Should you momentarily glance away from the stage during the initial moments of “Gypsy” on Broadway, and instead look towards the aisle, you’ll find a woman standing solitarily in the dimness. She wears a velvet coat, cradles a tiny dog, her countenance etched with an ambition so intense it resembles fury, her gaze fixed on the children performing onstage as her fingers move rhythmically to the music’s beat. At first, she goes unnoticed, even though she is Audra McDonald, one of the most esteemed stage actors alive, already embodying Mama Rose, the most renowned and reviled stage mothers in musical theater. However, when she delivers her inaugural line (“Sing out, Louise!”), every gaze shifts simultaneously. She is the reason they have come, and she had been standing among them all along.
Rose arrived secretly,” she confides to me, relaxing on a cushioned seat in her dressing room, four hours prior to performance. Her hair, styled for her wig, is hidden beneath a baseball cap, and she’s dressed casually before donning her costume. “Once the other mothers were asked to leave, she managed to slip in, take the lead, and observe what was happening. By the time the show begins, she’s already way ahead of the game.
In essence, much like McDonald, it’s not uncommon for speculation to arise. Last year, when whispers of her role surfaced—”After all, gossip is always there, gossip is always there,” she said—the news was greeted with enthusiasm and eagerness. Since the show premiered in December, she has been receiving universal acclaim, even prompting one critic to experience a profound spiritual moment.
As a movie enthusiast, I can’t help but be captivated when the names Greta Garbo and Ethel Merman are mentioned. The former conjures an image, while the latter invokes a sound. When it comes to Audra McDonald, it’s not just her presence that grabs your attention – it’s a radiant, lustrous one that truly stands out. I’ve had the privilege of working with her on ‘The Good Fight’ and ‘The Gilded Age’, and her magnetic allure is undeniable.
The musical tale “Gypsy” narrates Mama Rose’s tireless quest for fame for her daughters during the Great Depression in America, a journey that ultimately leads to the loss of one daughter, June, and transforming the other, Louise, into the renowned burlesque performer Gypsy Rose Lee. Essentially, it delves into the concept of the American Dream, specifically focusing on Mama Rose’s version of it, as her aspirations were primarily fulfilled through her children. Often referred to as the “King Lear” of Broadway, this production, featuring music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, is renowned for its depth. Notably, Mama Rose is one of the most substantial roles a performer can encounter. As Norm Lewis, who shared the stage with McDonald in “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess,” put it, “This is the Shakespeare of a musical theater woman’s career.” It represents the pinnacle.
Until now, the role of Mama Rose on Broadway hadn’t been performed by a Black actor, but that changed when McDonald was cast. Notable actresses like Ethel Merman, Tyne Daly, Bernadette Peters, Angela Lansbury, and Patti LuPone have played this part in the past, but McDonald is the one who got the opportunity this time around. (LuPone’s representative chose not to comment on this story.)
McDonald is often compared to Meryl Streep in terms of their outstanding performances on stage, but with a significant difference – McDonald has won more Tonys than Streep has Oscars. In fact, McDonald holds the record for the most Tonys ever won by any performer and is unique in having received an award in all four acting categories. On May 1st, her 11th nomination was announced, making her the most Tony-nominated performer in history at the age of 54.
As a devoted movie-goer, I can’t help but notice an interesting trend unfolding in the world of Broadway these days. It appears that more and more theater-goers are flocking to shows featuring familiar faces from their screens. Traditional hits like “Wicked” and “The Lion King” still hold strong, but it’s the productions with star power from Hollywood that are truly cashing in.
Take for instance the record-breaking performance of “Gypsy,” with McDonald’s portrayal of Mama Rose. The week it grossed an impressive $1,891,769 in January was its highest yet. However, it’s the small screen sensations who are truly driving the financial success on Broadway these days.
