What's Up, Kelli O'Hara? The South Pacific Star on Juggling B'way and Baby

Like working moms everywhere, Kelli O’Hara is figuring out how to balance work and life with an infant. Unlike most working moms, O’Hara is a Broadway star whose job consists of falling in love onstage eight times a week and washing a man right out of her hair. The Tony-nominated actress and her actor husband, Greg Naughton, became the proud parents of baby Owen James on June 27, and she returned to South Pacific as Ensign Nellie Forbush on October 13. Less than 48 hours after her first performance as a mom, O’Hara called Broadway.com bright and early to chat about Owen and getting back into the Broadway swing.

First things first: How’s the baby?
He’s great! He’s adorable, and such a good little baby. Every single day, something new happens. All of a sudden he’s smiling or noticing something. Just last week he rolled over for the first time and he’s able to grab something and hold onto it. I’m discovering the world again with him, in a way.

What’s his personality like?
I would say he’s got a little bit of both of us. Right away, he seemed like a really chilled-out little baby and that’s very much Greg. But there are times that he seems very strong-willed, and that’s me.

How did you decide on his name?
Owen was his great-great-grandfather on Greg’s dad’s side. And, of course, James is for his grandfather, James Naughton. We wanted a name you’ve heard of but that’s not overused. Also, we just wanted it to be meaningful.

Is Greg helpful?
Oh my gosh! As my mom said, “Men didn’t do this back when we were having kids.” Greg’s up with me at night, and he’s going to keep the baby when I’m doing the show, unless I have [Owen] with me at the theater. Then a girlfriend helps. Greg is just as much a part of this as I am. The only thing he can’t do right now is feed him, but other than that, he changes diapers, he plays—he’s really great with him.

Are you getting any rest?
Well, I’ve come down with a cold, naturally, as soon as I’m back in the show. I’m really pretty tired, to be honest, but I think that’s par for the course.

Were you eager to come back to South Pacific?
You know, it’s always hard—it’s a little counterintuitive to leave your baby at any point during the infancy. But it’s good for me to stretch my legs again a little bit, to be the best version of myself I can be, and it’s good for him to have time with other people—his dad and his grandparents and friends.

Did your first performance after maternity leave feel like old times?
It actually did. I was really surprised at how many things came back from muscle memory. The experience of being under the lights felt a little strange, but overall it was easier than I thought.

Did you feel any pressure about getting in shape to wear Nellie’s costumes?
Of course. It’s one thing to get back in regular clothes and kind of feel good about yourself. It’s a whole other thing to get back into a 1940s bikini. I didn’t even like that bikini when I was in shape! It’s funny how my perspective has changed, though. I’m not far off my goal, and I have gotten back in shape at least enough to be able to do the show. But I don’t really care as much…I’m not as vain. It doesn’t seem to matter to me quite as much as it did.

You have more important things to think about.
Yeah, if I have a little extra [weight] on me, it’s because I made a person! So it’s worth it.

It must be nice that most of your co-stars are still in the show, including Paulo Szot [Emile de Becque].
All the principals are still here except for Matt Morrison, but he’s doing a reading downstairs [of the new musical Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown], so he’s been around. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to come back until January 3, so we can all finish together, the originals.

Do you have any plans after leaving South Pacific? You kept busy doing cabaret shows until the end of your pregnancy.
I was able to do concerts all the way up until two weeks before I had the baby; I thought I was stopping a month ahead, but he was three weeks early. I did South Pacific until I was about five and a half months [pregnant], but I was really ready to go then; I was tired. After I leave this time, I have a lot of concerts scheduled, and I want to spend as much time as I can with [Owen] because he’s only a baby once. I don’t want to miss out on anything.