Audra McDonald Turns into Most Tony-Nominated Performer in Historical past with 11 Totaltheinsiderinsight

• Audra McDonald is among the many newly introduced 2025 Tony Award nominations, for Lead Actress in a Musical as Mama Rose within the Broadway revival of Gypsy
• She is now probably the most Tony-nominated performer within the awards’ historical past with 11 whole over her profession
• McDonald reacted to the popularity in a press release, saying she was “so extremely grateful to share this Gypsy with the world”

Audra McDonald is making Tony Awards historical past — once more. 

Upon the Thursday, Could 1 announcement of this 12 months’s Tony nominations, the 54-year-old star is formally probably the most acknowledged performer within the theater awards’ historical past.

Already the document holder for many performing wins with six, McDonald is now probably the most Tony-nominated performer because of her main flip within the acclaimed revival of Gypsy at Broadway’s Majestic Theatre bringing her to 11 nods. 

In a press release, McDonald praised her fellow nominees and famous that Mama Rose, her function within the Jule Styne, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents musical, had by no means been performed by a Black performer on Broadway till this season. 

“I’m so honored to have been nominated for Gypsy alongside Pleasure Woods, Danny Burstein and Camille A. Brown. As a Black actor, Rose was by no means a personality I assumed I might play till my pricey buddy Gavin Creel planted the thought in my head,” she mentioned. (Tony-winning Broadway star Creel died in September 2024 at age 48.) 

“It took a very long time for the thought to germinate, and I by no means would’ve been in a position to get right here with out the imaginative and prescient of our director George C. Wolfe, and the immense expertise of our inventive group and forged,” concluded McDonald. “I really feel so extremely grateful to share this Gypsy with the world and to be part of the legacy of probably the most excellent musicals ever written.”

Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, the Gilded Age star mentioned, “I’m so fortunate. The one factor I all the time wished to do rising up, one factor that gave me pleasure and form of gave me goal and made me really feel most like myself was to carry out theater. And so to be at this level and to have that form of recognition is simply overwhelming. I’m grateful, and it doesn’t appear actual, as a result of I don’t know the right way to course of that.”

Along with her 2014 win for enjoying Billie Vacation in Girl Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, McDonald grew to become probably the most Tony-awarded performer in historical past with six, and the one one with wins in all 4 performing classes. Earlier than her Gypsy recognition, she was tied for many performing nominations with Julie Harris and Chita Rivera at 10 every. 

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Gypsy has been revived numerous occasions on Broadway since Ethel Merman originated the function of Rose, with stars like Tyne Daly, Angela Lansbury, Bernadette Peters and Patti LuPone taking part in the long-lasting character. Display variations embody these starring Rosalind Russell (1962), Bette Midler (1993) and a filmed model of the 2015 London revival starring Imelda Staunton.

“I’m so honored to be part of this manufacturing,” McDonal advised PEOPLE in October forward of the manufacturing’s opening. “Gypsy is an ideal musical. We have now a completely stellar forged, all led by the sensible George C. Wolfe who’s a real theater visionary.”

Main this 12 months’s Tony nominations, introduced by Sarah Paulson and Wendell Pierce on Thursday, had been musicals Buena Vista Social Membership, Demise Turns into Her and Possibly Glad Ending, plus new performs John Proctor is the Villain and The Hills of California. 

The 2025 Tony Awards will happen on Sunday, June 8, at Radio Metropolis Musical Corridor in New York Metropolis. Broadway veteran and Depraved star Cynthia Erivo will host the ceremony.