Audra McDonald Says She Discussed Starring in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC and GYPSY with Sondheim

While discussing how Gypsy came about with The New Yorker, McDonald revealed that another iconic Sondheim role might be on the horizon in the future.

McDonald says she spoke with Stephen Sondheim about playing Mama Rose in Gypsy after Gavin Creel suggested the idea at a Thanksgiving dinner: "There was another show of [Sondheim's] too that [Sondheim] wanted me to be a part of as well. I said is it okay if we do this one first, and he was like, whichever you want to do first is fine," said McDonald. 

When pushed to name the other show, McDonald revealed it was A Little Night Music.

While she hopes to do the show in the future, there are no immediate plans for a revival. "Let me get this one out of the way first," she joked.

GYPSY, directed by six-time Tony Award-winning Director George C. Wolfe, stars six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald, Tony Award Winner Danny Burstein, Joy Woods, Jordan Tyson, Kevin Csolak, Olivier Award winner Lesli Margherita, Lili Thomas, Mylinda Hull, Jacob Ming-Trent, Kyleigh Vickers, Marley Lianne Gomes & Jade Smith Natalie Wachen and Tryphena Wade.

The ensemble features Shanel Bailey, Jace Bently, Brandon Burks, Hunter Capellán, Tony d’Alelio, Summer Rae Daney, Kellie Jean Hoagland, Sasha Hutchings, Aliah James, Brittney Johnson, Zachary Daniel Jones, Ethan Joseph, Andrew Kober, Krystal Mackie, James McMenamin, Cole Newburg, Joe Osheroff, Majo Rivero, Ken Robinson, Sally Shaw, Thomas Silcott, Brendan Sheehan, Jayden Theophile, Jordan Wynn, and Iain Young.

GYPSY, suggested by the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, is Broadway’s ultimate tale of mothers and daughters, ambition and fame, and the lengths we’ll go in pursuit of the American dream.  

The musical features a book by Tony Award Winner Arthur Laurents, music by Tony and Academy Award Winner Jule Styne, and lyrics by Tony, Grammy, Academy Award and Pulitzer Prize Winner Stephen Sondheim, choreography by four-time Tony Award nominated Camille A. Brown, music direction, music supervision, and additional arrangements by Andy Einhorn, and additional orchestrations and arrangements by Tony Award winner Daryl Waters. 

GYPSY has scenic design by four-time Tony Award winner Santo Loquasto, costume design by four-time Tony Award nominee Toni-Leslie James, lighting design by nine-time Tony Award winner Jules Fisher + three-time Tony Award winner Peggy Eisenhauer, sound design by Tony Award winner Scott Lehrer, hair and wig design by Academy Award winner Mia Neal, makeup design by Michael Clifton, animals by William Berloni Theatrical Animals, Inc, dialect & voice coaching by Kate Wilson, casting by Jordan Thaler CSA/Heidi Griffiths CSA, and production stage management by Rick Steiger.