Home / Arts and Entertainment / Broadway Star Audra McDonald Faces Frightening Fan Encounter After Final 'Gypsy' Show
Broadway Star Audra McDonald Faces Frightening Fan Encounter After Final 'Gypsy' Show
18 Aug
Summary
- Audra McDonald's final 'Gypsy' performance on Broadway
- Unsettling fan encounter where a theatergoer followed her
- Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King in the audience for the finale
On August 17, 2025, acclaimed Broadway star Audra McDonald bid farewell to her role as Mama Rose in the acclaimed revival of 'Gypsy'. However, the six-time Tony Award winner's final curtain call was marred by an unsettling fan encounter.
The night before her last performance, McDonald detailed in an Instagram video how a theatergoer "snuck around and found" where she exited the building and followed her "all the way" to her place of stay, demanding an autograph. McDonald expressed her concern for her safety, stating that this behavior "is crossing a big ol' boundary" and is "not right."
Despite the unpleasant incident, McDonald's final show was a triumphant one, with Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King in the audience to witness the historic moment. The two longtime friends greeted McDonald onstage afterwards, with King telling the actress, "From the moment you walked out, you felt it too, right? Oprah said, 'She's on fire!' "
McDonald's performance in 'Gypsy' made history as the first time a Black actress portrayed the role of Mama Rose on Broadway. The production also featured the first Black actresses to play the roles of Louise and June, Mama Rose's daughters.
After three decades on the stage, McDonald is now ready to take a well-deserved rest. "I'm going to lie down!" she said, laughing, when asked about her plans following the show's conclusion.
