Leslie Odom Jr. watched ‘terrible’ renditions of ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ to prepare for World Series Game 3
Leave it to Leslie Odom Jr. — who played Aaron Burr in the Broadway smash “Hamilton” — to do his historical homework before singing the National Anthem at Yankee Stadium, including watching some “terrible” renditions of the the tune.
Odom will sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the Bronx Bombers’ first home game against the LA Dodgers on Monday at the 2024 World Series.
“I dug into the Francis Scott Key lyric. I refreshed my knowledge of the defense of Fort McHenry. And I watched and re-watched every amazing and every terrible rendition of the anthem,” the 2021 Oscar nominee told Page Six from a soundcheck at the stadium before Game 3 on Monday to prepare to sing the famed song in front of over 46,000 fans.
He further told us of the high-pressure gig, “I thought a lot about what makes it work when it really works,” citing famously successful renditions by Whitney Houston, Marvin Gaye, Chris Stapleton and Marc Anthony.
But the “Murder on the Orient Express” star, 43, says he, “Limited my time focusing on the less successful ones. Don’t want to draw any bad luck my way — and no one intends to do a terrible version.”
“It’s just a challenging song. It can expose a singer’s vulnerabilities,” he said via email of the tune that has spelled disaster for some singers.
Luckily, he has sang it successfully before — in 2015 at Citi Field for a Mets vs. Yankees game.
Odom grew up Philly, but says that in the Bronx, “we’re all Yankees fans tonight.”
We hear that the stylish singer will wear Ralph Lauren for the occasion.
Teen singer Pearle Peterson performed the National Anthem at Game 2, while country star (and diehard Dodgers fan) Brad Paisley played the tune at the opening game of the series in LA.
