I was kidding around
on Facebook last Thursday with some of the members of the Jackie Evancho Fan
Club and one of her Facebook fan groups. I had promised to write a review of
the Boston concert, and I mentioned, only half-kiddingly,
that I had already started writing it. Well, that was actually true. I thought
I knew more or less what I was going to say. But after the performance I
witnessed last night, I came home and tore up what I had written. You think you
have the book on Jackie Evancho – but as our Facebook group good friend the late Chuck
Yates would have said, if he were from Brooklyn – “fuhgeddaboudit.”
You can throw that book out with last years’ phone book, last month’s
magazines, and yesterday’s newspaper.
First, here is part of
what I posted last night when I got home from the concert:
“Greetings to Jackie's
"Left Coast" fans who are still awake, and those to the Far East for
whom it is already tomorrow, and any insomniacs in between. I just got back
from Jackie's concert at the Wang Theater in Boston, and I have to say, I am
very nearly speechless.
No offense to any of
Jackie's newer fans, but I'm not exactly a "dewy-eyed" newcomer -
I've been to two previous live concerts (New York City and Atlantic City), I've
watched both of Jackie’s PBS specials dozens of times, and have viewed more
than 200 different YouTube videos of her performances, multiple times. In
short, I thought I knew Jackie Evancho, the performer. But as she sings in
"Reflection," "Look at me,
you may think you see, who I really am, but you'll never know me." Well,
I don't know about the word "never,"
but I was not prepared for what I experienced earlier tonight.
Those of you who have
been fans for awhile or have spent any significant amount of time watching
videos of Jackie's earlier performances know that there was always something of
an "edge" there - the nervousness, the (sometimes) awkward arm
movements, the haunting look in her eyes - almost like she was afraid something
would go wrong, or maybe it was an uneasiness because she didn't understand
where the voice was coming from. The dichotomy between the artist and the girl
was striking - almost jolting. Well, for better or worse, that Jackie Evancho
is gone, at least in my opinion. There's still a bit of a giggle or a little
silliness between songs, but the artist and the girl are merging - merging into
something really special.
Jackie was relaxed,
poised, confident, frequently smiling - an artist totally in command of her
art. Her voice was absolutely beautiful - graceful, sweet and gentle at times,
soaring at other times, but appearing absolutely effortless. The final note of
the night was as unforced, crystal pure and “on pitch” as the first note, with
nothing but ethereal perfection in between, with not a trace of fatigue.
Oh yes, I almost
forgot - for the ladies - she wore her hair down and during the first half of
the concert she wore a blue dress. Well OK, it was a gown. A beautiful blue
gown. A beautiful blue gown covered in sequins. One of the most beautiful gowns
I have ever seen. And it wasn't even “The
Dress.” Ah yes, ”The Dress” -
what more can be said? She wore it during the second set, and all I can say is
you just have to see it in person to believe it. It is magical.
I am really tired, so
I am going to cut this short for tonight. Some quick details - the playlist was
the same as Chicago – including the two encores: "The Music of the Night," and "O Mio Babbino Caro." I'm not
even going to try to pick a musical high point - there just wasn't one. She
started high, finished high, and never faltered in between. Every note was spot
on. The orchestra was top-flight, and conductor John Mario Di Costanza kept
everybody on track.
And oh yes, she was
barefoot again.”
Anyway, that’s what I
wrote last night. My comments continue this morning:
The group of fans I
was with who met for dinner walked from the restaurant to the theater at about
7:00 PM, and began scoping out our seats. Most of us were very close to the
stage – two of us were in the orchestra
pit seats (“the Pit”), and I believe eight more of us were scattered about
somewhere in the first 5 or 6 rows of the center orchestra. I had been
contemplating trying to bribe someone in the front row of the Pit to trade
seats with me, but the front row seats of the Pit were so close to the stage,
and so low, you could practically lean forward in your seat and bump your head
against the monitor speakers. And if you were looking straight ahead, all you
would see would be the hem of Jackie’s dress, or the monitor speakers,
depending on where you were sitting.
I liked being a short
ways back in row B of the main section, which is effectively about 8-9 rows
back from the stage. Close, but a broader view of the stage, and, in my
opinion, better acoustics. One member of our group, however, wangled his way
right up to a front row center seat, switching seats with someone who didn’t
want to sit so close to the edge of the stage. His seat was directly in front
of Jackie, not more than 2 or 3 feet away. After the concert he appeared to be
on "Cloud 9". Personally, I think he had been induced into a hypnotic
trance by staring directly at “The Dress”
for too long!
At 7:30 PM, the house
lights dimmed, and the orchestra took the stage, followed by the conductor,
John Mario Di Costanzo. He has been a regular on this tour, and fortunately,
tonight would be no exception. I was glad that Jackie wouldn’t have to break in
a new conductor. It’s so important for them to be able to communicate with each
other, and they have to do it with the most subtle, nearly imperceptible nods
of the head or other body language, weight-shifting, tone of voice, etc. They
almost have to be able to read each other’s mind.
