Audra McDonald News

Today we continue the 2014 edition of our annual BroadwayWorld feature series spotlighting the very best Tony Awards-related moments of all time with a special focus on another major battle for Best Musical in 1998 with THE LION KING versus RAGTIME.

Today's The Hollywood Reporter shares an exclusive roundtable interview with six esteemed Broadway stars nominated for Best Actresss in a Lead Role for the 68th Annual Tony Awards.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson sat down with some of this year's Tony Award nominees in honor his second annual Tie the Knot Tony bow tie. In the video below, watch as Audra McDonald, James Monroe Iglehart, Tom Kitt, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Brian J. Smith, and Sutton Foster, share insider information about their nominations, receive some words of advice from Jesse, and offer a few surprises.

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: The Public Theater hosts two panels on race this weekend, public TV gets in on the Tonys game, Rory O'Malley shows us why it doesn't take a village to raise a child -- it takes a pub, the BWW Awards wrap voting today, and the Drama Desk Awards will be held this Sunday night!

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) announced today that a special free one-night event, PUBLIC FORUM: SHAKESPEARE IN AMERICA, will take place on Monday, June 30 at 8:00 p.m. at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, with a line-up that includes Sarah Amengual, Michael Cerveris, Colman Domingo, James Earl Jones, Cynthia Nixon, Annie-B Parson, Steven Pasquale, and Michael Stuhlbarg, celebrating the world's greatest writer, American-style. Highlights of the evening will include James Earl Jones reading a scene from Othello, marking his return to the Delacorte after a 40-year absence and celebrating the 50th anniversary of his playing Othello on the Delacorte stage; Michael Cerveris reading a letter by John Wilkes Booth; and Steven Pasquale singing Tony in the "Tonight" duet from West Side Story.

Check out husband and wife team Audra McDonald and Will Swenson, who donned aprons to lend their support to the worthy cause on Wednesday!

This year the Lilly Awards will celebrate women of distinction in musical theater in a special cabaret at West Bank Cafe (407 W 42nd Street, NYC), following the awards ceremony, which is set for Monday, June 2, at Playwrights Horizons. The cabaret will feature Kelli O'Hara, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Rebecca Luker, Kate Baldwin, Kenita Miller, The Broadway Boys, Graham Rowat, Katie Thompson, Lauren Pritchard, Taylor Noble, Jay Armstrong Jonson, The Skivvies (Lauren Molina & Nick Cearley) and Jason Robert Brown.

Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill, Lanie Robertson's play with music, starring five-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald, will be recorded live at Circle in the Square during a regularly scheduled performance during the week of May 27-31by PS Classics. The label has announced a July 15th street date; preorders are already being accepted at the label's website,www.psclassics.com.

Voting opened on April 30 and runs through May 30, 2014 for the 12th Annual BroadwayWorld.com Awards! Here are the current standings as of 5/29 with just 0 days to go in voting!

Tony Award winner Steve Kazee has joined the cast of Showtime's hit dramedy series in what is described as a 'major recurring role.'

For this year's Tony Awards edition of the In Performance series, The New York Times presented an intimate concert with five Tony nominees to a small audience.

Broadway stars Billy Porter, Victoria Clark, Terrence Mann, Andrea Martin and Shuler Hensley served as gala award presenters at the 64th Annual Outer Critics Circle Awards ceremony last week at the legendary Sardis Restaurant. Outer Critics Circle is the organization of writers and commentators for media covering New York theatre. This year's awards recognized outstanding performances by Audra McDonald, Bryan Cranston, Cherry Jones, Jefferson Mays and more. Click here for a full list of winners, and below, watch interviews with this year's guests!

Some of Hollywood's biggest names will take center stage at THE 68TH ANNUAL TONY? AWARDS, live from Radio City Music Hall, Sunday, June 8 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/ delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network.

The Tony Awards have announced the line-up of stars who will take the stage at the 68th Annual Tony Awards. The 2014 Tony Awards will broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City, on CBS, on Sunday, June 8th 8:00 - 11:00 p.m. (ET/PT time delay) and are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.

The Tony Award-nominated Audra McDonald talked to CBS SUNDAY MORNING's Mo Rocca this Sunday about two legendary singers: Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday.

Schmackary's Cookies, The Official Cookie of Broadway, will hold its 2nd annual 'Broadway Bakes' fund raiser from May 26-31. Schmackary's is located in the heart of the Theatre District at 45th and 9th Ave. in Hell's Kitchen.

Voting opened on April 30 and runs through May 30, 2014 for the 12th Annual BroadwayWorld.com Awards! Here are the current standings as of 5/24 with just 5 days to go in voting!

As a child, Broadway star Audra McDonald would rehearse Tony Award acceptance speeches in front of her bathroom mirror, she tells Mo Rocca in an interview for CBS SUNDAY MORNING WITH CHARLES OSGOOD to be broadcast today, May 25, 2014 (9:00 AM ET) on the CBS Television Network.

Whether you've been living under a rock for the past week or you're just in the mood for a recap, BroadwayWorld's 'This Week in Pictures' is here to satisfy your end-of-the-week fix! Take a look below to catch up on the latest happenings from the Great White Way to The West End (and everywhere in between) with coverage of press events, rehearsals, opening nights and more. Highlights this week include a first look at 'Just Jim Dale,' the Stars in the Alley concert, the cast of 'Submissions Only' at 54 Below, and more!

Broadway stars Billy Porter, Victoria Clark, Terrence Mann, Andrea Martin and Shuler Hensley served as gala award presenters at the 64th Annual Outer Critics Circle Awards ceremony last night at the legendary Sardis Restaurant. In addition to being acclaimed stage performers, the stars are also former recipients of the esteemed Outer Critics Circle Award. Click here for the winners and check out photos of all the guests below!