Posted by zwergnase from Rick's forum:
jackieevanchofans.proboards.com/post/42751/threadJackie’s 03/22/2022 - 03/25/22 Florida Concert Tour Review
Introduction
After attending all three (3) of Jackie’s recent 2022 Florida Concert Tour shows, I just wanted to share a few of my thoughts, observations and experiences. And a few photos and videos! I realize that, from time to time, I may be repeating myself here, but how could I not? After all, in every one of her concerts, Jackie is absolutely phenomenal, and it never ceases to amaze me how I can attend repetitive concerts of Jackie’s, and never, even for a single moment, feel anything less than totally thrilled and excited; just as though I was having this remarkable experience for the very first time, every time. And, that’s always been the case, for multiple concert attendances spanning nearly twelve years, now!
The Venues:
03/22/22 - The Parker Playhouse
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Capacity: 1,191
Attending: ~ 400
String Section: 1 Violin & 1 Cello
The Playhouse was established by Dr. Louis Parker. The curtain rose for the first time on February 6, 1967 as E. G. Marshall and Dennis O’Keefe starred in Neil Simons “The Odd Couple”. The Parker Playhouse has since produced continuously with community arts organizations joining Broadway headliners in shows that made South Florida theater history.
As a personal observation, due to the multiple postponements and rescheduling of this event, it appeared to have had a negative impact on the the final attendance level. I personally knew of more than a few who had to cancel their plans to attend.
03/23/22 - The Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre
Clearwater, FL
Capacity: 750
Attending: ~ 600
String Section: 1 Violin & 1 Cello
The Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre (formerly known just as the Capitol Theatre) has been a vital part of Downtown Clearwater since its opening on March 21, 1921 with the motion picture “Dinty”. The Clearwater News of March 17, 1921 described it as "one of the most beautifully finished playhouses in the South."
In 2013, the Capitol Theatre underwent a major renovation, expanding the seating to 750.
In March 2019, Ruth Eckerd Hall announced a $2.5 million gift from Nancy and David Bilheimer. In recognition of the generous donation, the Capitol Theatre is now called “The Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre”.
03/25/22 - The Sharon L. Morse PAC
The Villages, FL
Capacity: 1,022
Attending: ~900
String Section: 2 Violins, 1 Viola & 1 Cello
The Sharon seats just over 1,000 guests in a multi-level theater, offering state of the art audio, visual, and theatrical rigging systems to create an entertainment experience second to none.
The Sharon was originally erected as a church, and the gorgeous stained glass windows have been meticulously preserved as part of the main lobby’s ambiance.
Named for the matriarch of the Morse family, Sharon L. Morse, herself, was an accomplished performer, and an avid patron of the arts. Dedicated in her memory and inspired by her passion, “The Sharon” lives on as a tribute to her life.
Concert Format:
The format for these three (3) concerts consisted of Jackie positioned center stage, her musical director, Jorn Swart, at the piano (stage right), the beautifully incorporated string accompaniment (center stage rear), and her drummer/percussionist, Devin Collins, (stage left). It created a very effective accompaniment for Jackie, and also provided for two very entertaining interlude performances, while Jackie was able to take a short break to refresh herself.
Also, for each performance, a vase of fresh, beautiful, multi-colored roses were strategically placed on, or next to, the piano.
The Dresses:
1st Set
A dazzling off white, floor length, ruffled linen type material w/ low cut front and straps over the shoulders. The shoes appeared to be sparkling silver, open toed with straps and solid low heels.
2nd Set
A beautiful velvety burgundy floor length dress w/ an off the shoulders high neckline and behind the neck strap. Same shoes, as best that I could tell.
Preliminary Concert Notes & Observations:
As the concert commences, the lights dim, the opening notes of “Pure Imagination” begins, and Jackie’s heavenly voice can be heard from off stage; “Come with me, and you’ll be, in a world of pure imagination! Take a look, and you’ll see, into your imagination!” For me, it always feels like an angelic voice is emanating from the heavens. Then, this veritable vision, which is Jackie, emerges from behind the curtain as her formal introduction is made, and then seamlessly continues with the song. One can’t help but feel completely mesmerized by the moment.
Following this opening performance of “Pure Imagination” and “Some Enchanted Evening”, which were beautifully blended together, Jackie then proceeded right into “Reflection”. She then made her opening remarks by thanking everyone for attending, and stating that she was already having a fun time, and hoped that everyone else was, too. The audience enthusiastically responded, in kind!
Jackie announced that she would be performing some of her, and also the audience’s, favorite songs from her most recent album, and from past albums, as well. She then surprised the audience by revealing that she would be offering a “sneak preview” of several selections from her new album, which is due to be released in the next few months; possibly in June.
Jackie further elaborated, by stating that the album would be based on the wonderfully creative works of the great singer/songwriter, Joni Mitchell. This sparked a loud round of applause from the audience. Jackie noted that during her extensive research into Mitchell’s body of work, she had found her music to be very relatable, and was excited about including her selections in the new album.
Jackie lived up to her promise, and proceeded to include a total of five (5) absolutely wonderful Joni Mitchell song selections in her concert; with each being performed with Jackie’s magical interpretation and heavenly voice!
With all of that being said, Jackie then pulled us back into the present, and totally lit up the audience, by announcing that she would now be performing a wonderful medley from “Phantom of the Opera”, opening with the one song that is probably the most associated with Jackie, and the very beginning of her career; “Music of the Night”! With the inclusion of “Point of No Return” and “That’s All I Ask of You”, a SO was most definitely warranted, and Jackie now had her audience in the palm of her hand, and clambering for more! And in true Jackie tradition, from that point on, it was nothing less than a purely magical evening!
