Kelli O’Hara’s star has been steadily rising on Broadway for the past few years.
After being noticed in supporting roles in the 2001 revival of “Follies,” and the musical version of “Sweet Smell of Success” the following season, she won her first Tony nomination in 2005 for playing the young romantic lead in “The Light in the Piazza.”
O’Hara followed that long-running hit with an equally acclaimed performance in the Roundabout revival of “The Pajama Game” the following year (which earned the actress another Tony nomination).
Now, she is starring as Nellie Forbush in the wonderful revival of “South Pacific” (above) that has turned into one of the biggest critical and commercial successes of the season (The New York Post reported last week that $9 million worth of advance tickets have been sold since the show opened last month).
O’Hara acts as well as she sings, so there doesn’t seem to be any limit on what she might do after “South Pacific.”
In between “The Pajama Game” and “South Pacific,” the actress played Eliza Dolittle in a concert version of “My Fair Lady” with the New York Philharmonic (a role O’Hara has said is at the top of her dream list for the next Broadway revival she might do).
On May 6, Ghostlight Records is releasing O’Hara’s solo debut CD, “Wonder in the World,” an eclectic group of tunes that reflect the Oklahoma native’s appreciation for a wide range of music. The CD contains two Broadway standards — “I Have Dreamed” from “The King and I,” and “Make Someone Happy” from “Do Re Mi” — but she also sings tunes by Don McLean, James Taylor and “Pajama Game” co-star Harry Connick, Jr. (who arranged the music and plays piano and organ on most of the tracks).
O’Hara includes two lovely tunes she wrote herself — “Here Now” and “I Love You the World” — and she opens the album with “The Sun Went Out,” a song penned by her husband Greg Naughton (the Fairfield County native who is the son of Broadway star James Naughton).
Times are hard for CDs — perhaps that’s why this set recorded two years ago is just appearing now — but “Wonder in the World” captures a star near the beginning of what should be an amazing career.
A late-night May 5 Joe’s Pub show to celebrate the release of the CD is already sold-out, but O’Hara will be doing a free performance and signing at the Lincoln Center Barnes & Noble store on May 12 at 7:30 p.m.
