Video: Audra McDonald Talks the 'Tornado' of Mama Rose and How Gavin Creel Inspired Her to Play the Role

With the hit Broadway revival of Gypsy now performing through the summer, show star Audra McDonald visited The Late Show to discuss the production. Playing the infamous Mama Rose, McDonald shed light on how this character is different from most characters in the world of theater.

"A lot of times when you do shows...your character is getting swept up in something," explained McDonald. "Instead of Dorothy getting swept up in a tornado, Mama Rose is the tornado," she said with a laugh, adding that her character is really what is driving the story and the emotions that surround her.

She explained her tactic for helping her fall asleep at the end of an adrenaline-filled performance: "I have a really hard time going to sleep at night...So I've done this thing where I get on my phone and I wait for The New York Times puzzle games to flip over to the next day so I can do Connections, or Spelling Bee, or Wordle."

Also in the interview, McDonald discussed the late Gavin Creel who inspired her to take on the hefty role one year at Thanksgiving: "He said, 'I need to talk to you about something! and he dragged me into our garage after dinner and said 'You need to play Mama Rose. It needs to be a Black woman. You have to figure out how to do it!'" Watch the full interview with Audra McDonald now.

McDonald is currently starring in Gypsy on Broadway alongside 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. Tickets are now on sale for performances through Sunday, August 31, 2025.

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. 

First premiering on Broadway in 1959, Gypsy features a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne, and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The original production was an instant classic, earning critical acclaim and establishing Mama Rose as one of the most coveted roles in musical theater.

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