In my history of covering live music, I have grown an affinity for small venues. Offering the adrenaline rush of a claustrophobic pretense — alongside an instrumental heartbeat bonding audience with performer — humble stages like the Crescent Ballroom and Trunk Space seemed advantageous, if a heartfelt performance was the goal.
But my original assumption that the expanse of Symphony Hall downtown would create an untouchable elegance in the venue was a prejudgment I must rescind. The openness of the air was not haunted with disconnect, but rather, it provided an inviting atmosphere for my first orchestral concert: the Phoenix Symphony’s “Broadway Romance.”
A part of the symphony’s Pops Series, the show assembled amorous compositions from 17 Broadway musicals to tell a story of love, in all its beauty and beastliness, on Friday and Saturday. It was a concert requiring little but music and body language to portray the lives of a couple over time, from the splendid budding of romance to harsh affairs of later life. Featuring Tony Award-winning conductor Ted Sperling, along with vocalists Santino Fontana and Laura Osnes, the show displayed how music is, in itself, a powerful form of communication.
Even if the music may have been borrowed from other productions, Sperling brought uniqueness into “Broadway Romance” through the display of a multitude of talents. By providing commentary to introduce a number of songs, he painted the concert with vivacity through the art of narration and his own singing skills. Though humble enough not to steal the show from the leading vocalists, Sperling added a splash of passionate energy as his conducting arms swayed according to the tempo — as if he were bonded with each note and rest alike.
Fontana and Osnes — Broadway stars who once played the leading couple in Broadway’s “Cinderella” — proved their onstage chemistry was still alive as their voices drew the audience into the charming qualities of romantic tension, awkwardness and, of course, love. This was especially prevalent in their performance of “First Date/Last Night” from “Dogfight,” as their beats remained purposely mismatched, yet harmonized to the fullest.
Similarly, “If I Loved You” from “Carousel” melded the couple into a sweet melody as Osnes tiptoed onstage toward Fontana as a form of romantic expression. In this, they perfectly displayed what Sperling called “hypothetical love”: feeling in love, without admitting to it.
Fontana, famed for his recent role as Hans in “Frozen,” was especially enthusiastic in his performance. Though I found “Something’s Coming” from “West Side Story” to be a slow start to his captivating presentation, I was enraptured by the force of Fontana’s character onstage as he convinced me of his character’s hyperactive excitement in “She Likes Basketball” from “Promises, Promises.” His brilliant range of vocals was captured by a magnificent rendition of “Buddy’s Blues” from “Follies.”
With no noticeable flaws in her soprano, Osnes was dazzling in both her singing and her sequined evening gowns. The vocalist was articulate in presenting the rambling of a nervous bride in “An Old Fashioned Wedding” from “Annie Get Your Gun,” a performance that became my favorite of the concert. Osnes was also extremely poignant in many slower performances, as well as in the strikingly ferocious presentation of “Could I Leave You?” from “Follies.”
Instrumentally, “Our Children” from “Ragtime” was one of my favorite songs of the concert. The Phoenix Symphony delivered a magical sensation to my ears in their performance of the great composition. The orchestra’s presentation of “The Man I Love” from “Lady, Be Good” was equally pleasing, as the brass players conversed with the rest of the musicians through a constant trading of silence and sound. Throughout the concert, the symphony expertly weaved between slow, sweeping movements and quicker melodies, consistently setting the stage for the vocalists.
“Broadway Romance,” in the sophistication of its composition and stage, received a standing ovation at its conclusion.
Though an overwhelming majority of the symphony audience consisted of an older crowd, I believe younger audiences should experience orchestral performances at least once in their lifetimes. It seems as if my single experience of a refined taste has brought a brilliant touch of class into my life, if only for a few hours.
The Symphony Hall is located at the Phoenix Convention Center, on the corner of Second and Washington streets.
Contact the columnist at Emily.Liu@asu.edu.
