Audra McDonald delivered a powerful performance of “Rose’s Turn” from Gypsy at the 2025 Tony Awards, held on Sunday, June 8 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
The six-time Tony Award winner took to the stage as part of the ceremony’s featured musical performances, representing her starring role as Mama Rose in the Broadway revival of Gypsy, currently running at the Majestic Theatre.
McDonald, 54, was nominated for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Rose, marking her 11th career nomination and making her the most-nominated performer in Tony Awards history. The award ultimately went to Nicole Scherzinger for Sunset Boulevard.
The performance was met with widespread acclaim, with audiences and critics praising McDonald’s commanding stage presence and vocal prowess. Her rendition of the climactic number “Rose’s Turn” served as one of the evening’s standout moments and highlighted her continued dominance and influence on the iconic Broadway stage.
The 2025 Tony Awards were hosted by Cynthia Erivo and celebrated achievements across Broadway productions. Other major winners included Cole Escola, who won Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play, and Sunset Boulevard, which saw wins for both its lead performer and technical categories.
Ahead of the event, McDonald addressed recent public remarks by fellow Broadway veteran Patti LuPone in an interview with CBS Mornings. When asked about LuPone’s comments, McDonald responded, “If there’s a rift between us, I don’t know what it is… that’s something you’d have to ask Patti about. You know, I haven’t seen her in about 11 years just because we’ve been busy just with life.” The exchange came following LuPone’s viral interview where she declined to comment on McDonald’s Gypsy performance and later issued a public apology after facing backlash from the theatre community.
Despite the offstage controversy, Audra McDonald’s commanding performance of “Rose’s Turn” stood on its own as a defining moment of the 2025 Tony Awards, solidifying her legacy and reaffirming her place at the forefront of Broadway’s greatest talents.
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