Audra McDonald was honored with the 2009 NAACP Theatre Award's Trailblazer Award in a ceremony held August 31 at the Directors Guild of America Theatre in Hollywood, which also marked the 100th anniversary of the NAACP. It was also just announced that Audra will participate in The Actors Fund's fall 2009 benefit event titled Chance and Chemistry: A Centennial Celebration of Frank Loesser, to be held on Monday, October 26, at the Minskoff Theater in New York.

The one-night-only concert will feature the music of legendary Broadway composer Frank Loesser and is being co-chaired by the composer's widow, Jo Sullivan Loesser, and Sir Paul McCartney. The proceedings will be hosted by the actress Annette Bening, producer Kevin McCollum, and Jonathan Tisch, chairman of the Loews Corporation; and will also include appearances by Liz Callaway, Debbie Gravitte, Hugh Jackman, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Chita Rivera, and John Stamos. Proceeds will benefit the programs and services of The Actors Fund, which has provided assistance to performing arts professionals in need for more than a century.

Audra's participation in the September 2001 Actors Fund benefit concert—a one-night-only 20th anniversary concert performance of the Broadway hit musical Dreamgirls—was captured in a live recording from Nonesuch Records, Dreamgirls in Concert, with Audra starring as Deena Jones. The album also features lead performances by Heather Headley and Lillias White.

For more information on The Actors Fund and tickets to Chance and Chemistry, visit actorsfund.org.