Sondheim’s OG stage mom is back.
The expectation for anyone walking into the Majestic is that Broadway veteran and six-time Tony Award winningAudra McDonaldwillmeasure up.
She simply has to.
Audra McDonald in ‘Gypsy’ on Broadway.Credit:Julieta Cervantes
I almost feel bad for McDonald: How is it possible to perform under such pressure?
The trick seems to be that she doesnt feel it… or, at least, show it.
She doesnt merelyplayRose; she embodies her.
Joy Woods and Audra McDonald in ‘Gypsy’ on Broadway.Julieta Cervantes
Onstage, McDonald isnt a Broadway diva, but a storyteller.
To put it in Roses terms: Shesgot it.
Every character in the show finds Roses presence annoying at best, yet shes intoxicating to watch.
Danny Burstein, Joy Woods & Audra McDonald in ‘Gypsy’.Julieta Cervantes
And an emphasis on the notion that Black people have not received adequate monetary compensation for those contributions.
Zachary Daniel Jones, Tony d’Alelio, Jordan Tyson, Kevin Csolak, Brendan Sheehan in ‘Gypsy’.Julieta Cervantes
