Bravo Broadway

I am a huge fan of musical theatre (I'm going on a theatre trip to New York in a few months and I couldn't be more excited) so an evening celebrating the music of Broadway with four amazing soloists and the Utah Symphony was definitely one of the first concerts I chose when creating my season package!  Under the baton of Maestro Jerry Steichen (who I just love) the orchestra played the Overtures to Gypsy, Guys and Dolls, and An American in Paris which was just lovely.  Throughout the evening the orchestra was joined by some incredibly amazing soloists who regularly perform on Broadway, including Melissa Errico, Hugh Panaro (very easy on the eyes), Stephen Buntrock, and Morgan James, to sing some of my favorite songs from some of my favorite musicals.  The highlights included "Oh What A Beautiful Morning" from Oklahoma, "There's Nothing Like a Dame" from South Pacific, "Something's Coming" and "Tonight" from West Side Story, "Cabaret" from Cabaret, "The Rain in Spain" from My Fair Lady, "To Life" from Fiddler on the Roof, "The Impossible Dream" from Man of La Mancha (which just about brought the roof down on Abravanel Hall), "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" from Evita, and "Defying Gravity" from Wicked.  My favorite moment was when all four soloists sang "Seasons of Love" from RENT.  I absolutely love that song (and that musical) and I may or may not have sung along with them!  They ended the program with a fun medley of songs from Mamma Mia (without the spandex jumpsuits, alas) which got Abravanel Hall rocking.  For the encore, Hugh Panaro sang an incredible rendition of "The Music of the Night" from The Phantom of the Opera.  I still get chills when I hear those distinctive opening notes!  Finally, all four soloists came out for a fun version, complete with costumes, of "Aquarius" and "Let the Sun Shine In" from Hair.  I loved every minute of this concert and I wanted it to go on all night!  If you are a fan of musical theatre like me, I strongly suggest that you go here to get a ticket for tonight's performance if you can (there was nary a seat to be had last night).