Kelli O'Hara to be Honored at Westport Country Playhouse's Annual Gala

2015 Tony Award nominee Kelli O'Hara will be honored at Westport Country Playhouse's annual fundraiser, "Something Wonderful: A Gala Evening Celebrating Kelli O'Hara," on Monday, September 21.

"I am thrilled to be able to announce our very special gala honoree, the toast of Broadway and one of its most beautiful and talented leading ladies," said Mark Lamos, Westport Country Playhouse artistic director. "She brings new luster to the classic, incredibly varied and iconic roles of such hits as 'South Pacific' and 'Pajama Game,' as well as her current triumph in 'The King and I.' The shimmering beauty of her voice, her charisma and style combine to make her a one-of-a-kind, gold-plated star--- Broadway hasn't experienced this combination for decades. How lucky we will be to celebrate her for one very special night only."

Kelli O'Hara has established herself as one of Broadway's great leading ladies. She received her most recent Tony nomination, her sixth, along with Drama League and Outer Critics nominations, for her portrayal of Anna in the critically acclaimed revival of "The King and I."

In 2014, O'Hara's performance as Francesca in the musical adaptation of "The Bridges of Madison County" earned her Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle
nominations. Additionally, she starred as Mrs. Darling in NBC's live telecast of "Peter Pan," alongside Allison Williams and Christian Borle. She also made her Metropolitan Opera debut opposite Renée Fleming in "The Merry Widow."

A native of Oklahoma, O'Hara received a degree in opera, and after winning the State Metropolitan Opera Competition, moved to New York and enrolled in the Lee Strasberg Institute. She made her Broadway debut in "Jekyll & Hyde" and followed it with Sondheim's "Follies," "Sweet Smell of Success" opposite John Lithgow, and "Dracula." In 2003 she committed to a production of "The Light in the Piazza" at Seattle's Intiman Theatre. The show landed on Broadway in 2005 and earned O'Hara her first Tony and Drama Desk nominations. She moved from one critical and commercial success to another when she joined Harry Connick, Jr., on Broadway in the 2006 Tony Award-winning production of "The Pajama Game," for which she received Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics nominations. She starred in the Tony Award-winning revival of "South Pacific" at Lincoln Center, garnering Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics nominations for her interpretation of Nellie Forbush. She later teamed up with Matthew Broderick in Broadway's musical comedy "Nice Work if You Can Get It," earning Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle nominations, as well as the Fred Astaire nomination for dance.

The evening will also mark the presentation of the third annual Playhouse Leadership Award to John Samuelson. Mr. Samuelson has been a Playhouse trustee for the past decade, and with his wife Barbara has been a dedicated philanthropist and community leader, both in Westport and New York City.

Gala proceeds will benefit the non-profit, professional producing theater, now in its 85th season - its work on stage, with schools, and throughout the community. The gala includes a one-night-only performance by Broadway talent to be announced at a later date, and surprise guests.

A cocktail party will begin at 5:45 p.m., followed by a 7 p.m. performance. Dinner with the evening's artists and special guests will be at 8:30 p.m. A silent auction will be on-going throughout the evening. Attire is festive; black tie optional.

The Gala Committee co-chairs are Ania Czekaj-Farber of Westport, and Jake Robards of Greenwich. Karen Parrella of Weston is auction chair.

Bank of America, U.S. Trust; BNY Mellon Wealth Management; Cohen & Wolf, P.C.; First Niagara; KPMG; People's Bank; and Pitney Bowes are early corporate partners. Additional corporate sponsorship packages are available.

Gala tickets range from $2,500 to $250. Benefactor level, at $2,500 per person, includes a cocktail party, highest priority seating at performance, post-performance dinner with the evening's stars, and an invitation to a Benefactor Preview Party with special guests; Patron level, at $1,000 per person, includes a cocktail party, priority seating at performance, and post-performance dinner with the evening's stars. A limited number of Supporter tickets are available at $250 per person and include a cocktail party and the evening's performance. For more gala information or ticket purchases, contact Elizabeth Marks Juviler, director of corporate relations and special events, at (203) 571-1293 or ejuviler@westportplayhouse.org.

About Westport Country Playhouse

Westport Country Playhouse is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit, professional theater under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos and management leadership of Michael Ross. The Playhouse creates five live theater experiences, produced at the highest level, from May through October. Its vital mix of works---dramatic, comedic, occasionally exploratory and unusual---expands the audience's sense of what theater can be. The depth and scope of its productions display the foremost theatrical literature from the past---recent as well as distant---in addition to musicals and premieres of new plays. In 2013, the Playhouse was named Theater Company of the Year by The Wall Street Journal. During the summer, the Playhouse is home to the Woodward Internship Program, renowned for the training of aspiring theater professionals. Winter at the Playhouse, from November through March, offers events outside of the main season---Family Festivities presentations and Script in Hand play readings. In addition, businesses and organizations are encouraged to rent the handsome facility for their meetings, receptions and fundraisers.

As an historic venue, Westport Country Playhouse has had many different lives leading up to the present. Originally built in 1835 as a tannery manufacturing hatters' leathers, it became a steam-powered cider mill in 1880, later to be abandoned in the 1920s. Splendidly transformed into a theater in 1931, it initially served as a try-out house for Broadway transfers, evolving into an established stop on the New England straw hat circuit of summer stock theaters through the end of the 20th century. Following a multi-million dollar renovation completed in 2005, the Playhouse became a state-of-the-art producing theater, preserving its original charm and character.

Today, the not-for-profit Westport Country Playhouse serves as a cultural resource for patrons, artists and students and is a treasure for the State of Connecticut. There are no boundaries to the creative thinking for future seasons or the kinds of audiences and excitement for theater that Westport Country Playhouse can build.

Westport Country Playhouse's upcoming 2015 season: "The Liar," by David Ives, May 5 - 23, an update of Pierre Corneille's classic comedy, weaves an increasingly intricate web of lies that leads to hilarious romantic misadventures, directed by Penny Metropulos; "And a Nightingale Sang" by C. P. Taylor, June 9 - 27, paints a gently funny and moving portrait of a working-class family in Northern England as the world rushes toward the brink of war in 1939, directed by David Kennedy, Playhouse associate artistic director; the world premiere of A. R. Gurney's "Love and Money," pointedly explores the trials of class, family, legacy, and race, July 21 - August 8, directed by Mark Lamos, Playhouse artistic director; Alan Ayckbourn's "Bedroom Farce," August 25 - September 13, offers a delightful comedy confection about the messiness of adult relationships, directed by John Tillinger; and Arthur Miller's "Broken Glass," October 6 - 24, celebrates the playwright's 100th birthday with his powerful drama about New York Jews suffering from afar as they read accounts of atrocities in Nazi Germany, directed by Mark Lamos.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.westportplayhouse.or or call the box office at (203) 227-4177, toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), follow on Twitter (@WCPlayhouse), and on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse).

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