Kelli O'Hara
Encyclopedia
Kelli O'Hara is an American
actress, singer
, and songwriter
.
O'Hara has been nominated for three Tony Award
s: for her performance as Clara Johnson in The Light in the Piazza; for her performance as Babe Williams in the Roundabout Theatre Company
's revival of The Pajama Game
, where she starred alongside Harry Connick, Jr.
and Michael McKean
; and, most recently, for her performance as Nellie Forbush in the Lincoln Center Theater
revival of South Pacific
.
O'Hara was recently seen as Dot/Marie in the L.A. Reprise! concert staging of Sunday in the Park with George
. She can be heard as the voice of producer Beth Totenbag on PBS's 2008 animated series Click and Clack's As the Wrench Turns
.
in an Irish American family. She graduated from Deer Creek High School and also attended Oklahoma City University
, graduating with a Bachelor's of Music in vocal performance/opera. O'Hara studied voice with Florence Birdwell
, who also taught Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth
four years earlier. O'Hara and Chenoweth are both alumnae of the Gamma Phi Beta
sorority.
O'Hara is married to Greg Naughton, son of actor James Naughton
, brother of actress/singer Keira Naughton. Their first child, Owen James, was born on June 27, 2009.
Off-Broadway and regional theatre
National tours
Cast recordings
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress, singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
.
O'Hara has been nominated for three Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
s: for her performance as Clara Johnson in The Light in the Piazza; for her performance as Babe Williams in the Roundabout Theatre Company
Roundabout Theatre Company
The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading non-profit theatre company based in New York City.-History:The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist and Elizabeth Owens and now operates five theatres, all in Manhattan: the American Airlines Theatre ; Studio 54 ; the Stephen Sondheim Theatre The...
's revival of The Pajama Game
The Pajama Game
The Pajama Game is a musical based on the novel 7½ Cents by Richard Bissell. It features a score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story deals with labor troubles in a pajama factory, where worker demands for a seven-and-a-half cents raise are going unheeded...
, where she starred alongside Harry Connick, Jr.
Harry Connick, Jr.
Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr. is an American singer, big-band leader/conductor, pianist, actor, and composer. He has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with...
and Michael McKean
Michael McKean
Michael John McKean is an American actor, comedian, writer, composer and musician, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Squiggy's friend, Leonard 'Lenny' Kosnowski, on the sitcom Laverne and Shirley; and for his work in the Christopher Guest ensemble films, particularly as David St...
; and, most recently, for her performance as Nellie Forbush in the Lincoln Center Theater
Vivian Beaumont Theatre
The Vivian Beaumont Theater is a theatre located in the Lincoln Center complex at 150 West 65th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The structure was designed by Finnish American architect Eero Saarinen, and Jo Mielziner was responsible for the design of the stage and interior.The Vivian...
revival of South Pacific
South Pacific (musical)
South Pacific is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The story draws from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific, weaving together characters and elements from several of its...
.
O'Hara was recently seen as Dot/Marie in the L.A. Reprise! concert staging of Sunday in the Park with George
Sunday in the Park with George
Sunday in the Park with George is a 1984 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical was inspired by the painting "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat...
. She can be heard as the voice of producer Beth Totenbag on PBS's 2008 animated series Click and Clack's As the Wrench Turns
Click and Clack's As the Wrench Turns
Click and Clack's As the Wrench Turns is an animated television series that follows the adventures of the brothers Click and Clack from their auto repair shop Car Talk Plaza. The program stars Tom and Ray Magliozzi , also known as the Tappet Brothers, from National Public Radio's Car Talk...
.
Personal life
O'Hara grew up in OklahomaOklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
in an Irish American family. She graduated from Deer Creek High School and also attended Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University, often referred to as OCU, is a coeducational, urban, private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church...
, graduating with a Bachelor's of Music in vocal performance/opera. O'Hara studied voice with Florence Birdwell
Florence Birdwell
Florence Gillam Birdwell is an American educator, musician, and singer, who has taught musical theater and opera singing to thousands of voice students over a six-decade career, continuing today as professor of voice at the Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University.Born in Arizona, Birdwell...
, who also taught Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...
four years earlier. O'Hara and Chenoweth are both alumnae of the Gamma Phi Beta
Gamma Phi Beta
Gamma Phi Beta is an international sorority that was founded on November 11, 1874, at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. The term "sorority," meaning sisterhood, was coined for Gamma Phi Beta by Dr. Frank Smalley, a professor at Syracuse University.The four founders are Helen M. Dodge,...
sorority.
O'Hara is married to Greg Naughton, son of actor James Naughton
James Naughton
James Naughton is an American director, theater, film and television actor.-Early life:Naughton was born in Middletown, Connecticut, the son of Rosemary and Joseph Naughton, both of whom were teachers He is the brother of actor David Naughton.-Career:Naughton graduated from Brown University and...
, brother of actress/singer Keira Naughton. Their first child, Owen James, was born on June 27, 2009.
Stage roles
Broadway- Jekyll & HydeJekyll & Hyde (musical)Jekyll & Hyde is a musical based on the novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. The original stage conception was by Steve Cuden and Frank Wildhorn. The music is by Wildhorn and the lyrics and book are by Leslie Bricusse.The musical ran on Broadway for 1,543...
(2000) as Kate (replacement) / Emma (understudy) - FolliesFolliesFollies is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. The story concerns a reunion in a crumbling Broadway theatre, scheduled for demolition, of the past performers of the "Weismann's Follies," a musical revue , that played in that theatre between the World Wars...