For instance, “Othello,” starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, brought in a staggering $2,818,297 during previews, setting a new record for the highest-grossing play in Broadway history. This record was quickly shattered by George Clooney’s “Good Night, and Good Luck,” which became the first Broadway show to exceed $4 million in a week in May.
Even productions like “Glengarry Glen Ross,” featuring Kieran Culkin and Bob Odenkirk, managed to cross the $2 million mark. It seems that the allure of Hollywood stardom is proving irresistible for Broadway audiences these days.
The extraordinary success of McDonald’s is all the more impressive; given the current trend where entertainment appears to be dominated by celebrities, her career stands as a testament to traditional artistic values. As Diane Paulus, who directed her in The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, puts it, “She has an uncanny ability to tap into the deepest, most profound emotions and express them through song.” This is truly astounding.
McDonald is typically able to move around town anonymously, and fan encounters are rare. When patrons visit the Majestic Theatre, they’re not attending for star-gazing or snapshots; instead, they come to appreciate her genuine skill. As George C. Wolfe, director of “Gypsy” and McDonald’s collaborator in both “Shuffle Along” and “Rustin,” puts it, “It’s not just about observing a flawless figure.” Rather, her talent evokes a deep emotional response from the audience, making them feel compelled to expose their own vulnerability when facing her character’s.
Surrounded by various bouquets, one from Nicole Scherzinger of Sunset Boulevard who is often seen as her main contender at the Tonys on June 8, I inquire from McDonald about talent. Is it driven by inspiration? Is it the result of countless hours of practice? Or is it simply dedication, as some entrepreneurs claim? She ponders for a moment before responding softly, “I believe it’s an unobstructed link to the divine, whatever that means to you. It’s something flowing through, that power, that source, a beacon if you will, whether you call it God or something else. It’s an open pathway, free of barriers.
This show is uniquely identified with just two words that encapsulate its essence: “Audra’s Gypsy.” Here we have the most exceptional musical theater actress assuming the most significant musical theater role.
Since the age of 9, McDonald has been showcasing her singing and dancing talents on stage. She was born in West Germany while her father was serving in the military, but grew up in Fresno, California during the 1970s. Her father, previously a high school band director, later became the associate superintendent of the Fresno school district, and her mother, an administrator at California State University, sang in the church choir. In their household, there was both a piano and a jazz organ. “Having musical abilities and musicality was just a part of everyday life for my family,” McDonald recalls. It wasn’t until her father noticed that she sang more powerfully than the other children in the junior choir that she began to understand her unique talent.
One Sunday afternoon following our church service, my parents asked me to join them in singing harmonies, as I recall. They were quietly discussing something, and I remember wondering what it was about. My parents had been informed that I was an overactive child, they explain, and they were searching for ways to harness my energy. It so happened that they had recently attended a show at the Fresno Dinner Theater, which featured a junior company that performed before the main act.
After she secured her part, she performed pieces by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Irving Berlin, even the musical “Gypsy”, taking on one of the child roles in the show’s opening act (McDonald was not present for the entire performance when she initially joined as a child actor; the kids were allowed to leave early). However, when she was given the chance to play a servant girl, her parents compelled her to turn it down.
Initially, she felt crushed by the situation; subsequently, she considers their pressure as a blessing in disguise. They feared that accepting the role would limit her to portraying only servants or slaves. However, turning down the part paved the way for a career filled with diverse and intriguing roles, despite not fitting the typical stereotype. If she hadn’t been chosen, it wasn’t due to lack of effort. Instead, from an early age, she was taught to never dismiss such opportunities.
McDonald studied classical music at Juilliard, but she now feels it wasn’t the perfect match; in hindsight, she wishes she had pursued drama instead. After graduation, she faced difficulties landing roles. When auditioning for Julie in Show Boat, she was advised to appear as light as possible, so she applied heavy makeup to lighten her skin tone. Similarly, she tried out for the ensemble of Beauty and the Beast, but didn’t secure the part.
