Thumbs Up! Sierra Boggess & Julian Ovenden, Rodgers & Hammerstein & The New York Pops Make for Some Enchanted Evening

The halls were alive with—oh, you know—on October 9, as Carnegie Hall welcomed Sierra Boggess and Julian Ovenden to the stage for the New York Pops’ opening night, My Favorite Things: The Songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The set list from music director and conductor Steven Reineke was perfectly structured, with the 33rd season opener spoiling attendees with rich melodies, soaring voices and a chance to visit an entire iconic cannon in one night. Ovenden, who served as a last-minute replacement for Steven Pasquale, appeared unfazed and charming, his sultry tenor to “Edelweiss,” providing a sneak peek to what ITV audiences might expect later this year in the U.K.'s new live telecast of The Sound of Music. Boggess was just as entranced as the audience; during her performance of “A Wonderful Guy” from South Pacific, the Broadway.com Audience Choice Award winner glided across the stage in adoration, beaming at Reineke and the musicians between verses. During duets, their chemistry permeated the venue, and when the pair joined forces with the Essential Voices USA choir for “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” the impact was particularly powerful. All in all, the evening was a perfect start to the Pops’ 2015-16 season!