Audra McDonald News

Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill, the musical play starring record breaking six-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald, will extend its strictly limited engagement through September 21st, 2014. The production will be dark from September 1st through September 7th while Ms. McDonald takes a previously scheduled vacation, and the final 16 performances will begin starting September 9th, 2014.

Today in 2011, the first Broadway revival of Master Class opened at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, where it ran for 67 performances. Master Class is a play by Terrence McNally, which opened on Broadway on November 15, 1995 at the John Golden Theatre, where it ran for 598 performances. The original cast included Zoe Caldwell, Audra McDonald, Karen Kay Cody, David Loud, and Jay Hunter Morris. Caldwell and McDonald won Tony Awards for their performances in 1996. Tyne Daly starred as Callas in a summer 2011 revival of the play at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.

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: NYMF kicks off tonight with a concert celebrating some of the musical theatre world's top composers, James Franco directs THE LONG SHRIFT off-Broadway and more!

A reading of Harriet, a musical based on the life of Harriet Tubman, will be presented on Wednesday, July 16, at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., and on Sunday, July 20 at 12 p.m. in The Studio Theatre at Theatre Row, 410 West 42nd Street (between 9th Avenue & Dyer Avenue). Harriet is an official selection of the 2014 New York Musical Theatre Festival.

Cheyenne Jackson has starred on both 30 Rock opposite Tina Fey and Glee where he played the voice coach for the group Vocal Adrenaline, and will next be seen starring opposite Gena Rowlands in the feature film 'Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks' releasing in theaters in early 2014. On Broadway, Cheyenne most recently starred in Encore's production of 'The Most Happy Fella' at City Center, 'Finian's Rainbow' (Drama Desk nomination), 'Damn Yankees,' 'Xanadu' (Drama League , Drama Desk nominations), 'Thoroughly Modern Millie' and,' 'All Shook Up' (Theater World Award, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle nomination). Off-Broadway he was seen in the orignal cast of 'Altar Boyz'. On July 4, 5, and 6, he makes his anticipated Broadway@ The Art House debut. SiriusXM radio star Seth Rudetsky joins him as pianist and host. For tickets please visit www.ptownarthouse.com or call 508-487-9222.

Audra McDonald is, without dispute, one of Broadway's most cherished stars, constantly dazzling audiences with her genius performances in musicals and plays alike. Currently starring as the legendary Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill, McDonald recently broke a huge record, becoming the most recognized actor in the history of the Tony Awards. Just in case you've totally lost your mind and forgotten why you fell in love with her in the first place, below BroadwayWorld brings you ten more reasons to love Audra McDonald.

PS Classics will release the Original Cast Album for Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill, featuring six-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald, on July 15. Click here to listen to a preview of the album!

'I Think About You' is the cabaret version of Anthony de Mare's latest initiative, 'Liaisons: Re-Imagining Sondheim from the Piano.' July 18-19, 2014, during Bear Week 2014, will mark the premiere of 'I Think About You,' which is exclusively tailored for Provincetown audiences, directed by Jef Hall-Flavin.

Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill, the musical play which stars record breaking Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald as jazz legend Billie Holiday, just played it's 100th performance yesterday, July 2, 2014. The most honored female performer of the 2013-2014 season, Ms. McDonald was also the recipient of the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards. BroadwayWorld was there for the celebration and you can check out photos below!

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: FROM HERE TO ETERNITY goes from stage to screen in the UK, and 54 Below hosts some 'BITCHING & BELTING' and revives 1776 tonight!

Paulette Haupt, Artistic Director of the National Music Theater Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, will conduct a public symposium on orchestrating musical theater in today's world on Thursday, July 3 at 1:00pm. The Orchestration Symposium comes as the summer conference continues its focus on exploration and role of orchestration and arranging in the development of new work.

Happy Birthday Audra McDonald! The actress earned three Tony Awards by the age of 28 - for her performances in Carousel, Master Class, and Ragtime. She was nominated for another Tony Award for her performance in Marie Christine before she won her fourth in 2004 for her role in A Raisin in the Sun. She reprised her Raisin role for a 2008 television adaptation, earning her a second Emmy Award nomination. Her first Emmy nod came in 2001 for her performance in HBOs Wit. Fans of the small screen also recognize McDonald from her work on ABC's Private Practice. She most recently starred on Broadway in Porgy and Bess and Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill- she won Tony Awards for both performances.

The New York Philharmonic will present a semi-staged production of Kern & Hammerstein's Tony Award-winning musical Show Boat, November 5 - 8, 2014. Vanessa Williams will star as Julie, Julian Ovenden will star as Gaylord Ravenal, and Lauren Worsham will star as Magnolia, all in their Philharmonic debuts. Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

A Woman on Top , the new musical for both sides of the aisle inspired by Hillary Clinton, has announced the complete cast for a special industry reading next week. Reathel Bean (Caroline, Or Change) will join the previously announced star Karen Mason, Drama Desk-nominated Broadway star of Wonderland, Mamma Mia and Sunset Boulevard, as well as Frank Vlastnik (Broadway: Big, The Sweet Smell of Success, A Year with Frog & Toad), Marni Nixon (Broadway: Nine, Follies; Film: The King and I, West Side Story, My Fair Lady) and Sarah Cetrulo (The Black Suits by Joe Iconis).

The National Alliance For Musical Theatre (NAMT) announced today its selections for the 26th Annual Festival of New Musicals. Beautiful Poison, Cubamor, Great Wall, How To Break, Mary Marie, The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes, String and Stu For Silverton make up the eight new musicals that will be presented at the 26th Annual Festival of New Musicals on Thursday, October 23, 2014 and Friday, October 24, 2014 at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street).

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: LADY DAY marks the big 1-0-0, Ariana Grande debuts songs from her new album on MTV, and JUNE MOON starts this year's festival in Williamstown!

This July and August 54 BELOW presents an exciting lineup of the brightest talent from Broadway and beyond. Located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street.

Tony and Grammy Award winner, Steve Kazee brings his guitar and southern charm to Indianapolis for an intimate evening of original alt-country songs as well as songs he originated in the Tony Award winning musical, Once. The concert is set for August 23 at 7PM and 9:30PM.

Principal casting has been announced for the upcoming world premiere production of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS. The cast will include Robert Fairchild as Jerry Mulligan, Leanne Cope as Lise Dassin, Veanne Cox as Madame Baurel, Jill Paice as Milo Davenport, Brandon Uranowitz as Adam Hochberg, and Max Von Essen as Henri Baurel.

The Public Theater presents the free one-night event, PUBLIC FORUM: SHAKESPEARE IN AMERICA, tonight, June 30 at 8:00 p.m. at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Whitney Bashor, Annette Bening, Jessica Chastain, author E.L. Doctorow, Jackie Hoffman, Justin Levine, Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson, and Micah Stock join this exciting evening, which will celebrate Shakespeare and the newly released Library of America book, Shakespeare in America, edited by Public Theater Shakespeare Scholar in Residence James Shapiro.