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Odom, all ye faithful

Broadway star’s voice shines in USPS holiday ad

Leslie Odom Jr., left, performs alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda in “Hamilton.” Image: Disney Plus

Since the Postal Service’s holiday TV commercial debuted last month, many employees have had one question on their minds:

Who performs the stirring rendition of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” in the ad?

The voice belongs to one of Broadway’s biggest stars: Leslie Odom Jr., who won a Tony Award in 2016 for his role as Aaron Burr in “Hamilton.”

Odom recorded “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” especially for the USPS campaign, although a version of the song also appears on his 2016 album, “Simply Christmas.”

The actor-singer also has a new holiday album this year, The Christmas Album,” that features standards such as “Little Drummer Boy” and “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.”

But it’s his “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” performance that has captured the hearts of postal employees.

The ad features Odom’s vocals in the background while USPS workers are shown doing their part to deliver the holidays, including employees transporting and processing envelopes and packages inside plants and letter carriers making deliveries in the snow.

“This commercial is sweet, peaceful and beautiful! The voice is simply beautiful and just what America needs to hear,” a customer, Marquetta Brown, wrote in an email to Link recently.

Odom is pretty busy these days — in addition to his holiday album, he’s promoting a memoir, “Failing Up: How to Take Risks, Aim Higher and Never Stop Learning” — and couldn’t be reached.

USPS Brand Marketing Executive Director Chris Karpenko said the organization takes pride in showcasing its employees — and Odom’s voice — in this year’s campaign.

“The goal of this year’s campaign is to show how the Postal Service goes the extra mile to deliver the holidays, and Odom’s heartwarming rendition underscores the special connection we share with our customers,” he said.

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