Who is African American opera singer Audra?

Audra McDonald is an American singer, actress, and dancer who has won several Grammy, Emmy, and Tony awards for her work. She has appeared in Broadway musicals, television series, and movies. McDonald is best known for her roles in the Broadway musicals "Ragtime", "Porgy and Bess", and "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill". She has also starred in the movies "The Object of My Affection", "The Sapphires", and "Beauty and the Beast".

McDonald was born on July 7, 1970, in Berlin, Germany. She began singing at an early age and took formal voice lessons while still in school. She graduated from the State University of New York at Purchase in 1993 with a degree in music theater.

After graduating, McDonald went on to star in several Broadway musicals. She won her first Tony Award in 1995 for her performance in "Master Class". She has since won six more Tony Awards, including one for her performance in "Ragtime" in 1998 and one for her performance in "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill" in 2014.

McDonald has also won two Emmy Awards for her work on television. She won her first Emmy in 2003 for her performance in the PBS miniseries "The Book of Mormon". She won her second Emmy in 2015 for her performance in the ABC miniseries "The Sound of Music Live!".

McDonald has also released six solo albums. Her first album, "New York Jazz", was released in 2000. Her most recent album, "How Glory Goes", was released in 2018.

McDonald is a recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, the National Medal of Arts, and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. She is also a member of the American Theatre Hall of Fame.