Fall Preview: Audra McDonald Ushers in the Majestic Theatre's Gypsy Era

When Audra McDonald made her Broadway debut in The Secret Garden at the St. James Theatre in 1992, her across-the-street neighbor, The Phantom of the Opera, was already four years into its run at the Majestic Theatre. By the time the musical moved out of the Majestic in 2023, McDonald had six Tony Awards. 

It's hard to imagine the sprawling 1,600-plus-seat house without its glass-shattering sopranos and haunted chandeliers, but George C. Wolfe's revival of Gypsy, led by McDonald as Rose, is the theatrical equivalent of smudging—a fresh start for the refurbished theater with only the friendly ghosts remaining. McDonald commemorated the moment by emceeing the venue's big reveal, raising the curtain on the view she'll have eight times a week beginning this winter. And of course it's not a true cleanse without a sound bath in Jule Styne's Gypsy overture.

Watch the full video below.