In 1994, she made her significant debut as Carrie in the revival of “Carousel”. At age 23, this was one of the initial instances where a Black actor was chosen for a traditional white musical-theater role. Some felt it was an anomaly and historically inappropriate. “It was quite a sensation, absolutely astounding to many,” she recounts. However, everyone has their opinions, particularly when it comes to classics. She earned her first Tony Award for that performance.
Over time, colorblind casting has become less remarkable and more accepted in the theater world. As actress Audra McDonald puts it, “Now I don’t think it’s considered a big deal.” For instance, in this recent production of Gypsy, not only does the lead character Mama Rose, who is traditionally portrayed as white, have a Black actress (Audra McDonald), but her daughters are also played by Black actors. This makes the show about a Black family striving for vaudeville fame in the 1930s. However, despite these changes, not a single line of the original script has been altered. Director Wolfe finds that McDonald’s groundbreaking performance is not the most captivating aspect of Gypsy. “It narrows the discussion,” he says. “Because the focus should be on her talent, her gift, her hard work. Discussing her solely in terms of race, or how she’s making history on Broadway, that says more about Broadway than it does about Audra McDonald.
Three decades after “Carousel,” the dialogue hasn’t completely shifted. In an opinion piece for the New York Times, columnist John McWhorter initially argued that a talent as exceptional as Audra McDonald shouldn’t play Black Rose; she should just play Rose. He further stated that a mother striving for Shirley Temple-like fame for her Black daughters would be pursuing a dream so improbable that it would be the story’s central heartbreak. However, after witnessing her performance, McWhorter penned a follow-up piece: “I’ve Revised My Viewpoint. Audra McDonald Was Correct.
Allow me to share an unforgettable experience from my past: working alongside Audra McDonald during the summer of 2011 on The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess. As a student intern, I was fortunate enough to step in for another actor who injured their ankle during rehearsals. This meant that for a week, I stood on stage, mimicking the injured actor’s movements while they rested and recuperated offstage.
During one scene, my character was supposed to give water to McDonald’s Bess. Since we hadn’t received our props yet, I playfully offered her an imaginary glass, much like a child might present a toy cup at a tea party. She graciously accepted and drank as if it were a refreshing gulp of water on a hot day. Despite the lack of a real glass, she managed to convey the sensation of sipping water so convincingly that I could almost see the droplets trickling down the side of the nonexistent glass, and watch her wipe her chin where the imaginary water had spilled.
Through her consistent dedication and commitment in each rehearsal, performance, and day, McDonald can be compared to an enduring marathon runner or a highly-skilled Navy SEAL. This is according to Baranski’s description.
McDonald consistently arrives at least three hours prior to every performance. She puts on her wig and makeup, does some stretches, and takes care of her vocal warm-ups. About a half hour before the show starts, she requires complete silence. She requests that no one speaks to her unless it’s an emergency. “It’s as if there’s a bomb about to detonate,” she explains. “I need to clear the path for me to embark on my journey.” (During all this, she also has to rub a pepperoni stick over her hands, which helps keep the dog on stage under control.) Just five minutes before the curtain goes up, “I’m like a restless horse,” she says, tapping her knee in a galloping rhythm, as if saying, “Let’s go.
McDonald’s career has been consistently on the move, though not always following a predictable path. Just two years after her Tony-winning role in “Carousel”, she claimed another Tony, this time for her portrayal in “Master Class”. A few years down the line, she added yet another Tony to her collection with “Ragtime”. By then, she was part of an exclusive group of actors who had won three Tonys within five years; she was only 27. Five years later, she was awarded a Tony again for her work in “A Raisin in the Sun”, and received an Emmy nomination for her role in the 2008 TV adaptation.
Despite her significant stage success, she found it challenging to secure roles outside of Broadway. She explained, “People tend to notice only our triumphs.” She faced obstacles in the television industry, feeling as though she was repeatedly hitting her head against a wall. There were extended periods where she struggled to land any role, not even commercial spots, as she put it.
