New York City
The New York Pops took their holiday spectacular to Carnegie Hall with two of Broadway’s favorite stars.
From the very first supercharged notes of the overture to Kelli and Matthew: Home for the Holidays, you knew this was going to be a holiday extravaganza as only The New York Pops could deliver. A manic "Jingle Bells" gave way to a rollicking "Sleigh Ride." A klezmer clarinet soared above the orchestra, charging forth into "Good King Wenceslas." Under the direction of Maestro Steven Reineke, The Pops decked Carnegie Hall with boughs of holly and bounteous cheer, offering an eclectic mixture of old and new that had something for everyone.
On top of that, we got to enjoy the reunion of Kelli O'Hara and Matthew Morrison, who were memorably paired in 2005's The Light in the Piazza and also shared the stage in the 2008 Broadway revival of South Pacific. It was great to see them together again.
On the heels of the overture, Essential Voices USA (director, Judith Clurman) joined the orchestra for a fantastically layered arrangement of "We Need a Little Christmas" from Jerry Herman's Mame. Hearing a beloved showtune performed by a massive choir and a giant orchestra was a rare treat and one of the things that makes a Pops concert so special.
The Great American Songbook continued with a warm and inviting version of Frank Loesser's "Baby, It's Cold Outside," the first duet for O'Hara and Morrison. O'Hara sparkled in a champagne dress while Morrison wore a silver suit jacket. Their pure and resonant voices overlapped and interwove, highlighting the chemistry we've all come to love. They remained on stage for the Jule Styne/Sammy Cahn number "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!," which was accented by a swanky piano interlude.
Reineke's enthusiasm for this music is infectious. He conducted with his shoulders, gliding from side to side as if he might suddenly break out into a soft-shoe. He selected arrangements that were both surprising and rewarding: a Sousa-fied "Winter Wonderland," a Dixieland version of "Jingle Bell Rock." These endlessly inventive orchestrations proved that the mark of a true standard is its ability to be altered and rearranged and still sound fabulous.
Strumming a ukulele, Morrison charmed everyone with Robert Alex Anderson's "Mele Kalikimaka," a Christmas tune with a Hawaiian twist. O'Hara gave a haunting interpretation of John Jacob Niles' "I Wonder as I Wander." The pair reunited on stage for "Tonight" from West Side Story. Though we'll probably never see them play Tony and Maria on a Broadway stage, after this breathtaking performance it's clear we're missing out.
The apex of the evening came when O'Hara (clad in a deep red gown), delivered a powerful rendition of Adolphe Adam and John Sullivan Dwight's "O Holy Night." In a fit-for-Hollywood arrangement by David T. Clydesdale, this already dramatic song became even more epic with spontaneous tempo shifts, modulations, and a choir of angelic voices. O'Hara's clear and bright soprano rang out above them all, ending the piece on the most glorious of glory notes, which led to a spontaneous standing ovation. She's clearly been conditioning for her operatic debut.
But that's not all: What Christmas concert would be complete without a sing-along of our favorite carols? After hearing thousands of voices in song in the acoustically perfect concert hall, backed by the brilliant Pops, it was difficult to resist the urge to sing all the way home.