Audra McDonald Returns to Full Performance Schedule in PORGY & BESS, 8/28

Producers of the 2012 Tony Award Winner for Best Revival of a Musical, The Gershwins' PORGY AND BESS announced today that five-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald will return to an eight-performance schedule beginning Tuesday, August 28th. She had previously been on a schedule of seven performances per week, not performing the Wednesday evening shows.

The critically-acclaimed revival will conclude its limited engagement at the Richard Rodgers Theatre (226 West 46th Street) on Sunday, September 23, 2012.

Tickets are on sale at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 877-250-2929.

The Gershwins' PORGY AND BESS, winner of the 2012 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, has a cast led by five-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald (Ragtime, "Private Practice") as Bess, Tony nominee Norm Lewis (Les Misérables, Sondheim on Sondheim) as Porgy and three-time Tony nominee David Alan Grier (Race, "In Living Color") as Sporting Life. The cast also includes Tony nominee Phillip Boykin as Crown, Nikki Renée Daniels as Clara, Joshua Henry as Jake, Christopher Innvar as Detective, Bryonha Marie Parham as Serena and NaTasha Yvette Williams as Mariah, as well as Sumayya Ali, Allison Blackwell, Roosevelt André Credit, Trevon Davis, Joseph Dellger, Wilkie Ferguson III, Carmen Ruby Floyd, Gavin Gregory, Heather Hill, David Hughey, Andrea Jones-Sojola, Alicia Hall Moran, Cedric Neal, Phumzile Sojola, Nathaniel Stampley, Julius Thomas III, J.D. Webster and Lisa Nicole Wilkerson.

The Gershwins' PORGY AND BESS began previews on Saturday, December 17, 2012 and officially opened on January 12, 2012 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre (226 West 46th Street).

Following its sold-out world premiere engagement at Boston's American Repertory Theater, one of Broadway's most accomplished creative teams, led by Tony-nominated director Diane Paulus(Hair), Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks (Topdog/Underdog), and two-time Obie Award-winning composer Diedre L. Murray (Running Man), brings George and Ira Gershwin's legendary masterwork to the Broadway stage for the first time in more than 35 years.

The creative team also includes choreographer Ronald K. Brown, set designer Riccardo Hernandez, costume designer ESosa, lighting designer Christopher Akerlind and sound designer ACME Sound Partners.