Review: Heather Headley Astonished in her Utah Debut at the SCERA
The concert took place on Saturday, August 29, 2026 at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre.
On Saturday, August 29, Broadway star Heather Headley, who originated the roles of Nala in THE LION KING and the title character in AIDA, made her much-anticipated Utah concert debut at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre in Orem. She performed with the Utah Valley Symphony, as did her predecessors Laura Osnes, Megan Hilty, Jeremy Jordan, and Aaron Tveit (music directed and conducted by Ron Colvard).
The Grammy Award-winning solo artist, who is also known for her performances leading THE BODYGUARD in London’s West End and as Shug Avery in the Broadway revival of THE COLOR PURPLE opposite Cynthia Erivo, astonished the audience with her musicianship.
Headley has a finely tuned vocal instrument that extricates the heart and soul from each melody and lyric with power and finesse. She treated her performance of each song with reverence and respect, taking time to pull herself into its emotions before beginning to sing.
Her set list was Broadway-focused, opening with a revelatory “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from THE WIZARD OF OZ and ending with a passion-fueled “Make Them Hear You” from RAGTIME.
Top highlights included a gorgeous rendition of “My House” from MATILDA, which she prefaced with a personal story about her family during the pandemic, and an original “Stars” medley that included “Written in the Stars” from AIDA, the title number from LOST IN THE STARS, and “Hold On” from THE SECRET GARDEN.
The audience would have loved to hear more of the music that made her famous, but they appreciated the brief section from AIDA, as well as her performance of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from THE LION KING.
The Debra Bonner Unity Gospel Choir joined Headley for several numbers, beginning with “River Deep – Mountain High” (TINA), and local performer/director Rex Kocherhans added his talents for “The Prayer” and “Amazing Grace.”
The skies were clear for most of the evening, but rain unfortunately forced a premature end to her encore tribute to Dolly Parton, “I Will Always Love You” (THE BODYGUARD).
A big thank you to the SCERA for bringing Broadway artists like Headley and last year’s Aaron Tveit who had never previously performed concerts in the state. It was certainly a night to remember for Utah’s theatre community!
Simply Queen will close out the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre summer season on September 5, 2026, after which attention will shift to the SCERA indoor season, including NOISES OFF, IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE, A NIGHT OF BROADWAY: SALUTE TO DISNEY, FINDING NEMO, FOOTLOOSE, and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA.
For tickets to any upcoming shows at the SCERA, call the box office at 801-225-ARTS (2787) or visit www.scera.org.
Photo Credit: SCERA
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