(2001) as Young Hattie/Ensemble, then as Young Phyllis - Sweet Smell of Success: The Musical (2002) as Susan
- Dracula, the Musical (2004) as Lucy Westenra
- The Light in the Piazza (2005) as Clara Johnson
- The Pajama GameThe Pajama GameThe Pajama Game is a musical based on the novel 7½ Cents by Richard Bissell. It features a score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story deals with labor troubles in a pajama factory, where worker demands for a seven-and-a-half cents raise are going unheeded...
(2006) as Babe Williams - South PacificSouth Pacific (musical)South Pacific is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The story draws from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific, weaving together characters and elements from several of its...
(2008) as Nellie Forbush (took maternity leave on March 8, 2009; returned to the role on October 13, 2009.)
Off-Broadway and regional theatre
- Beauty (2003) (La Jolla PlayhouseLa Jolla PlayhouseLa Jolla Playhouse is a not-for-profit, professional theatre-in-residence on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. -Background:...
) - My Life with AlbertineMy Life With AlbertineMy Life with Albertine is an Off-Broadway musical with book by Richard Nelson, music by Ricky Ian Gordon, and lyrics by both. The 2003 musical is an adaptation of the semi-autobiographical novel by Marcel Proust, entitled In Search of Lost Time....
(2003) as Albertine (off-Broadway) - The Light in the Piazza (2004) as Franca (in Seattle and Chicago)
- Bells Are RingingBells Are Ringing (musical)Bells Are Ringing is a musical with a book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Jule Styne. The story revolves around Ella, who works at an answering service and the characters that she meets there. The main character was based on Mary Printz, who worked for Green's answering...
(2010) as Ella Peterson (off-Broadway)
National tours
- Jekyll & Hyde (1999-2000) as Ensemble / Emma (u/s), and later as Emma (replacement)
Discography
- 2008 Wonder in the WorldWonder in the WorldWonder in the World is the debut solo album by American Broadway artist Kelli O'Hara, and it was released by Ghostlight Records on May 6, 2008. The music is arranged and orchestrated by Harry Connick, Jr...
- 2011 Always
Cast recordings
- 2002 Sweet Smell of SuccessSweet Smell of SuccessSweet Smell of Success is a 1957 American film noir made by Hill-Hecht-Lancaster Productions and released by United Artists. It was directed by Alexander Mackendrick and stars Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Susan Harrison and Martin Milner. The screenplay was written by Clifford Odets, Ernest Lehman...
- 2003 My Life with AlbertineMy Life With AlbertineMy Life with Albertine is an Off-Broadway musical with book by Richard Nelson, music by Ricky Ian Gordon, and lyrics by both. The 2003 musical is an adaptation of the semi-autobiographical novel by Marcel Proust, entitled In Search of Lost Time....
- 2005 The Light in the Piazza
- 2006 Harry on Broadway, Act IHarry on Broadway, Act IHarry on Broadway, Act I, is a two-disc set, recorded in 2006. The first disc contains the cast recording from The Pajama Game , and disc two is a selection of new recordings from Thou Shalt Not , now with Harry Connick Jr featuring Kelli O'Hara.-Disc One - The Pajama Game:The Cast...
-- two-disc set: 1. Original BroadwayBroadway theatreBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
cast recording The Pajama GameThe Pajama GameThe Pajama Game is a musical based on the novel 7½ Cents by Richard Bissell. It features a score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story deals with labor troubles in a pajama factory, where worker demands for a seven-and-a-half cents raise are going unheeded...
; 2. Songs from Thou Shalt NotThou Shalt Not (musical)Thou Shalt Not is a musical based on Émile Zola's novel Thérèse Raquin with music and lyrics by Harry Connick, Jr. and an adapted book by David Thompson. The musical deals with the consequences involved in the breaking of several Commandments, namely the sixth and seventh...
, Harry Connick, Jr.Harry Connick, Jr.Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr. is an American singer, big-band leader/conductor, pianist, actor, and composer. He has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with...
featuring Kelli O'Hara - 2008 South PacificSouth Pacific (musical)South Pacific is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The story draws from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific, weaving together characters and elements from several of its...
Awards and nominations
- 2005 Broadway.com Audience Award nomination: Favorite Featured Actress in a Broadway Musical, The Light in the Piazza
- 2005 Outer Critics Circle AwardOuter Critics Circle AwardThe Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets...
nomination: Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, The Light in the Piazza - 2005 Outer Critics Circle Award nomination: Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, South PacificSouth Pacific (musical)South Pacific is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The story draws from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific, weaving together characters and elements from several of its...
- 2005 TonyTony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
nomination: Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical, The Light in the Piazza - 2006 Broadway.com Audience Award nomination: Favorite Leading Actress in a Broadway Musical, The Pajama GameThe Pajama GameThe Pajama Game is a musical based on the novel 7½ Cents by Richard Bissell. It features a score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story deals with labor troubles in a pajama factory, where worker demands for a seven-and-a-half cents raise are going unheeded...
- 2006 Broadway.com Audience Award nomination: Favorite Onstage Pair -- Harry Connick, Jr.Harry Connick, Jr.Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr. is an American singer, big-band leader/conductor, pianist, actor, and composer. He has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with...
& Kelli O'Hara, The Pajama Game - 2006 Drama Desk AwardDrama Desk AwardThe Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
nomination: Outstanding Actress in a Musical, The Pajama Game - 2006 Outer Critics Circle Award nomination: Outstanding Actress in a Musical, The Pajama Game
- 2006 Tony nomination: Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, The Pajama Game
- 2008 Drama Desk Award nomination: Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, South Pacific
- 2008 Tony nomination: Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, South Pacific
External links
- Official site
- Kelli O'Hara - Downstage Center interview at American Theatre Wing.orgAmerican Theatre WingThe American Theatre Wing is a New York City-based organization "dedicated to supporting excellence and education in theatre," according to its mission statement...
- Kelli O'Hara Interview by Beth Stevens on Broadway.com