Audra McDonald to Kick Off Winter Tour at Walt Disney Concery Hall

Jenny Lester

On Dec. 2, Audra McDonald will be kicking off her 32-city winter concert tour in Los Angeles at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The tour will feature a variety of music, including classic show tunes, well-known standards, and songs written especially for McDonald by contemporary musical theatre composers.

The singer-actress set two records at this year’s Tony Awards when she took home her sixth Tony Award for her portrayal of Ella Fitzgerald in “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill.” This win made her the first performer to win in all four performance categories as well as a record breaking six-time Tony Award Winner. McDonald is also a two-time Grammy Award winner for her contribution to a number of cast recordings, and has produced quite the collection of solo albums in the last decade, as well.

McDonald’s reach doesn’t end with the small and cult-like community of show tune lovers. Audra has graced the small screen for years with notable roles in many television episodes, including “Law & Order: Special Victim’s Unit” and “Private Practice,” among others. Her work in “Wit” earned her an Emmy nomination in 2001, and she was nominated again in 2008 for her work in “A Raisin in the Sun.” Children of the nineties remember her best, perhaps, for taking on the role of Daddy Warbuck’s secretary and eventual fiancée, Grace, in the television remake of the class musical, “Annie.” She appeared as Mother Abyss, another iconic role, in NBC’s live telecast of “The Sound of Music” just last fall.

McDonald is known not only for her acting talent and vocal prowess, but also for her philanthropic work as a spokesperson for campaigns such as NOH8 and Broadway Impact. This year, she was engaged in an online debate over a Tony Award acceptance speech. In the speech, she thanked her parents for not medicating her when she was diagnosed with ADHD as a child, and thanked them instead, for guiding her toward the theatre to burn off excess energy. A mother wrote an angry letter via the internet relentlessly berating McDonald, arguing that some children need to be medicated. Audra remained poised and professional in her response.

The dazzling Audra McDonald is a Broadway legend in a class all her own; with an elegance and energy on and offstage not matched by many contemporary performers.

Audra McDonald will be performing at The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Dec. 2. Tickets can be purchased on here.