Monday 14 September 2020

ONLINE CONCERT REVIEW: Broadway Afar - Citizens Of Song


An online concert given by Citizens Of Song, which brought together current and former Broadway performers to sing a song for this charitable concert, available to watch on YouTube.

Most of the singers came from up and down the USA, but we also had a couple of South American and European residents too joining via that wonderful invention called the internet.

Founder of Citizens Of Song, Rebecca Winckworth was the host for the evening, and in two halves (with interval) we were treated to 22 songs in total. What made the concert drag somewhat though was that despite having Winckworth as the MC, each individual artiste was also given the opportunity to say a few words and introduce their songs etc. Some were short and sweet while others just went on and on interminably. It would have worked far better to have just had the artistes perform their pieces and left all intros to just the compere.

There were some amazing voices and incredible talent on display though, and I am simply unable to mention all 22! I will therefore just mention a few - my personal favourites of the concert.

Meghan Picerno opened the concert with a beautiful rendition of the title song from 'The Sound Of Music', Brett Pruneau was channeling Frank Sinatra with 'Come Fly With Me', Perola Congo really made the absolute most of her vocal and acting talents with 'The Life Of The Party' (The Wild Party), and Andy Van Allsburg melted me completely with his perfect and sonorous rendition of 'Maria' from 'West Side Story'.

I also enjoyed an arrangement for piano and two violins of 'Tomorrow' (Annie) played by Harrison Sheckler, Kanako and Mariko Shimasaki, as well as a beautifully slow and folksy version of the duet 'Falling Slowly' (Once) sang whilst on keyboards and guitar by Sorcha Fenlan and Andy Dempsey.

The whole concert finished with a full company choral version of 'Climb Ev'ry Mountain' (The Sound Of Music). An uplifting and very fitting finish to a fabulous concert uniting all like-minded people around the world with the power and magic of song.

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 13/9/20

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