Theater legend Audra McDonald, 53, will be the 2024 Rose Parade grand marshal on Jan. 1, bringing with her a list of accolades and more than 25 years of musical background, an apt pick since this year’s theme is music. All the while, her fame has been a platform in promoting racial justice on and off the stage.
The latest stage, of course, will be the Rose Parade, where McDonald is one of four Black female grand marshals since 1960, including actress Gina Torres, singer Chaka Khan, and Olympic athlete Allyson Felix. Her participation in the 135th parade reflects a pattern of more diverse picks to lead, which started in the 2010s.
That push was reflected in 2014, when Joan Williams, who as Pasadena’s Miss Crown City was denied a chance to ride in the parade in 1957 due to her being African American, was seated at the head of the Rose Parade — 60 years after originally being promised a seat.
With McDonald’s reveal comes an array of triumphs.
Her vocal accomplishments have won her a record six Tony’s, three of which she earned before turning 30. She has also won two Grammys and an Emmy, making her one award away from the coveted “EGOT” status.
In 2016, she was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame by then-president Barack Obama.
She has sung in eight of the major American orchestras — including Los Angeles Philharmonic — and has performed in many orchestras abroad as well.
Her acting accolades include roles in Annie (1999), Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, Private Practice and more. She is currently guest-starring in HBO’s The Gilded Age.
McDonald also has a history of fighting for social equality throughout her life.
Alex Aghajanian, president of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, called McDonald an “outspoken advocate” in his speech announcing her as grand marshal.
She participated in many LGBTQ marriage-equality campaigns and anti-bullying campaigns in the early 2000s to now, earning her a 2009 Ally for Equality…
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