The Concert:
1st Set List **
* Pure Imagination (from “Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”)
* Some Enchanted Evening (from “South Pacific”)
* Reflection (from “Mulan”)
* “Phantom of the Opera” Medley:
- Music of the Night
- Point of No Return
- All I Ask Of You
* The Gallery - Joni Mitchell Song, from her “Clouds” album, circa 1969.
* Blue - JM song, from her “Blue” album, circa 1971.
* My Heart Will Go On (from “Titanic”)
* Orchestral “West Side Story” medley.
- Maria
- Give of Yourself
- Tonight
* Somewhere (from “West Side Story”)
* How Great Thou Art (Jackie’s inspirational tribute to her late Great Grandmother.)
INTERMISSION
2nd Set List **
* Misty
* Rainy Night House - JM song, from her “Ladies of the Canyon” album, circa 1970.
* For Free - JM song, from her “Ladies of the Canyon” album, circa 1970.
* Both Sides Now - JM song, from her “Clouds” album, circa 1969.
* Burn (from “Hamilton”)
* Once Upon a December (from “Anastasia”)
* Orchestral “Wizard of Oz” medley.
- Ding Dong The Witch is Dead
- Somewhere Over the Rainbow
- If I Only Had a Brain
* Somewhere Over the Rainbow (from “The Wizard of Oz”)
* The Prayer
* The Impossible Dream (from “The Man of La Mancha”)
Encore
* O Mio Babbino Cara/Nessun Dorma Mashup
** The set lists were identical for all three concerts.
Some Additional Concert Notes & Observations
POTO Medley
• Jackie made her well known comments about how, after seeing the POTO movie, as a little girl, it inspired her to become a singer, and that the phantom is her muse.
• Jackie gave a special recognition that this arrangement was composed by her musical director, Jorn Swart, who then received a well-deserved round of applause.
Joni Mitchell Song Selections
• As a general comment, Jackie was very passionate about all of the Joni Mitchell songs that were performed, as a “sneak peek” to her upcoming album, and emphasized how she was able to relate to JM’s musical style and lyrics. This came across very clearly, with each of Jackie’s performances, as she brought her own very special interpretation into each of the songs.
There’s absolutely no doubt, at least on my part, that this is going to be one of Jackie’s most enjoyable albums to listen to; over and over, again!
My Heart Will Go On
• A few comments here regarding Jackie’s adoration of Celine Dion, and her aspirations to one day reach their same level of artistry. Many of us would argue that she already has!
How Great Thou Art
• Jackie always includes, and dedicates this song, with heartfelt emotions, to her Great Grandmother!
It’s one of Jackie’s most powerful performances, with the concluding high note creating chill bumps from head to toes! It a dramatic end to the first set and always results in a resounding, well deserved, SO!
Misty
• A personal favorite of mine, Jackie added this wonderful surprise to the set list during her 11/22/19, Lima, OH concert. Positioning herself next to the piano, with sometimes sitting on a stool, it’s just she and Jorn creating musical magic. It’s very reminiscent of the old lounge, or dinner theater, entertainment settings and the result is like a step back in time. With her beautiful vase of roses serving as a perfect backdrop, the resulting effect was mesmerizing!
Burn
• Asking who had seen “Hamilton”, Jackie explained that this was a song about a wife who had been cheated on, and was expressing her anger. So when she first heard this song, she really wanted to take on the challenge of the anger expressed, but in her own special way. And, oh my goodness, did she ever!
Once Upon a December
• Jackie reminisced about loving this song as a child, when she and her siblings would repeatedly watch the Disney cartoon movie “Anastasia”. When she was choosing Broadway related songs for her “The Debut” CD, she was very happy that the cartoon movie had now become a Broadway musical, as well, which now justified including this song on the CD.
Somewhere Over The Rainbow
• At the conclusion of the second orchestra medley, they moved directly into the intro to SOTR with Jackie making a quiet, subtle reentry onto the stage. This audience favorite has always resulted in an energetic SO, and these concerts definitely, and rightfully so, lived up to the tradition!
The Prayer
• As an introduction to this long time Jackie favorite, she informed the audience that one of her most cherished memories was that, not only, she had performed “The Prayer” with the world famous Andre Bocelli, but that it was in his home, in Italy. For those who weren’t already aware of this, it produced some serious ooh’s and awe’s!
The Impossible Dream
• Before performing her final song of the evening, this is where Jackie always takes the opportunity to thank all of the members of her team, and to also express her heartfelt appreciation for everyone who came to her concert, stating that she recognizes that she would never be standing on that stage, realizing and living her impossible dream, without the love and support of all her dedicated fans.
It served to underscore how truly heartfelt, and sincere, Jackie’s little gestures, of smiles or waves, directed towards random audience members, both young and old alike, really are.
O Mio Babbino Caro/Nessun Dorma Encore
• Following the extended period of another SO, Jackie eloquently stepped up to the microphone and closed out the evening with this stunning performance, seamlessly mashed up, as only Jackie can. And then totally crushing it with her, now, trademark spectacular move into the upper stratosphere on the final note of the second “Vincerò”!
• And then, once again, as the crowd continued to go wild with explosive applause, the stage grew dark, Jackie exited stage right, and we were left with wishing that it never had to end. But also with the great joy of knowing that we had just experienced something very special, indeed; something that will remain within our hearts and minds, forever! 🎼
I hope that my review is enjoyed by all of my fellow devoted Jackie fans! May God continue to watch over, love and protect our precious “Angel of Music”, Jackie Evancho! 🙏
- Len 😊
Why are there no recordings of Jackie and Andrea of "the Prayer".
