Audra McDonald helps ‘Lady Day’ turn a profit

MARK KENNEDY
AP Drama Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Audra McDonald has propelled her new Broadway show into profitability.

Producers of the play “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill” said Tuesday that they have recouped their $2.6 million initial investment.

In the show, McDonald portrays Billie Holiday in one of her last concerts, offering stories and performing about a dozen of Holiday’s best-known songs, including “God Bless the Child,” ”What a Little Moonlight Can Do” and “Strange Fruit.”

In June, McDonald won her sixth Tony Award for the role, making her the awards’ most decorated actress and the only woman to win a Tony in all four acting categories.

Other recent Broadway shows that have recouped include “Of Mice and Men,” ”All the Way” and “The Glass Menagerie.”

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Online: http://ladydayonbroadway.com

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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