Audra McDonald Reacts to Passing of RAGTIME Author E.L. Doctorow; Watch Her Performance in Musical

By: Jul. 22, 2015
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As BWW reported earlier today, historical fiction author E.L. Doctorow passed away in Manhattan on Tuesday, July 21 at the age of 84. His best-selling novel RAGTIME was adapted into a film in 1981 and later as a staged musical in 1998. Read the story here

Audra McDonald, who starred in the role of 'Sarah' in the original Broadway production of RAGTIME, for which she earned her third Tony Award, turned to Twitter today to express her sorrow over the news of the writer's passing. She posts: "Heartbreaking. Thank you for your incredible work, and your gentle spirit. Rest in Peace."

Below, watch McDonald and RAGTIME co-tar Brian Stokes Mitchell perform 'Wheels of a Dream' from the musical:

With a record six Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards, and a long list of other accolades to her name, McDonald is among today's most highly regarded performers. McDonald grew up in Fresno and received her classical vocal training at The Juilliard School.

A year after graduating, she won her first Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for Carouselat 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), earning her an unprecedented three TONY AWARDS before the age of 30. In 2004, she won her fourth Tony, starring alongside Sean "Diddy" Combs in A Raisin in the Sun, and in 2012 she won her fifth--and her first in the leading actress category--for her role in The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess.

In 2014, she made Broadway history and became the Tony Awards' most decorated performer when she won her sixth award for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill. In addition to setting the record for most competitive wins by an actor, she also became the first person to receive awards in all four acting categories.

McDonald's other theater credits include The Secret Garden (1993), Marie Christine (1999), Henry IV (2004), 110 in the Shade (2007), and her Shakespeare in the Park debut in Twelfth Night (2009).

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos


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