Hamilton Star Leslie Odom Jr. to Join Phil Collins for Opening Night Ceremony in Flushing Meadows
The USTA has announced that “Hamilton” star and Tony Award winner Leslie Odom Jr. will return to his native Queens, N.Y., to perform a special duet with cultural legend Phil Collins during the Opening Night Ceremony for the 2016 U.S. Open, Monday evening, Aug. 29 at Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The duet, the first time the two singers will be performing together, will be televised live by ESPN2 in the U.S. and by a host of international broadcasters around the world as part of the Opening Night Ceremony.
Odom Jr., who won a Tony Award for his portrayal of Aaron Burr in the Broadway hit “Hamilton,” is a multi-faceted performer whose eponymous debut album, featuring the single “Autumn Leaves,” was released in June on S-Curve Records and hit number one on both the Billboard and iTunes Jazz Albums charts. In addition to a Tony Award, Odom Jr. is a Grammy Award-winner as a principal soloist on Hamilton’s Original Broadway Cast Recording, which won the 2015 award for Best Musical Theater Album. Odom Jr. originated the role of Burr in a sold out run at The Public Theatre in 2015, earning a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical. Odom Jr. debuted on Broadway at the age of 17 in “Rent,” before heading to Carnegie Mellon University’s prestigious School of Drama, where he graduated with honors. He has appeared in a number of television programs, including “Law & Order: SVU,” “Gotham” and “Smash” among others.
The Opening Night Ceremony will celebrate the new retractable roof built over Arthur Ashe Stadium that will be operational for the first time in 2016. The massive structure, which contains more than 6,500 tons of steel, is the largest retractable roof in tennis and took three years to complete.
During his performance of the National Anthem, Odom, Jr., will be accompanied by the FDNY Color Guard and NYPD Honor Guard. A special light show designed specifically for the entire performance will also be part of the show.
