Audra McDonald Taps into 'the Depth of Mothering Black Daughters" in Broadway's Gypsy

Published: May 27, 2025

As the most Tony-nominated performer in history, Audra McDonald tells PEOPLE how she's carrying her ancestors — and her daughters — into every performance.

McDonald's Nomination and Celebration

Audra McDonald is bringing all of herself — mother, performer, and protector — to her latest Broadway role. The actress is up for a record seventh Tony Award for her leading performance in George C. Wolfe's revival of Gypsy, which is inspired by the 1957 memoirs of legendary burlesque entertainer Gypsy Rose Lee.

McDonald opened up about how being a mother of two off-stage impacts what she does eight shows a week on-stage. "I can't carry my real daughters on stage with me because the way my character Rose mothers is a very different way than I mother my daughters. But I carry the depth of motherhood on stage with me because I know what that is. And I carry the depth of mothering daughters on stage with me. And I carry the depth of mothering Black daughters on stage with me, for sure."

McDonald is mom to two daughters: Zoe, 23, from a previous marriage, and Sally, 8, whom she shares with husband Will Swenson. And while her approach to motherhood is very different than Rose — the ultimate showbiz matriarch, who will do anything to make her daughter a Vaudeville star — McDonald still connects deeply with the character's fierce love and fierce ambition.

When asked about her Tony nomination, McDonald says she hasn't fully processed it yet. "I haven't felt it yet. In terms of what it means for me, I can't process it." But she did celebrate with her husband, who surprised her with a Tony the Tiger T-shirt he bought at a Thai market.

McDonald is the first Black actress to play the role of Rose on Broadway. Joy Woods and Jordan Tyson, who play Rose's daughters Louise and June, are also the first Black actresses to play the role.

Despite making history with her nomination, she shrugs it off, instead focusing on the production's four other nominations. "I'm so thrilled that the show was nominated [for Best Revival], my castmates Danny [Burstein] and Joy] were nominated, and that our choreographer, Camille A. Brown, was nominated. I'm so proud of the work we're doing in this show. So that we're all being recognized is what matters most."

Tickets for Gypsy are now on sale. The 2025 Tony Awards air live from Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, June 8 on CBS.