SLEIGH BELLS RING
December 18 and 19, 2026
8:00 PM
Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
Steven Reineke, Music Director and Conductor
Derek Klena, Guest Artist
Lindsay Mendez, Guest Artist
Essential Voices USA, Judith Clurman, Music Director and Conductor
The New York Pops celebrates the season with Derek Klena and Lindsay Mendez. A New York City tradition, this festive evening of classic carols and new holiday favorites fills Carnegie Hall with cheer.
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
The New York Pops Carnegie Hall Subscription Series is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Derek Klena was most recently seen on Broadway as “Fiyero” in Wicked, returning to the show after making his Broadway debut during its 10th Anniversary in 2013. He also succeeded Aaron Tveit in the role of “Christian” in Moulin Rouge! Previously, he originated “Nick Healy” in Alanis Morissette’s critically acclaimed musical Jagged Little Pill, earning a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.
Derek first broke onto the NYC theatre scene in the 2012 Off-Broadway revival of Carrie, where he drew the attention of EGOT winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who cast him to originate the lead role of “Eddie Birdlace” opposite Lindsay Mendez in Dogfight. His performance earned him a Clive Barnes Award nomination. On Broadway, he went on to originate “Michael Johnson” in Jason Robert Brown’s The Bridges of Madison County and “Dmitry” in Ahrens/Flaherty/McNally’s Anastasia. Additional theatre credits include “Joe Gillis” opposite Stephanie J. Block in the Kennedy Center’s Sunset Boulevard; Williamstown Theatre Festival’s Unknown Soldier, directed by Trip Cullman; Signature Theatre’s Diner, written by Sheryl Crow and Barry Levinson; and the Hollywood Bowl’s star-studded production of Hairspray, directed by Jerry Mitchell.
On television, Derek can be seen as “Wes” in the MAX series Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, and he is known for his memorable arc as “DJ Fingablast” on Tina Fey and Robert Carlock’s Netflix comedy Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Additional TV credits include City on a Hill, The Code, A Holiday Spectacular, and Private Princess.
Lindsay Mendez most recently starred on stage in the critically acclaimed, Tony Award winning Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along opposite Jonathan Groff and Daniel Radcliffe. The filmed version of this production from Sony Pictures will have a theatrical release in December. Mendez reprises her Tony nominated performance as “Mary Flynn” from the NYTW run, which garnered her the Outer Critics Circle Award, Drama League, Drama Desk & Lortel nominations. Mendez won the Tony Award as well as the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for her performance as “Carrie Pipperidge” in the 2018 revival of Carousel. On television, she may currently be seen in “Elsbeth” for CBS/Paramount +. Mendez previously starred in the FX anthology series “American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez” from Executive Producer Ryan Murphy as well as the Warner Bros television drama “All Rise” for CBS and OWN. Other Broadway credits include: Significant Other, Wicked (“Elphaba,” 10th Anniversary company), Godspell, Everyday Rapture, Grease. Off-Broadway/regional credits include: The Golden Apple (City Center Encores!), Dogfight (Second Stage; Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle nominations), The Rose Tattoo (Williamstown Theatre Festival), 35mm, The Winter’s Tale (Delacorte Theater). In addition to a debut album titled “This Time,” her concert work includes appearances with Lincoln Center’s American Songbook, the Library of Congress in Washington DC, the Kennedy Center, Feinstein’s/54 Below in NYC, Lyrics and Lyricists, the San Diego Symphony and the American Pops Orchestra. Other television and film credits include: “Station 19,” “Elementary,” “Modern Family,” “Smash,” “Murphy Brown,” Joanna Gleason’s feature debut “The Grotto,” and most recently the independent film “These Little Ones Perish.” In 2012, Mendez co-founded Actor Therapy, a training and mentorship program that she runs in New York City, with composer Ryan Scott Oliver.
Photo of Derek Klena by Jenny Anderson. Photo of Lindsay Mendez by Matthew Murphy. Header photo by Richard Termine.