As mentioned before,
the playlist was the same as Chicago:
First Set:
(Symphony intro)
Pure Imagination
Some Enchanted Evening
The Summer Knows (with
Jumaane Smith)
Georgia on my Mind
(Jumaane Smith solo)
My Heart Will Go On
Ombra Mai Fu
The Lord's Prayer
(Intermission)
Second Set:
(Symphony
Intro-Pirates of the Caribbean)
When You Wish Upon a
Star
Se (Cinema Paradiso)
When I Fall in Love
What a Wonderful World
(Jumaane Smith solo)
Imaginer
Reflection
First Encore:
Music of the Night
Second Encore:
O Mio Babbino Caro
I haven’t figured out
yet what piece was played by the orchestra in the introduction, but the key
point is that it set the tone for the evening perfectly. At the two prior
Jackie Evancho concerts I have attended, the opening pieces were rousing,
popular, flashy overtures from comic operas – fan favorites and great fun - and
all that – but they really had nothing to do with Jackie. It was just the
orchestra showing off (and having some fun) while warming up.
But last night the
opening music was different. It was soft, delicate, airy, gentle, with
exquisite detail, very smooth and very beautiful. Just like Jackie’s singing
for the rest of the evening. The transition into the introduction to “Pure
Imagination” was seamless.
Jackie entered from
stage left, wearing the blue gown that she has been wearing on this tour. For
all of the talk about “The Dress,”
this gown is gorgeous in its own right. Pictures just don’t capture the magic. Jackie’s
hair was down, with wide curls down along the front edges – somewhat
reminiscent of the “Dream with Me” concert in Sarasota, but more mature, and
not quite as elaborate. She looked very natural and very comfortable, fitting
in perfectly with the tone of the evening.
Over-all, as I wrote
last night, Jackie was relaxed, poised, confident, and frequently smiling - an
artist totally in command of her art. She was also totally in command of the
audience and the stage. On more than one occasion, while singing, she walked
the entire length of the stage and back, engaging the audience the whole time.
“Engaging.” That’s the word I was
searching for last night, but was too tired to find. Before, it was always
fascinating to watch Jackie get lost in the music – “in the zone,” as some
would say – but that also created something of a barrier between her and the
audience. Or at least it did for me. I’d watch and wonder (in awe) – “Where are you? What are you thinking?” And
always of course, “How does she do that?”
Jackie’s delivery last
night was heartfelt and emotional, for sure, but she was “present” – making eye
contact, singing right at us, speaking directly to us, one-on-one, heart to
heart. The only other time I had seen her perform like that was when she sang
“Believe” at the Hollywood Grove.
As I said before, I’m
not going to review each song or try to pick favorites, but regarding the first
set, I do want to say that Jumaane Smith just “oozes” cool, and whoever dreamed
up the idea of pairing him up with Jackie was a genius. And “Ombra Mai Fu?” The best Jackie has ever
done to date, in my opinion.
After the
intermission, the orchestra opened the show back up with the overture from
“Pirates of the Caribbean.” It was very majestic at times, very moving, and always
musically dramatic – never a dull moment.
But then came the
moment many of us were waiting for. The
Dress. Some of us in the audience had seen pictures of it, but I assume
most had not. The crowd reaction was audible – like 3,500 people trying to
catch their breath. The pictures online just don’t do it justice. They can’t. The Dress is a dynamic, kaleidoscopic
piece of performance art, reacting to the lights and any movement around it, as
well as Jackie’s own movements.
Speaking of movement,
during one of her songs (“The Music of the Night”), Jackie walked the entire
length of the stage and back. The Dress
is floor-length, and with Jackie not wearing any shoes, the gown does indeed go
all the way to the floor, and then some. The bottom part of the gown is stiff.
To walk back and forth, she had to grip the side of the gown with one hand and
push the whole bottom part of the gown forward, which had the effect of lifting
the front of the gown off the floor just enough so she could walk without fear
of tripping. It gave the illusion that she was floating across the stage. It
was very surreal.
Jackie started off the
second set strong with “When You Wish Upon a Star,” and just built off of that
the rest of the evening. I swear she got stronger song by song. “Se” was spell-binding, and “Imaginer” was the best I’ve ever heard
her do. And talk about getting stronger, and having confidence, she saved the
nominal “high point” of the evening (the high note in “The Music of the Night”)
for an encore. Even after a dozen other demanding songs, she delivered it,
clear as a bell, pitch-perfect, with not a trace of weakness or weariness.
The second encore, “O Mio Babbino Caro,” took us all full circle, right back to the summer of 2010, and her first appearance on “America’s Got Talent.” Wow! What a trip.
If you have never been to one of Jackie’s concerts, you now have a new item on your “bucket list.” My advice – go soon while she’s still playing 2,500 seat venues. And get the best ticket you can afford. You will never regret it.
Steve Fischer
February 2, 2013
