by Rod Jones
Broadway superstar Kelli OβHara will visit ΄σΟσ΄«Γ½ for a special presentation at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 21. The presentation is free to the public and will be held in the Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel on N.W. 23rd Street between Blackwelder and Kentucky avenues.
Entrance will be through the upper west doors and doors will open at 6:15 p.m.
The event is made possible by ΄σΟσ΄«Γ½βs Martha Jean Lemon Speaker Series. The series features speakers and programs that promote religious leadership and service, and recognize the importance of historical perspective and social responsibility.
OβHara will talk about her career and life experiences that include growing up in western Oklahoma and attending college at ΄σΟσ΄«Γ½. She will also perform a few songs with accompaniment from ΄σΟσ΄«Γ½ music professor Jan McDaniel on piano.
βKelli OβHara is a great ambassador for ΄σΟσ΄«Γ½ and for Oklahoma,β said Marty OβGwynn, ΄σΟσ΄«Γ½ vice president of university advancement. βShe never misses an opportunity to brag about her Oklahoma roots. We look forward to her remarks. This is a special opportunity for ΄σΟσ΄«Γ½ to welcome Kelli through the Martha Jean Lemon Speaker Series.
βThe Lemon family seeks to bring inspiring personalities to share with our campus community, and Kelliβs career, family experience and spiritual journey combine to make this a perfect fit.β
OβHara will be inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame on Nov. 17. She won the Tony Award for Leading Actress in a Musical in 2015 for her performance in one of the most critically acclaimed productions in the country, βThe King and Iβ at the Lincoln Center Theater. She is currently performing solo shows across the country, including a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City later this month.
OβHara, lauded as βBroadwayβs golden girl and luminous starβ by The New York Times, has had an additional five Tony Award nominations for her work in βThe Bridges of Madison County,β βNice Work if You Can Get It,β βThe Light in the Piazza,β βThe Pajama Gameβ and βSouth Pacific.β She has also been nominated for Grammy awards twice and has appeared in film and television shows including βAlexander Hamilton,β βSex & The City 2,β βBlue Bloodsβ and βNUMB3RS.β
The Martha Jean Lemon Speakers Series was established through a gift from Lynette Lemon Wert and Larry H. Lemon on behalf of the Lemon family to honor Martha Jean Lemon, who graduated from ΄σΟσ΄«Γ½ in 1968 with a degree in history and worked as an independent comparative religion scholar.
While the event is free to the public, there is limited seating and guests are encouraged to arrive early. For more information, visit okcu.edu or call 405-208-7000.
