Musical Theatre Singer and Actor
Born July 3, 1970
Fast Facts
- Audra McDonald was born in Berlin, Germany and raised in Fresno, California.
- At age 9, she started taking voice lessons and performing at a local dinner theatre.
- In 1988, She graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School in Fresno and went on to study classical singing at The Juilliard School in New York City, graduating in 1993.
- One year after graduating, she earned a Tony Award for her role in the musical Carousel.
- By age 28, she had earned 3 Tony Awards, becoming the youngest actress ever to do so.
- Today, Audra McDonald has 6 Tony Awards and is the only performer to have earned awards in each of the four main acting categories (Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, and Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical.)
- In 2015, She was named one of Time magazine’s most influential people.
- Outside of performing, She is a passionate advocate for equal rights and homeless youth.
Musician of the Month Project 