Leading Lady of Broadway Kelli O’Hara to perform at Mercyhurst

kelli o'haraThe Mercyhurst Institute for Arts & Culture welcomes stage and screen star Kelli O’Hara to the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center on Thursday, March 2, at 7:30 p.m.

O’Hara has established herself as one of Broadway’s greatest leading ladies. Her portrayal of Anna Leonowens in “The King and I” garnered her the 2015 Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, along with Grammy, Drama League, Outer Critics, and Olivier nominations. She reprised the role while making her West End debut and performed a limited engagement at Tokyo’s Orb Theatre. 

O’Hara received an Emmy nomination for her portrayal of Katie Bonner in the hit web series “The Accidental Wolf.”

Other film and television credits include HBO’s “The Gilded Age,” season two of Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why,” “All the Bright Places,” “Peter Pan Live!,” “Sex & The City 2,” Martin Scorsese’s “The Key to Reserva,” Showtime’s “Masters of Sex,” “The Good Fight,” “Blue Bloods,” “N3mbers,” and the animated series “Car Talk.” 

Other Broadway credits include “Kiss Me Kate” (Tony, Drama League, OCC nominations), “The Bridges of Madison County” (Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, OCC nominations), “Nice Work if You Can Get It” (Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, OCC nominations), “South Pacific” (Tony, Drama Desk, OCC nominations), “The Pajama Game” (Tony, Drama Desk, OCC nominations), “The Light in the Piazza” (Tony, Drama Desk nominations), “Sweet Smell of Success,” “Follies,” “Dracula,” and “Jekyll & Hyde.” 

She was awarded the prestigious Drama League’s Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre Award in 2019.

In 2015, she made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Lehar’s “The Merry Widow” opposite Renée Fleming and returned as Despina in Mozart’s “Cosi Fan Tutte.” She was last seen at the Met as Laura Brown in the world premiere of Kevin Puts’ "The Hours."

Her concerts have gained international acclaim, spanning from Carnegie Hall to Tokyo. She is a frequent performer on PBS’s live telecasts, The Kennedy Center Honors, and performs often alongside The New York Philharmonic and The New York Pops.

Along with her two Grammy nominations, her solo albums, “Always” and “Wonder in the World,” are available on Ghostlight Records. 

Tickets, priced $30-$55, can be purchased online at miac.universitytickets.com, over the phone at 814-824-3000, or in person at the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center box office (Tues.-Thurs., 12-5 p.m.). Each order is subject to a $3 per ticket processing fee, regardless of purchase or payment method.

This performance is sponsored by Cheryl Vicary, Cheryl Ward, and HAPPI 92.7. The spring 2023 MIAC Live series is made possible through the generosity of Wm. T. Spaeder Company, and the 2022-23 season is sponsored by Scott Enterprises, Dr. & Mrs. Robert Guelcher, Aetna, Cumulus Media, and the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority.