Sunday night's 68th Annual Tony Awards was all Audra McDonald and James Monroe Iglehart, as one became the most decorated Broadway actress of all time with her win and the other saw his decision to surpass being a pro wrestler and a Harlem Globetrotter pay off with his first Tony win.
McDonald wowed Broadway audiences with her portrayal of Billie Holiday's struggle with drug and alcohol addiction in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill. McDonald had to not only imitate the singer's alcohol fueled performances but also had to emulate her signature husky voice.
"I get to the theater at about 6 p.m. or 6:15 p.m. I need that time. I don't let anybody come in from a half-hour on. I go really deep within myself," she told the Wall Street Journal about her process to prepare.
Her best lead actress win makes this her sixth Tony surpassing five-time winners Angela Lansbury and the late Julie Harris, CBS News reports. The 43-year-old actress got her career off to a strong start having won 3 Tony awards by the time she was 28 for her performances in Carousel, Master Class, and Ragtime.
TO READ MORE GO TO THE ROOT.
