Laura Osnes, the singer known for bringing magic and song to life on Broadway in her award-winning role in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, will live a bit of her own fairytale as she sings with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square.
Ms. Osnes will join the choir and orchestra in two performances, titled “Music for a Summer Evening,” in their annual concert held in conjunction with community-wide Pioneer Day celebrations. The concert will be held on Friday and Saturday, July 17 and 18, at 8 p.m. in the Conference Center. Mack Wilberg, music director of the choir, and Ryan Murphy, associate music director, will conduct.
“Last year Prince Charming in the form of Santino Fontana made his debut on the Conference Center stage, so it only seems fitting to welcome Cinderella,” said Ron Jarrett, president of the choir. “Ms. Osnes is a talented vocalist and performer who will charm our audiences. We’re so glad the glass slipper fit with her busy schedule.”
It was friendship that first brought Ms. Osnes to Salt Lake City when she attended the wedding of one of her best friends, whom she met while performing Grease on Broadway in 2007. “Since getting married, she's moved back to Utah, so I'm excited to get to see her on this trip, as well as sing with this prestigious choir,” said Ms. Osnes. “This will be my first time singing with the choir and I am very excited.”
Ms. Osnes is an award-winning Broadway actress with a long list of credits not only from the New York stage, but also from the Hollywood screen. She was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress for her role in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (an honor she had in common with last year’s Pioneer Day guest, Santino Fontana, who was nominated in the Leading Actor category). She won the Drama Desk Award for her work in Cinderella that same year and also had a Tony nomination for Bonnie and Clyde in 2012. Ms. Osnes has appeared in numerous concerts and showcases, including performing with the New York Philharmonic and the New York Pops and appearing in such venues as Carnegie Hall, the Cafe Carlyle, 54 Below, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and Las Vegas Smith Center. In addition to being heard on several cast recordings, she has two solo albums, Dream a Little Dream: Live at the Café Carlyle and If I Tell You: The Songs of Maury Yeston.Ms. Osnes and her husband, photographer Nathan Johnson, live in New York City.
The summer concerts featuring music by the choir and orchestra have been a long-standing tradition. Recent guest artists have included Linda Eder and Brian Stokes Mitchell (2011), Katherine Jenkins (2012), Nathan Pacheco and Lindsey Stirling (2013) and last year the first of many collaborations with Santino Fontana. Prior concerts have been filmed and later rebroadcast on BYU Television. The summer concert of 2012 with Katherine Jenkins won for the choir its second Emmy Award. (The choir has since added a third Emmy Award for its Tanner Gift of Music concert with James Taylor.)
Admission to the concerts are free; however tickets are required. Tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis on www.lds.org, by calling 801-570-0080 or at the Conference Center ticket office. Admission to this event is limited to those ages eight and older.
Standby tickets will not be issued. However, patrons are invited to stand by for last-minute seating each evening. The standby line will form at the north gate on Temple Square.
