“People's reactions to opera the first time they see it is very dramatic; they either love it or they hate it. If they love it, they will always love it. If they don't, they may learn to appreciate it, but it will never become part of their soul.”

- Edward Lewis, Pretty Woman

Listening to Broadway legend and Tony Award winner Kelli O’Hara perform at the Bradshaw Performing Arts Center at Sandhills Community College, I was reminded of this quote. O’Hara has built her career on becoming Broadway’s classic leading lady, and regaled North Carolina with her operatic soprano and renditions of some of Broadway’s biggest hits. While her performance was not truly “an opera,” I think it’s safe to say its operatic echoes will resonate with audiences much in the same way. 

Opening her show with Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’s “Pure Imagination,” O’Hara built her show around themes of hope, excitement, and wonder.

“I like to open with ‘Pure Imagination’ because we come in here to be in a little time capsule of imagination...and that's what the arts do for us.”

O’Hara’s career has been defined by her appearances in what we now consider “classic” musicals, and she has since performed in revivals such as The King and I, (for which she won the 2015 Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical) The Pajama Game, South Pacific, and most recently, Kiss Me Kate. This background served as the basis of her concert as she brought songs from Broadway days gone by back to life, filling the room with those sweet, passionate, intense soprano ballads. In between musical numbers, O’Hara shared stories from her life and career, expertly using these stories to segue into her next piece. Accompanied by expert Dan Lipton on the piano, O’Hara built a world full of dreamy hope and nostalgia. While the opening notes of every song were greeted with gasps of ooh and ahh as audiences recognized the familiar tunes, a few moments of the show stood above the rest.

The King and I’s “Getting to Know You” may be one of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s most famous musical numbers. O’Hara took this knowledge in stride, inviting audiences to sing along with her, filling the room with a sort of giddy, lovable energy as we reveled in the moment. Having been in a summer camp production of this show as a child, singing along with O’Hara was a bright and breezy moment in time.

Next up is the titular song from The Light in the Piazza, this time with a story about how O’Hara was initially used as a placeholder for Adam Guettel while he wrote the musical. As the production came together, creators loved O’Hara and eventually offered her the role of Clara. Full of love, hope, and joy, O’Hara held her audience in the palm of her hand as she spun her tale. 

Kiss Me Kate was O’Hara’s most recent Broadway appearance, and she gave it a fitting tribute with her rendition of “So In Love.” It was here that I was reminded of why we come back to these musicals again and again, regardless of how much time has passed. There aren’t nearly as many of these grand stories of happy endings and true love gracing Broadway anymore. And while I am a full supporter of the modern era of musicals we have ushered in since the days of The King and I and South Pacific, there is something wonderful and hopeful about these emotional opera notes and tales of happily ever after. 

“I go back to those classic scores because that’s where I feel at home…I grew up trying to be Julie Andrews or Doris Day or whoever I was seeing in these movie musicals because that’s what I could get my hands on growing up.” 

Ms. O’Hara, I think it is safe to say you have become this generation’s Julie Andrews. Your reimagining of beloved stories and enviable talent has made you a (theater) household name, and your rendition of “I Could Have Danced All Night” from My Fair Lady did in fact bring me to tears.

In comparison to the rest of O’Hara’s graceful, starlett-perfect performance, her performance of “Not Funny” was a moment for her to showcase her humor and incredible range. Originally written for the late Rebecca Luker (who was known for her soprano), the song jests at the notion that sopranos never get a chance to be funny on stage. They get goosebump-raising ballads, but their songs are almost never the humorous parts of the show, thanks to the nature of that clear opera sound we have come to expect. O’Hara explained she was asked to sing the song at Luker’s memorial service and has since begun incorporating it into her shows. And let me say, thank goodness she does. Full of blink-and-you’ll-miss-them mentions of classic musicals (including The Music Man, Carousel, The Sound of Music, and Oklahoma, to name a few) and well-known soprano ballads, this cheeky number was by far the most lovable, upbeat part of the performance. 

As any lover of theater will tell you, there is something about seeing stories brought to life on stage that cannot be mimicked anywhere else. But hearing how the performer relates to the music? Learning their stories as they relate to the songs brings a new light to these shows that have entertained generations. Thank you, Ms. O’Hara, for sharing something beautiful and new with us. 

Feature Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Bradshaw Performing Arts Center