The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
By Virginia Ross, for The Quill
After a glimpse of spring, a crowd streamed in the Burlington Auditorium for Civic Music and a trip via Melissa Errico to Broadway. Dazzling in a sparkly deep blue gown, she floated down the aisle singing Gloccomora stopping to chat with the audience. Right there and then, we all knew this was going to be a personal concert and that it was.
Melissa has that rare talent to immediately become your best friend sharing vignettes of her life and career on Broadway. She began there with the role of Clara in Stephen Sondheim's Passion and added roles as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Dot/Marie in Sunday in The Park with George plus others. She was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in the Musical by Michel Legrand, Amour and now has her portrait hanging in Sardi's, a famous nightclub hangout for performers.
A singer is only as good as her backup and Tedd Firth on the piano enriched each number with that rare talent that knows just was is needed in the background. A noted musical director and arranger, he has worked with the very famous as well performing at the White House. He definitely knew how to "fill out the sound."
Amour or Love was Melissa's Valentine focus for the evening using her crystal clear voice to sing about its many faces. She discussed "what is a love song?" and through research discovered the first known one was sung at the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine in France in 1170. Rogers and Hart music and of course, Stephen Sondheim wove the message of love.
Unique in presentation was Melissa's explanation of the story lines from which the songs she sang originated. For example, in Sunday in the Park with George, the heroine agonizes between a painter and a baker; love is hard. In Meet Me in St. Louie Esther laments about John singing The Boy Next Door and Yentl explores her feeling in The Way He Makes Me Feel from Yentl.
A short synopsis of the story line before singing the songs brought the audience with her to the Broadway stage.
Rounding out the program was a melody of Julie Andrews' songs and ending with James Taylor's Secret of Life. Melissa is stunning, warm and exuberant; she brought Broadway to the Boondocks.
Plan to attend on March 20th when DSQ hits the stage.