Review of Jackie Evancho Concert, Cabot Theatre, Beverly, MA February 22, 2019

 Last night, in the splendor of the newly-restored Cabot Theatre in Beverly, Massachusetts, Jackie Evancho – now almost 19 years old - dazzled the near-sellout audience with a performance that almost defies description. I’ll try, but I’m gonna need the Thesaurus for this one, because none of the adjectives that come immediately to mind come anywhere close to doing the trick.

Let’s see:

“Awesome?” No – this word has been so over-used that it has lost any impact that it might have once had.

“Incredible?” Maybe for some of the audience members who were seeing her perform for the first time, but this word doesn’t work for me any more, because I truly believe that Jackie is capable of taking any song and turning it into a memorable masterpiece.

“Astounding?” Closer, but not quite right, because this word conveys an element of surprise – “suprisingly impressive” is a typical definition – same goes for “stunning” or “shocking” - but frankly, I would only have been surprised if her performance had been ordinary, or lackluster.

“Tour de force?” Yes, but this description is usually applied to an impressive achievement accomplished with great skill.  Apt in this instance, I suppose, but if you just focus on Jackie’s skills - on the technical aspects of her performances – you risk missing out on the most important factor – the emotional impact she has on the audience. Her performances pack a powerful emotional “wallop” that few other vocalists can deliver. And of course, Jackie serves up these emotions with one of the most beautiful voices on the planet, shaped by interpretative skills second to none.

           “Phenomenal?”  Better…

           “Breathtaking?” Now we’re getting closer.

          “Magnificent?”  “Transcendent?”  “Glorious?” Yes, yes, and yes!

Jackie started the evening strong with “Lovers,” and finished her performance even stronger with that almost impossibly high note at the end of “Nessun Dorma,” without so much as a glimmer of fatigue anywhere along the way. Jackie’s voice was crystal clear throughout the evening, and ranged from powerful to tenderly exquisite, and so many points in between, however and whenever called-for by the songs.

I was especially struck by Jackie’s command of every aspect of her performance. Every note, every move, every expression, every modulation of her voice – all were in perfect (and authentic) service to the songs. She was in complete control of her art.  And through it all – clearly evident between songs – Jackie remains one of the most charming, humble, and down-to-earth performers ever to have graced a concert stage.

           I thought it was interesting that Jackie started and ended the evening’s performance with two songs that dated back nearly 8 years to her “Dream With Me” Concerts and CD, namely, “Lovers” and “Nessun Dorma.” In a recent online post, Jackie stated that she wants the world to know that she is no longer 9 years old, but with the inclusion of “Lovers” and Nessun Dorma in this and other recent performances, I believe she is also saying that she hasn’t forgotten her roots - and neither should we.

I was disappointed that there weren’t more songs from her CD scheduled for release on April 12 (“The Debut”), but whatever disappointment I felt was more than made up for by the wonderful set list that included many of her best-known songs from the last several years:

Lovers

The Way We Were

Think of Me

Medley:

       O Mio Babbino Caro

       Con Te Partiro (Time to Say Goodbye)

       Somewhere

       When You Wish Upon a Star

       The Prayer

Say Something (Duet with vocalist from special guest performers “Sons of Serendip”)

Once Upon a December

The Impossible Dream

Intermission

Burn

Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)

Over the Rainbow

Your Love

Hallelujah (Duet with vocalist  from “Sons of Serendip”)

How Great Thou Art

Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again

Music of the Night

Nessun Dorma (Encore)

               I was tempted to say that Jackie was “at the top of her game” last night, but that might imply that she could go no further. This was the 12^th Jackie Evancho concert that I have attended over the last 6 years, and she has consistently “raised the bar.” I’m beginning to think that there is no upper limit to what Jackie can accomplish.

               If you’ve never seen Jackie perform live, you owe it to yourself to get to one of her concerts. You will not be disappointed. You can find her tour dates posted at www.jackieevancho.com

-Stephen K. Fischer

February 23, 2019