald has a big Spring ahead of her, with Shuffle Along beginning previews this month, and LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR & GRILL airing on HBO over the weekend. In a recent interview with Essence, she reflected back on her sixth Tony win for her role as Billie Holiday:

Keen Company's spring production of BOY, featuring Bobby Steggert, Heidi Armbruster, Paul Niebanck, and Rebecca Rittenhouse, opens tonight Off-Broadway at The Clurman Theatre at Theatre Row.

Six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald brings her acclaimed portrayal of Billie Holiday in the Broadway smash LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR & GRILL to HBO on Saturday, March 12 (9:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT). Filmed before a live audience at Cafe Brasil in New Orleans, the special features McDonald in her history-making, tour de force performance as the jazz icon, which won the actress her sixth Tony Award. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at McDonald in two captivating stills from the presentation below!

Audra McDonaldSix-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald brings her acclaimed portrayal of Billie Holiday in the Broadway smash LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR & GRILL to HBO on Saturday, March 12 (9:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT). Filmed before a live audience at Cafe Brasil in New Orleans, the special features McDonald in her history-making, tour de force performance as the jazz icon, which won the actress her sixth Tony Award. Below, watch her in an extended clip singing 'God Bless The Child' in Holiday's signature style!

Broadway, film and television star Norm Lewis headlines NJSO POPS programs featuring music from his famous theater roles and album, April 15-17 in Red Bank, Newark and New Brunswick. Lewis -- who replaces previously announced singer Cheyenne Jackson, who was forced to withdraw for scheduling reasons -- has garnered critical and audience acclaim and made history as Broadway's first African-American Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera.

The six-time Tony winner's consistent presence on Broadway has made her a symbol of its increasing diversity.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: BLACKBIRD opens on Broadway and more!

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: THAT PHYSICS SHOW, featuring David Maiullo, opens tonight off-Broadway, and PIPPIN heads to Amsterdam!

SHUFFLE ALONG was an unlikely hit in 1921. It was one of the first hit Broadway shows starring, written, and directed by African Americans, but it has been overwhelming ignored in theatre history. Ninety-five years later, George C. Wolfe is preparing to bring the show back to Broadway, with a new and updated book by Wolfe. The revival will not only bring the original show' music and lyrics back to the stage, but will also tell the backstage story of its creation, and the impact it had on the theatre scene. SHUFFLE ALONG, OR, THE MAKING OF THE MUSICAL SENSATION OF 1921 AND ALL THAT FOLLOWED, is set to shuffle onto Broadway in the spring, so we're taking a look at the inspiration driving the revival, and a look back on the show's remarkable history.