Audra's father dies in crash
Steve Newport
by Brian Scott Lipton:
Stanley McDonald Jr., the father of four-time Tony Award winner Audra
McDonald, was killed in a plane crash on Sunday in Yuba County,
California, according to published reports in Sacramento-area
newspapers.
According to the reports, Stanley McDonald was flying an experimental
type of helicopter. One witness said the wind shifted direction and the
propeller hit the tail of the aircraft.
McDonald is currently starring in the Roundabout Theatre's revival of
the musical 110 in the Shade. According to a spokesperson for the show,
McDonald will perform on Tuesday, May 1 and then return to the show on
Friday, May 4; the performances on May 2 and 3 have been canceled.
Stanley McDonald had been the principal at Hoover High School and later
became an associate superintendent for human resources for the school
district before he retired in 2005. In addition to Audra, he is survived
by his wife Vicki, his daughter Allison, and Audra's daughter, Zoe
Donovan.