13 Things You Should Know About Audra McDonald | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

13 Things You Should Know About Audra McDonald

10. Obama awarded her the National Medal of Arts

957
13 Things You Should Know About Audra McDonald
Wikimedia Commons

Audra McDonald is a Broadway legend who graced UNC-Chapel Hill's campus Jan. 20 and 21. McDonald performed an 8 p.m. show on Saturday and a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday in Memorial Hall on campus.

With ticket prices for the general public surpassing $100, I was lucky enough to see McDonald for the student rate of $10. However, because I ordered my ticket online, I was subject to an $8 processing fee. A small price to pay to see such an unparalleled artist live.

McDonald's performance was her second with Carolina Performing Arts, a theater on campus that strives to provide the University and surrounding community with exceptional arts experiences that provoke them to celebrate and appreciate the arts.

Audra McDonald is an artist with an incomparable about of talent and experience. I was able to appreciate her talent live at her performance. If you weren't so lucky, here's 13 things you should know about her:

1. She has received six Tony awards

I don't say McDonald is a legend without reason. In 2017, McDonald broke two records in Tony history. First, she became the winningest performer, receiving her sixth Tony award. Second, she became the only performer to have won a Tony in all four performance categories: Best Lead Actress in a Play, Best Lead Actress in a Musical, Best Featured Actress in a Play, and Best Lead Actress in a Musical.

2. She is a mother of two girls

While McDonald is surely proud of her award-winning roles on stage, her favorites are those off-stage. McDonald is a mother of 16-year-old Zoe Madeline Donovan and 1-year-old Sally James McDonald-Swenson.

3. She is an advocate for equal rights

McDonald has dedicated herself and her platform to fighting for the equal rights of all people, vulnerable and oppressed, especially those within the LGBTQ+ community. McDonald is surrounded and inspired my members of the LGBTQ+ community and is heartbroken that they are not offered the same rights as her. In February, McDonald will receive the Human Rights Campaign's National Equality Award to commend her efforts to stand up for the LGBTQ+ community.

4. She is married to actor Will Swenson

In 2012, McDonald married Will Swenson, an American actor best known for his roles in the Broadway musicals "Les Miserables" and "Waitress."

5. She has received two Grammy awards

In 2009, McDonald received two Grammy awards for her work on the Classical/Opera album Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny: Best Classical Album and Best Opera Recording.

6. She's an actress, too

In addition to captivating her audience on stage, McDonald has also acted in several movies and television shows. While some of these on-screen roles showcase her incredible vocal talent, like her role as Madame Garderobe, the enchanted wardrobe, in Disney's live-action remake of "Beauty and the Beast," others simply show her talent as an actress. McDonald is known in television for her roles in "Grey's Anatomy," "Private Practice," "The Bedford Diaries" and, most recently, "The Good Fight." Her film roles include "Annie," "A Raisin in the Sun" and "Hello Again."

7. She became a mom for the second time at age 46

Her daughters are 15 years apart, and while McDonald says her second daughter was a surprise, she is enjoying her second time at motherhood.

8. She was trained at Juilliard

McDonald has breathtaking talent as a soprano singer. She trained at The Juilliard School in Lincoln Center in New York City.

9. She was born in Germany

McDonald was born in West Berlin, Germany as her father was stationed there in the military. Her family returned to the U.S. and settled in California.

10. Obama awarded her the National Medal of Arts

In 2015, former president Barack Obama awarded McDonald the National Medal of Arts. The National Medal of Arts is an award and title given to honor those who are artists and patrons of the arts.

11. She was named one of Time magazine's most influential people

In that same year (2015), McDonald was named one of Time magazine's most influential people. She was recognized as "the angelic voice," and revered for her beauty, intelligence and extraordinary talent.

12. She has received one Emmy award

In addition to receiving six nominations, McDonald has won one Emmy. In 2015, she took home the Outstanding Special Class Programs Emmy for her role in "Live From Lincoln Center."

13. She's real

In the midst of captivating her audience with her incredible talent, McDonald was able to show her true charming and quirky character as she made puns, laughed at her own embarrassing stories, shared stories of moments with her children and constantly announced her desire to get grits before leaving North Carolina. While her effortless musical talent may make it hard to believe, she is real.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

190996
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

15315
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

458165
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

26779
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments