Brittney Johnson, Rachel Bay Jones, Telly Leung, Mary Testa, More Join New York Pops Concert Celebrating Stephen Schwartz

The Pops' 43rd Birthday Gala will be led by music director and conductor Steven Reineke.

April 02, 2026 By Andrew Gans

Brittney Johnson, Rachel Bay Jones, Telly Leung, and Mary Testa

A host of Broadway favorites have joined The New York Pops' 43rd Birthday Gala, set for April 27 in Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage.

Entitled Changed for Good: A Celebration of Stephen Schwartz, the evening will feature the works of the award-winning composer of Wicked, Godspell, and more. Show time is 7 PM. The New York Pops is led by music director and conductor Steven Reineke.

Newly announced for the evening are Aisha Jackson (The Great Gatsby, Frozen), Brittney Johnson (Wicked), Tony winner Rachel Bay Jones (Dear Evan Hansen, Pippin), Telly Leung (Godspell, Masquerade), Mary Kate Morrissey (Wicked), three-time Tony nominee Sherie Rene Scott (Aida, The Queen of Versailles), Tony winner Paulo Szot (South Pacific, & Juliet), and three-time Tony nominee Mary Testa (On the Town, Oklahoma!).

These artists join the previously reported Shoshana Bean, Judy Kuhn, Tony winner Lindsay Mendez, and Tony winner Ben Platt. (Auliʻi Cravalho will no longer be appearing.)

Schwartz wrote the music and lyrics for the current Broadway hit Wicked and has also contributed music and/or lyrics to Godspell, Pippin, The Magic Show, The Baker’s Wife, Working (which he also adapted and directed), Rags, Children of Eden, and The Queen of Versailles. For film, in addition to the two-part adaptation of Wicked, he wrote the songs for The Prince of Egypt and collaborated with Alan Menken on the songs for Disney’s Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Enchanted.

Proceeds support The New York Pops orchestra and the organization’s PopsEd music education programs. The concert will be followed by a black-tie optional dinner and dance at the Mandarin Oriental New York.

For tickets, including the show and the dinner and dance, click here. Concert-only tickets are available via CarnegieHall.org.