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The Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Pioneer Day concerts will be something of a Cinderella story.
Broadway star Laura Osnes, who received a Tony nomination for her title role in Rodges & Hammerstein's "Cinderella," will headline with the choir and its orchestra, July 17 and 18, at 8 p.m., at the LDS Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City.
"It's such an honor. The choir is so well-known and completely prestigious," Osnes said on KSL radio this morning, as the concert line-up was announced. "It's going to be such a thrill. I hope I'm not too nervous for it."
In a statement, choir president Ron Jarrett called Osnes "a talented vocalist and performer who will charm our audiences. We're so glad the glass slipper fit with her busy schedule."
Osnes has visited Utah before, for the wedding of one of her best friends, Natalie Hill, a former Broadway performer who grew up in Orem and has now moved back to Utah. Osnes and Hill met when they performed "Grease" on Broadway in 2007.
Osnes follows in the footsteps of her "Cinderella" duet partner, Santin Fontana, who headlined last year's Pioneer Day concerts with the choir.
Osnes received a Drama Desk Award for "Cinderella," and another Tony nomination for her work in "Bonnie and Clyde" in 2012. She has performed with the New York Philharmonic and New York Pops, has appeared on several cast recordings and has made two solo albums, "Dream a Little Dream: Live at the Café Carlyle," and "If I Tell You: The Songs of Maury Yeston."
The program for the performances, with the title "Music for a Summer Evening," is being kept under wraps, said Mack Wilberg, the choir's music director.
The concerts are free, but tickets are required. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis, starting today, at lds.org/events, by calling 801-570-0080, or in person at the Conference Center ticket office. Admission is limited to people age 8 and older. A standby line will form at the north gate on Temple Square before each evening's show.