Review: THE NEW YORK POPS 42ND BIRTHDAY GALA at Carnegie Hall Was a Delight

On Monday, April 28, 2025, The New York Pops held their 42nd annual gala at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. Their music honoree evening was Diane Warren, one of the most successful songwriters of the past 50 years. Even if you haven't heard of her name, you most certainly have heard her music. Warren was in attendance, watching the show from a box, and it was touching to see many of the singers calling out to her and expressing their gratitude for the songs she wrote for them. Over the course of roughly an hour, the Pops went through many of Warren’s greatest hits, sung by a star-studded cast of talent, including some of the singers who originated the songs (LeeAnn Rimes, Sophia Carson, Angélique Kidjo, and more). The show was magnetizing from start to finish, showing off the Pops’ dedication to arts education for children, their mission to making orchestral music more accessible for the public by presenting lush arrangements of popular songs, and more.

Steven Reineke, the Pops’ Music Director and Conductor, drew cheers from the crowd when he stepped onstage to lead an overture featuring some of Warren’s greatest hits. From there, we moved to knockout performance after knockout. Micaela Diamond, star of Broadway’s The Cher Show sang a number originated by Cher, “If I Could Turn Back Time,” starting slow and deliberate before building into the energetic climax. Her performance (and most of the performances throughout the night) was supported by three outstanding background vocalists: Stephanie Fisher, Melodie Ray, and Charlyn E.M. Willis. Despite singing backup, their star quality shone through on numbers like Kidjo’s “Sunlight to My Soul,” where they blended in perfect harmony with Kidjo’s strong vocals and the song’s Afro-folk inspired beats. In one of the concert’s standout moments, Reineke announced that at the very last moment, Hailey Kilgore was unable to make it, and so Charlyn E.M. Willis would be stepping up to perform the number – a “true Carnegie Hall moment,” as Reineke said. Willis was truly outstanding on that number, a cover of Beyonce’s “I Was Here.” She put her all into the song, knocking it out of the park with power, poise, and strong emotion.

The event, and many of the Pops’ programs, including their PopsEd youth education programs such as Kids in the Balcony, Kids on Stage, and their scholarship for children to attend French Woods summer camp at no cost, are supported through generous donations. That evening, they honored long-time supporter Morgan Stanley’s Nadine Wong as their Corporate Honoree. Reineke shared that that evening, in honor of their program, they had filled all 800+ seats in the balcony with NYC public school students, giving them the chance to experience a Carnegie Hall show for free. Reineke gave the excited children a chance to shout out when he called out their borough. He also had several outstanding students from their Kids on Stage program playing alongside the Pops orchestra on select pieces that evening. He called them each out by name and we got the chance to listen to them play on a lovely instrumental version of “Blame it On the Rain.”

A nod to the focus on kids in the arts, the Pops invited scads of children from Camp Broadway to join Mykal Kilgore as backup dancers on an energetic “Rhythm of the Night.” The youngster’s filled the area on and below stage and grooved in time with Kilgore’s powerful vocals with simple yet effective choreography.

All of the guest vocalists were stunning – Storm Large’s big, brassy voice stood out on “How Can We Be Lovers,” with new arrangements by Pops musician Dylan Condor. Shoshana Bean drew cheers for her sustained high notes on “Because You Loved Me.” Sofia Carson touchingly dedicated her performance of “Applause” to Warren. “Thank you for writing the music that is the soundtrack to our lives.” She sang the original recording of that song in the 2022 movie Tell It Like a Woman. Ryan Shaw stepped in at the eleventh hour to sing “The Journey” in place of Brandon Victor Dixon, who was felled by seasonal allergies (“as I’m sure most of you can relate to,” Reineke joked). He brought down the house with the powerful tune, keeping the melody pure while reaching such a crescendo that he was almost screaming the final notes. Taylor Dayne sang a Warren song she originated, “Love Will Lead You Back.” She personally thanked Warren by writing such a special song for her sophomore album. She pointed out that record’s producer, Clive Davis, who was also in attendance (and was the Pops’ honoree at last year’s gala concert). LeAnn Rimes sang “How Do I Live,” which Warren wrote for her second album. She sustained some impressive high notes on the tune. Ariana DeBose sang a touching, emotional “Un-Break My Heart.” There were a few disappointed sighs when Reineke announced that War and Treaty had also stepped out, but luckily Mykal Kilgore stepped in to deliver a high-powered cover of “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.”

Finally, at the end of the night, Diane Warren came onto the stage. Reineke urged her to join the cast in singing the finale, “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.” She agreed, reluctantly at first, but by the end she was all smiles, egged on and supported by some of the singers. Everyone came back out for the finale – including all of the Camp Broadway kids, who came stampeding down to fill the aisles to dance in place. It was a lovely send-off to a heartwarming tribute to the inimitable songwriter.

Learn more about the New York Pops, their upcoming shows, and how to support them and their child education programs on their website at nypops.org

Find more upcoming shows at Carnegie Hall here.