The New York Pops will celebrate its 34th birthday May 1, 2017, with a gala evening honoring Tony Award winners Kelli O’Hara and Bartlett Sher at Carnegie Hall.
The concert, featuring a lineup of stars from stage and screen under the baton of music director Steven Reineke, will begin at 7 PM. Other performers will be announced shortly.
In the past decade, O'Hara and Sher have collaborated on such critically acclaimed productions as The Light in the Piazza, South Pacific, The Bridges of Madison County, and The King and I; O'Hara won her Tony Award for her performance in the last. Sher won a Tony for his direction of South Pacific.
Adam Guettel, John Lithgow, Matthew Morrison, Nico Muhly, Anna Netrebko, and Ken Watanabe will serve as Honorary Co-Chairs for the event.
“Kelli and Bart are two of the most talented artists working in theatre today,” said conductor Reineke in a statement. “Bart’s beautiful direction of The King and I and Kelli’s stunning performance in the leading role of Anna Leonowens garnered them both loads of praise last year, and like the rest of New York City, I was swept up into the world they created and brought to life on stage. Their partnerships have led New York audiences from Siam to Madison County to an island in the South Pacific, and always they remain the models of grace and professionalism, poise and perfection. Kelli and Bart are the true personification of stars, and I can’t wait to celebrate them with the fantastic musicians of The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall next May.”
Music honoree O’Hara, who also sits on the Board of The New York Pops, added, “The New York Pops is one of my favorite organizations in New York, and I am so excited to share the stage at the 34th Birthday Gala with Steven Reineke and this great orchestra. It’s a distinct pleasure to be the Music Honoree alongside my longtime collaborator and friend Bart Sher. We are eager to celebrate the important work they do not only at Carnegie Hall but also in music education programs across New York City.”
Following the concert, a black-tie dinner and dance will be held at the Mandarin Oriental New York.
Tickets for the concert will be available to the public in January 2017. Tickets to the Dinner Dance will be available by calling The New York Pops office at (212) 765-7677.
By Andrew Gans (2016, November 2). New York Pops to Honor Kelli O’Hara and Bartlett Sher. Retrieved from playbill.com: http://bit.ly/2fTXnxL