Broadway darling Kristin Chenoweth is just as charming down South!
On Saturday, Oct. 5, the 45-year-old singer performed at a gala celebrating the official reopening of New Orleans' Saenger Theatre. The vocal powerhouse made the whole crowd feel like they were part of the show and even brought Mayor Mitch Landrieu onstage for a rendition of "Do You Hear the People Sing!"
Per the Times-Picayune, Chenoweth also encouraged the audience to join her in a rendition of "Que Sera, Sera," before launching into "Moon River." Accompanied by the New Orleans Philharmonic Orchestra, she went on to perform several crowd favorites including "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," "Hard Times Come No More" and Wicked's "Popular."
"I love you New Orleans :) i really really do," she tweeted after the show. "Thank you to the city of NOLA and the Mayor for the keys [to the city]. #aspecialnight"
Saenger Theatre shut down in 2005 due to damage from Hurricane Katrina, but thanks to $52 million worth of renovations, the Canal Street landmark is back in business. While Chenoweth headlined the theatre's reopening gala, it was Jerry Seinfeld who was first to take the stage post-Katrina with a performance on Sept. 27.
Let the good times roll!