Eventually, in 2007, amidst a divorce from her first spouse, she landed the role of fertility specialist Naomi Bennett in Shonda Rhimes’ spin-off of Grey’s Anatomy, titled Private Practice. For years, she divided her time between Los Angeles and New York, as she was reluctant to move her young daughter Zoe from their home. However, the demands proved too overwhelming; she requested Rhimes to pen an exit for her character, allowing her to return to the east coast during Zoe’s teenage years.
After returning from L.A., McDonald quickly assumed the role of Bess. This character revealed her dedication to fully embodying a character, as she frequently revisited the original texts. She was adamant that her portrayal include a facial scar, as this detail was present in the novel which served as inspiration for the play and subsequent opera. To better understand the emotional aspects of the role, she interviewed sex workers and drug addicts. Even long after critics had reviewed the performance, she continued to delve deeper into research to strengthen her bond with Bess. Months after the show’s opening, Paulus found her backstage. “She told me, ‘I just watched this documentary,'” Paulus recalled. “We’d already performed at the American Repertory Theater and on Broadway, but she was still exploring, still learning.
Two years on, she took on the role of Billie Holiday in “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill” (winning a Tony Award No.6), and earned an Emmy nomination for her TV performance. (She already holds one Emmy from hosting a PBS special, two Grammys, so an Oscar is all she needs to achieve the EGOT.)
In 2016, when Audra McDonald joined the cast of “Shuffle Along”, her demanding career began to clash with her personal life, particularly her family responsibilities. By this point, she was married to Broadway actor Will Swenson, but unexpectedly discovered during rehearsals that she was pregnant at 45. Her pregnancy proved challenging, marked by swelling and water retention in the knees amidst demanding high-energy dance routines. During one performance, while singing her main number, she started to bleed onstage. Reflecting on this experience in a 2023 interview with me, she recalled, “I felt it happen. I felt that gush. And I thought, ‘I’ve just lost my baby, and I’m still singing.’
It transpired that McDonald did not miscarry that evening; her younger daughter Sally is currently 8 years old. However, following a second medical incident during a performance onstage and an unexpected hospital visit, she had to withdraw from the show Shuffle Along. Shortly after its closure, speculation about her pregnancy arose. This situation, as she recounts, provided her with insight into the challenges women face when attempting to reconcile motherhood with a career in theater. “It was intriguing to have colleagues approach me afterward and remark, ‘Oh, wow, your baby halted that show,'” she reminisces. “That was quite demanding and unnecessary.
Baranski remarks, “Maintaining a career like Audra’s, along with a marriage and family, is incredibly challenging.” He admires her as a “complete individual” and an exceptional performer. Typically, one aspect of her life might be compromised due to the others, but she manages to harmoniously balance it all.
In numerous aspects, McDonald embodies the aspirations that Mama Rose held for her daughters. Mama Rose, in essence, sublimated her own dreams into her children, seeking to shield them from a destiny of domestic servitude and stagnation, as she described it: “cooking, cleaning, sitting, and dying.” McDonald remarks, “People often referred to Rose as a monster, but I believe she wasn’t.
McDonald doesn’t necessarily require her audience to admire Rose, but it’s crucial that they comprehend her. As she puts it, “I believe she’s a woman with limited choices, grand aspirations, and significant pain she’s attempting to escape.” Essentially, she’s striving, but she’s not quite reaching success yet.
I’d like to know if working on the show has influenced McDonald’s perspective towards her daughters. She mentions having one who is 8 and another who is 24. “Before the election, this project began,” she notes, visibly shuddering. Sally aspires to become a veterinarian, an astronaut, or a tennis player, depending on the day. Zoe works at a theater and plays bass for a new musical. “I yearn for their happiness, fulfillment, and well-being,” McDonald says. “I want them to be free to be themselves, to express themselves without fear of discrimination.” She continues, “My other dream is for them to recognize and appreciate all people, regardless of culture or identity, and live harmoniously.” She then takes a deep breath, adding, “It’s an unusual time.
