Tony winner Kelli O'Hara will step in for fellow Tony winner Laura Benanti at The New York Pops' holiday concert. The latter withdrew due to a COVID-19 exposure in her family. The Carnegie Hall event remains scheduled for December 17.
Led by Music Director Steven Reineke, The New York Pops and O’Hara will perform holiday favorites. The concert, titled Back Home for the Holidays, will also feature special guest Brandon Michael Nase, founder of Broadway for Racial Justice.
As previously announced, The New York Pops will next perform at Carnegie Hall with jazz star Tony DeSare and Newsies alum Capathia Jenkins for a celebration of composer Nelson Riddle February 4, 2022.
Since last performing on Broadway, O'Hara took to the city streets, running the NYC Marathon. In January 2022, she'll be seen in the HBO historical drama series The Gilded Age alongside a host of other Broadway veterans.