The New York Pops with Matthew Morrison and Kelli O'Hara

Holiday Depression was not in the midst of the audience at the preeminent Carnegie Hall, where fat cats, big wigs, blue hairs, cool kids and theatre rats congregated on the weekend prior to Christmas Day. Welcomed by The New York Pops collective at the start of the evening, acclaimed conductor and musical director Stephen Reineke struck up the band with a gloriously angelic "Holiday Overture," a sickly-sweet suite of sabbatical seduction featuring some of the night's hymns and harmonies.

Shortly after the charismatic arranger, composer and conductor waved the final stroke of his baton, dashing it across the air as if it were dripping with alchemy and Christmastime magic, true star power emerged: Returning to the New York stage just shy of a decade after wowing critics in Adam Guettel's "The Light in the Piazza," Tony Award nominated thespians Matthew Morrison and Kelli O'Hara took the stage.

Playing the roles of the Italian romantic beau Fabrizio Naccarelli and the beautifully developmentally hindered Southern belle Clara Johnson in Adam Guettel's "The Light At The Piazza" earned both Morrison and O'Hara nominations for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical and Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical, respectively. A lot has changed since then.

Morrison, a West Coast cool kid who scored his big break after appearing as Link Larkin in the original run of the oft-celebrated record-breaking musical "Hairspray," became a household name when he snagged Emmy, Golden Golden Globe and SAG nominations for his award-winning role as Will Schuester, the hip-to-be-square high school teacher on Fox's "Glee."

O'Hara has solidified her status on Broadway and Off-Broadway, earning an additional four Tony nods for Best Actress in a Musical for her work in "The Pajama Game," "South Pacific," "Nice Work If You Can Get It" and last year's "The Bridges of Madison County," and has emerged as one of the premiere Broadway songbirds, following in the footsteps of Julie Andrews, Barbara Cook and Rebecca Luker.

Back after nine years, the duo began the night with a shockingly subdued "Baby, It's Cold Outside" duet, showcasing the artists restraint and vocal support, but lacking in warmth or steam. Not much could have been said about the follow-up of "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!," which could have used a little more "Let It Go!" of the Disney's "Frozen" variety.

While those tunes don't quite evoke the sensuality of the sprawling 2005 Adam Guettel musical penned by Craig Lucas, which benefited from the composer's use of Neoromantic classical operetta, a plush two-hour Sondheimesque pillow talk that required polished tones, it felt like the heat between the two fizzled out.

Though attention should be paid to whomever the stylist of two performers, who looked radiant at first in shimmering white (Morrison in white and silver tuxedo, while O'Hara shimmered in a white peek-a-boo dressed in jewels) and later, in deep red (Morrison in a black tuxedo with a red bowtie and O'Hara in a red dress with a diamond choker. They looked stunning).

That is, until the two returned later in the evening to sing Broadway standard "Tonight" from "West Side Story." Morrison's crushed velvet baritenor dazzled, delivering a vocal performance that should make many theatregoers upset, because had Morrison been given a shot when he were younger to play the beloved role of Tony in that show, one might say he would have given a star turn on Broadway earlier. O'Hara, melting away like wax, as the innocent blond ing�nue conjured a feeling of longing listening to the Morrison in action.

O'Hara herself fared better on the John Jacob Niles Christian folk hymn "I Wonder as I Wander," executing a bone-chilling full-bodied soprano and showcasing O'Hara's flawless control and use of breath. However, the standing ovation came during Kelli O'Hara's rendition of "O Holy Night," when she released an ethereal crystal bell whistle register upon finale, which resulted in a crescendo of whistles and bravissimo.

Nonetheless, the night was owned by the ominous choral of Essential Voices USA, who wowed with breadth in a "Songs of Freedom" suite in celebration of Chanukah. Arranged, orchestrated and included over three years ago by Judith Clurman, Larry Hochman and Broadway leading man Brian Stokes Mitchell, the suite which included holiday favorites "S'vivon," "Lichvod Ha Chanukah," "Mi Y'malel," "Haneirot Halalu," "Maoz Tsur," "Oh Chanukah! Oh Chanukah!" gave a fresh breath to the evening.

Although soloist Arlo Hill, who led the charge on most of the tunes, exhibited milquetoast showmanship and vocal charisma, there's no denying his gale force baritone bravura. It also helps that the young singer exhibits a classicist's instinct for vocal technique and antediluvian musical morals. However, the rendition of "Wishes and Candles" performed by Essential Voices USA earlier in the evening, which can only be described as an otherworldly and majestic choral effort, deserves mass airplay during the holidays.

Another standout was special guest Farah Zulaikha. Dressed rather chic in one-of-a-kind black baby doll Gothic Lolita wedding gown attire, the fashionista and Instagram celebrity displayed promise as a premier violinist in "Carol of the Bells." Reineke gathered one heck of a team, which begs to question, why hasn't been tapped for Broadway by the way of "A Christmas Story" or "Elf"? Someone, get this man on the phone.

"The New York Pops with Kelli O'Hara & Matthew Morrison With The New York Pops - Kelli and Matthew: Home for the Holidays" ran through Dec. 20 at Carnegie Hall, 881 Seventh Ave. For information or tickets, call 212-244-7529 or visit www.newyorkpops.org