Audra McDonald Will Return to PORGY & BESS Tonight

As BroadwayWorld reported yesterday, Audra McDonald, the five-time Tony winning star of PORGY & BESS, will indeed be returning to the show today following a 2-week doctor-mandated hiatus.

It was announced on June 20 that McDonald had been ordered on a period of complete vocal rest by her doctor through June, after a respiratory infection she developed mid month left her vocal cords inflamed to a point where she could not sing. (In her absence, the role of Bess was played by Alicia Hall Moran, who made her Broadway debut). This morning McDonald tweeted her intentions to return for tonight's performance as scheduled: "Thnx 4 the bday wishes & 2 @thewillswenson 4 the delish & way too caloric bkfast in bed! Off 2 the doc, voice lesson, then @PorgyBessOnBway!"

It has been anticipated that McDonald will perform a seven-performance schedule, with her not performing most Wednesday evenings.

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

The classic story by DuBose and Dorothy Heyward is set in Charleston’s fabled Catfish Row, where the beautiful Bess struggles to break free from her scandalous past, and the only one who can rescue her is the crippled but courageous Porgy. Threatened by her formidable former lover Crown, and the seductive enticements of the colorful troublemaker Sporting Life, Porgy and Bess’ relationship evolves into a deep romance that triumphs as one of theater’s most exhilarating love stories.

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.

Visit www.porgyandbessonbroadway.com for more information.