Christy Altomare (Photo courtesy of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization.)
Christy Altomare, who starred in the title role of Anastasia on Broadway, joins host Laura Osnes in the latest installment of R& H Goes Live! The seventh video in their YouTube series features an acoustic version of “A Cockeyed Optimist from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific.
“‘A Cockeyed Optimist’ is sung by Ensign Nellie Forbush as a commentary on combatting fear during World War II,” said Altomare. “I love the song because it teaches us that, amidst times that may feel scary, you can choose to be optimistic. Even during the darkest of times, we can still look to the future with light and hope in our hearts!”R&H Goes Live! is an ongoing series and will feature some of Broadway’s best performing stripped-down, contemporary versions of iconic Rodgers & Hammerstein tunes. The series launched on March 25 with Jeremy Jordan singing “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’” from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! Past performers include Kelli Barrett, Jarrod Spector, Laura Osnes, Ryan McCartan, Kyle Selig, Matt Doyle, and Derek Klena. Additional performers will be announced in the coming weeks. Previous performances can be viewed on The Rodgers & Hammerstein YouTube channel.
R&H Goes Pop! launched in January 2019 with the premiere of a music video featuring Jeremy Jordan singing “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’.” The series continued to feature several Broadway stars covering Rodgers & Hammerstein classics, including Laura Osnes and Jeremy Jordan, Matt Doyle and Jelani Alladin, Derek Klena, Kyle Selig, Ashley Park, Ryan McCartan, Rebecca Naomi Jones, and Ali Stroker. Each performed songs from Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals, including Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, The King and I, South Pacific, The Sound of Music, and more. Most recently, Tony Award-winner Gavin Creel released a contemporary version of “Something Wonderful” from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King And I.
