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Audra Mcdonald - Biography
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Audra Mcdonald Biography
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| Name : | Audra Mcdonald |
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Profession :
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Singer and actress
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Date of birth :
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3 July 1970
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Place of birth :
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Berlin, Germany
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Birth name :
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Audra Ann McDonald
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Height :
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5' 8" (1.73 m)
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Audra Mcdonald Trivia
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- She was raised in Fresno, Ca.
- Five of her aunts toured in the 1970s as "The McDonald Sisters". They sang gospel music.
- At her final "Carousel" audition, Audra fainted on stage while singing. She still got the part and went on to win her first Tony Award in 1994.
- "Marie Christine", Audra's first starring role on Broadway, was written specifically for her by Michael-John LaChiusa after seeing her audition for "Carousel".
- The youngest actor ever to win three Tony Awards.
- Graduated from The Juilliard School for the performing arts in 1993
- Daughter Zoe Madeline Donovan born on 14 February 2001 at 2:59pm weighing 7lbs 7oz.
- Daughter Zoe Madeline (pronounced ZO) named after Zoe Caldwell and the late Madeline Kahn, two good friends of McDonald's.
- She almost didn't graduate from Julliard because of her disinterest in Classical Music, but with the help of a fellow student, impressed her teachers and went on to become a huge Broadway star.
- Husband Peter Donovan also graduated from Julliard, where they met. He is her bass player, and they do a number together called "Beat My Dog." [Audra has also made several appearances with "Evening at Pops" (1970), and her concert "Live at the Donmar," (with Peter) was broadcast on PBS.]
- Has won four Tony Awards in eleven years: as Best Actress (Featured Role -Musical), in 1994 for a revival of "Carousel," and in 1998 for playing Sarah in Ragtime;" and as Best Actress (Featured Role - Play), in 1996 for playing Sharon in Terence McNally's "Master Class, and in 2004 for her portrayal of Ruth Younger in a revival of Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun." She was also nominated in 2000 as Best Actress (Musical) for playing the title role in "Marie Christine."
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Audra Mcdonald Detailed Biography
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Audra McDonald is an American singer and actress.
Audra Ann McDonald was born on July 3, 1970 in Berlin, Germany, and was raised in Fresno, California.
The elder of two daughters, she began to study acting at a young age to counteract her diagnosis as "hyperactive." She studied classical voice at the Juilliard School of Music, graduating in 1993.
McDonald became a three-time Tony Award winner by the age of 28, placing her alongside Shirley Booth, Gwen Verdon, and Zero Mostel by accomplishing this feat within five years.
In 2004 she won her fourth Tony for her role in A Raisin in the Sun. She is now in the company of other four-time Tony Award winning actresses Angela Lansbury, Verdon, and Mary Martin.
In addition to her long list of stage credits, McDonald has acted in film and on television. She has also recorded three solo albums, in which she performs the works of the new generation of Broadway theatre composers, particularly Michael John LaChiusa, Adam Guettel, and Jason Robert Brown.
She frequently appears in concert and has performed with a number of the most prestigious orchestras worldwide.
McDonald married bassist Peter Donovan in 2000. They have one daughter, Zoe Madeline, named after actresses, Zoe Caldwell and (the late) Madeline Kahn.
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