Nothing against her boozy Zoom performances, of course, but we’ve been waiting for this: Audra McDonald is finally returning to Broadway this fall. The six-time Tony Award winner will star as the lead in 91-year-old playwright Adrienne Kennedy’s first Broadway production, Ohio State Murders. The Kenny Leon–directed play follows Suzanne Alexander, a Black writer who returns to her alma mater to speak about the violence in her work. From there, according to the show description, “a dark mystery unravels†and helps provide a “pertinent look at the destructiveness of racism in our society.â€
Ohio State Murders will be the first performance in the James Earl Jones Theatre (formerly known as the Cort Theatre), which has been renovated with a new wing. McDonald said in a statement that she was “honored and humbled†to be part of Kennedy’s “long-overdue Broadway debut†and to work with Leon in the newly dedicated theater. “This timeless play has a powerful resonance and relevance today, and we can’t wait to share it with the world,†she added. Previews begin November 11, or you can wait to catch her comeback when the play officially opens December 8.