Audra is a Lithuanian word for "thunderstorm" — and independently a 20th-century American respelling of Audrey, from the Old English æðel (noble) + þryð (strength). **Audra McDonald (born 1970)** — **American actress and soprano holding the record for the most competitive Tony Awards ever won by a performer** (six). **Only performer to win all four Tony acting categories** (Best Featured Actress in a Musical, Best Actress in a Musical, Best Featured Actress in a Play, Best Actress in a Play). **Juilliard graduate (1993)**; National Medal of Arts (2015) from President Obama. **Married actor Will Swenson in 2012**. Starred as Billie Holiday in *Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill* (2014 Tony win).
Subject of countless Broadway profiles; her concert albums include collaborations with the New York Philharmonic.
Audra reduces to six — the number of six Tony Awards.