In 1950, she became the first African American to win a Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Bloody Mary in "South Pacific" starring Ezio Pinza and Mary Martin. She also won a Donaldson Award for playing that role. She played the role for 1,925 performances on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre beginning on April 7, 1949. She also starred in the 1954 Broadway musical "House of Flowers" in which she sang and danced Harold Arlen's "Slide Boy Slide". In addition to her role in "South Pacific", she was a regular performer in clubs in Greenwich Village, where she captivated audiences with her renditions of "Am I Blue?", "Lament Over Love", and Langston Hughes' "Cool Saturday Night".