Born into a musical family in Fresno, California, McDonald received her classical training at The Juilliard School. She made her Broadway debut shortly after graduating, winning her first Tony Award for Carousel in 1994. She went on to make history with landmark performances in Master Class, Ragtime, A Raisin in the Sun, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, and most recently Gypsy, becoming the most decorated performer in Tony Awards history.

Beyond the theater, McDonald enjoys a major international concert career, performing with leading orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, and Berlin Philharmonic, and appearing at iconic venues such as Carnegie Hall and Royal Albert Hall. A longtime recording artist for the Nonesuch label, her albums span classic and contemporary repertoire and include the acclaimed orchestral release Sing Happy.

A familiar presence on television, McDonald has starred in acclaimed series including Private Practice, The Good Fight, and HBO’s The Gilded Age, and has appeared in films such as Beauty and the Beast, Respect, and Rustin. She is also a celebrated host and performer on PBS, including Live From Lincoln Center, earning an Emmy for her work.

Equally committed to advocacy, McDonald is a co-founder of Black Theatre United and a passionate supporter of LGBTQIA+ equality and at-risk youth. Of all her roles, her most cherished are those offstage—as an activist, wife to actor Will Swenson, and mother.