And now for a completely inevitable yet overwhelmingly exciting announcement: Audra McDonald (the most Tony-winning performer of all time) is playing Momma Rose in Gypsy (tied for being the most Tony-winning role of all time). It will be the first time a Black actress has played the part on Broadway. In 2022, McDonald referred to Momma Rose as the “King Lear of roles for women in musical theater” and, yeah, we’re gonna need to see McDonald play that. Even the poster for the upcoming revival simply reads “AUDRA GYPSY,” as if it’s one word. Seems correct. George C. Wolfe (Angels in America, Caroline, or Change) is directing the production — his first musical since 2016’s Shuffle Along (which also starred McDonald). The revival will begin previews on November 21 before opening December 19, and it will re-open the Majestic Theater following its current renovations. There’s no official word on co-stars in the production, but we’re already imagining what it would be like for McDonald to star alongside her Gilded Age daughter, Denée Benton.