Reviewing “Gypsy” in the wake of the 2024 election, I found myself witnessing a performance that took place less than three weeks after the nation grappled with the loss of its first potential Black female President. This production, unfortunately, also served as a poignant finale to a period marked by a cultural resistance against diversity, equity, and inclusion.
In the aftermath of this election, we’ve seen a shift in power, with President Trump assuming control over the Kennedy Center, a venue where the performer, McDonald, has graced the stage on numerous occasions. Under his administration, funding for the arts has faced significant cuts. Millions of dollars have been stripped away, and the National Endowment for the Arts grants have been abruptly canceled.
In essence, this production represents not just a performance, but a reflection of the tumultuous times we find ourselves in, where the future of the arts seems uncertain.
I inquire from McDonald about how she’s managing to remain mentally stable amidst all this chaos. “I’m not sure if I am,” she replies. She slightly curls and uncurls her fingers, as if contemplating on something. It’s evident that she has numerous thoughts swirling in her mind, but she’s deciding what to disclose. Following a lengthy pause, she expresses that the only path through the insanity is: “Art can help people reconnect with their human essence.
McDonald has consistently used her influence to increase opportunities for Black artists in theater; following George Floyd’s death, she co-founded Black Theatre United to address systemic racism within commercial plays. Now, she leverages her political stance to energize her performances. As she puts it, “Every night the show needs to feel new. Sometimes you need to discover unexplored sources.” After the election, she found these sources were not hard to find; they were already raw and exposed.
At the conclusion of the play, Rose, feeling forsaken by her children and grappling with dreams unfulfilled, finds acceptance. She’s the stage mother, not the headliner, because she “was born prematurely and delayed in beginning.” In a passionate display, her face is smeared with tears and her voice trembles as she sings, her fingers spread out towards a future she couldn’t seize: “When will it be my time?” It’s evident, in this emotional scene filled with sweat, sobs, and desperation: the unobstructed pathway to the divine.
As a movie critic, I usually prefer anonymity during screenings, but the cat was out of the bag when Vice President Kamala Harris graced us with her presence in February. On that particular night, as I heard those poignant lyrics—”When is it my turn?”—the song seemed to resonate beyond the aspirations of a single stage mother’s dreams in vaudeville.
Mc Donald’s song, Rose, is deeply rooted in her ancestors – her aunts, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers. When she sings this final number, she always feels their presence. However, on the evening Harris attended the performance, it was unlike any other. “I had roots growing deep into the earth’s core, then shooting up through my head,” Mc Donald describes it. It felt as if she was tapping into the spirit of every Black woman who ever lived, she explains. That’s how I felt that night – like they were right there with me.
After achieving so much, one might ponder what comes next for her. How does one surpass such great heights? For McDonald, it’s difficult not to focus on Gypsy. She is set to reappear in the third season of The Gilded Age in late June, and is considering embarking on a concert tour, but her Broadway performance has been extended through October, and she currently has no intentions of leaving it.
If she surpasses her own record at the Tonys, McDonald expresses gratitude but clarifies that awards aren’t the main focus. She explains that while they don’t necessarily alter your life, they do influence how others view and expect things from you. When I inquire about her thoughts, a wave of emotions, including both envy and worry, crosses her face. “People might think ‘Well, with a Tony, you must be exceptional!’ or ‘With a Tony, and not being nominated this year, now you’re a failure!’ or ‘Are you okay? Oh no, you didn’t win, oh no!'” she says.
After regaining her usual expression, she remarks, “That’s quite a burden on you: perception and expectation. It’s truly an honor to be associated with a Tony win, but it feels as if winning isn’t really about you. You just do your job, that’s all.
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2025-05-28 15:07