Interview: Tony-Winner Kelli O’Hara Talks Taking the Stage with The Grand Rapids Symphony

Broadway favorites come to life in Grand Rapids this summer with Tony Award-winning stars Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara, in a one night show with the Grand Rapids Symphony’s Picnic Pops Series: “A Night of Broadway with Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara”  The celebrated duo will pay homage to icons of stage and screen, including Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett, as well as fan favorites from their Tony Award-winning and nominated shows.

Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara will share lighthearted stories from their lives and careers in between numbers.   This is a show that the Broadway fan will not want to miss, and it is already the buzz in the theatre community!   Broadway World Michigan had the chance to interview the Tony Award winner, Emmy and Grammy-nominated actress Kelli O’Hara, ahead of the show in Grand Rapids, discuss the show, and get a taste of what we might see!

Broadway World Michigan: You have performed at the Tony Awards and are a Tony Award winner, Emmy and Grammy-nominated actress, have appeared in twelve Broadway shows for which you have garnered 8 Tony Award Nominations, and were awarded the prestigious Drama League's Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre Award in 2019.  What are some of your favorite Tony and award show memories as a performer, nominee, and/ or winner?

Kelli O’Hara: I have too many extraordinary memories to name, but I’ll give it a stab.  Obviously, the memory of winning the Tony ranks up there, but performing for the first time at the Tony Awards with my dear colleague, mentor, and friend, Victoria Clark, for “The Light in the Piazza”, will always be a favorite. I’ll also include the quick change moment for the “The King and I” performance in 2015.  I love high-pressure moments like those.

You won a Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for “The King and I”. What are some of your memories from “The King and I”, and are we going to hear any songs from the show in your set?

We began “The King and l” on Broadway in 2015 and then took it to London and Tokyo, so it was the gift that kept on giving.  I made so many wonderful memories and friends through those years.  Taking my husband and young children with me for these international excursions was something that changed us all forever, and they were priceless experiences.  For Sutton’s and my concert in Grand Rapids, you will hear a recognizable bit from “The King and I” for sure!

Who are some of your musical influences that made you want to go into musical theatre, and even influence you still today?

Well, our show speaks to that a great deal as it is completely inspired by Julie Andrews/Carol Burnett Televised specials starting in the 60s.  Those two women, along with Shirley Jones, were my biggest inspirations as a child.  Although I didn’t have much live theatre growing up in western Oklahoma, I was in love with movie musicals and live variety shows like Carol’s.  That led me to theatre.

How would you describe “A Night of Broadway with Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara”  in your own words?

Inspired by the 1962 Carnegie Hall special starring living legends Carol Burnett and Julie Andrews, Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara have joined forces to bring the female duo show back to life, celebrating Broadway and beyond.

What are some songs we can expect to hear in the set with the Grand Rapids Symphony?

We perform Julie and Carol’s hilarious production number of “Big D” in hats, boots, and chaps, but we mostly take from our own Broadway careers. We include songs from our shows like The Light in the Piazza and Anything Goes. We even perform a medley of songs from the '90s.

With multiple shows and albums under your belt, how do you find yourself keeping the music fresh and giving it a little something different?

Every audience is different, so every performance must be.  It really is a true collaboration.  But this is a brand new show based on one we made for Carnegie Hall, with a book, skits, and all new orchestrations.  So it’s very fresh.

You are so blessed to sing with some of the best symphonies across the US this summer and around the world.  How does it compare to singing with a pit in the theatre? 

For one thing, the size of the orchestra is the main comparison.  There is nothing like performing in tandem with 75/80 members of an orchestra.  Broadway shows are using fewer and fewer musicians every year in their pits, although I had the privilege of doing both “South Pacific” and “The King and I “ at Lincoln Center with a 30 to 40-piece orchestra, and that was magical.

Have you ever performed with the Grand Rapids Symphony?

This will be my first time with the Grand Rapids Symphony!

What are some songs we might hear, and do you have a favorite song in the set list you always have to sing or enjoy singing the most?

I have a solo number called “They Don’t Let You in the Opera if You’re a Country Star,” written by Dan Lipton and David Rossmer, that I have been singing for years.  We will add that to this show!  It’s a hoot.

Why should people attend “A Night of Broadway with Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara”?

I think this show is truly unlike anything out there today.  Fully scripted with skits, stories, and new takes on songs with gorgeous orchestrations celebrating friendship.  We also highlight some local Michigan talent while we are at it.  It’s not to be missed.  

You're on Tour with Sutton Foster, a legend in her own right.   What is it like getting to tour with her, and have you worked with her in the past?

It’s amazing to have built this show and tour it with my friend,  Sutton. We have known each other for over 20 years, but that story is part of the show, so don’t miss it!

Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us!  This is something I’ve looked forward to since the announcement came out that you both were coming to perform with the Symphony, and we can’t wait to see you in Grand Rapids!

Thanks!

A Night of Broadway with Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara, with the Grand Rapids Symphony, comes to Millennium Park’s Secchia Meadows on Tuesday, July 22, 7:30 PM.  For tickets and more information on this and the other Concerts in the Picnic Pops series, including: Patriotic Pops, July 16th, at 8:00 PM, and Faithfully - The Music of Journey, July 17th at 7:30 PM. Visit grsymphony/picnicpops

Connect with Kelli O’Hara on Facebook facebook.com/kellioharasings/, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/kelliohara, and online at www.kelliohara.com/