Video: Audra McDonald Offers Tony Awards Message to Broadway Community

Ahead of the 78th Tony Awards, Gypsy star and current nominee Audra McDonald took to Instagram to share a message with the Broadway community. Sharing her thoughts on the "crazy day," the performer noted that, due to Tony Awards rehearsals, she would miss Gypsy's June 8 matinee performance. Instead, her "incredible standby", Tryphena Wade, took her place for the show, for which McDonald said she is "so grateful."

The bulk of her video was a reflection on the art of theater and its monumental impact on the people who make it and the lives it touches: "I wanted to get on the interwebs and say to those who love the theater, in whatever aspect you touch the theater, as a performer, someone who works on crew, someone who works backstage, front of house, creatives, managers, even critics, and audience members. We all love it. We all love the theater so much. So let this be a day of celebration and gratitude that we get to do what we do. We get to love this thing called theater, this thing that changes people's lives," she said, adding that "the magic of theater" is something that "gets us more in touch with our humanity."

As for who she hopes to take home an award this evening, the Tony-winner added, "I'm rooting for the theater. I'm rooting for the arts," before signing off with a final word: "Have fun!" Watch the full video.

McDonald has broken records as the performer with the most Tony wins, receiving 6 since her first honor in 1994 for Carousel. For her performance as Mama Rose, she has been nominated in the category of Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical.

The Tony winner is currently starring in Gypsy at the Majestic Theatre, with tickets are now on sale through Sunday, October 5, 2025. George C. Wolfe's new production began performances on Thursday, November 1, 2024, and opened on Thursday, December 19, 2024, to an explosion of critical praise for the production and McDonald's history-making performance. Read reviews for the show here, which has received a total of 5 Tony nominations.