|
Impressions
Thanks
to Mr. B |
|
 |
| Providence
Performing Arts Center |
Charlotte's
Providence concert was held at the Providence Performing
Arts Center (PPAC). The PPAC is a wonderfully renovated and
refurbished theatre in the center of the city. It was built
in 1928 as a movie theatre and has been returned to its full
gilded elegance. The concert was a sell out and held in the
early evening, a 7:00 curtain. The crowd was a mixture of
middle-aged couples like my wife and myself along with
younger couples on "date night" as well as a
significant number of young girls. Charlotte's face was
prominently displayed on the marquee. We had excellent seats
in the 12th row on the left side facing the stage; Charlotte
favors this side a bit so we had a full view. What I will
attempt to do here is not reprise much of what has been
written in other commentary on her recent concerts, since
her order of songs, between song patter and the like
remained pretty constant. Instead here are my observations
and a perspective, both of which are obviously personal,
along with a few comments that I just cannot resist.
As noted, a big crowd, including a former Governor and State
Attorney General. The concert received excellent
pre-publicity in an article by Channing Gray in the
Providence Journal complete with personal interview and
stock photos. I am amazed at the degree of latitude that
Charlotte has in interviews. I was going to say that she
handles herself well for a 15 year old, but she handles
herself well for a person of any age.
Charlotte entered in a glittering gold top, received
immediate applause and introduced Jesse Cook. Frankly if you
read Alanna's excellent
commentary on the Buffalo concert you will get the info
on the dresses, Jesse Cook and so on, so I will move to some
specific impressions and differences.
Jesse was excellent and very well received. He was given a
standing ovation and when Charlotte came out the crowd was
still standing. She was supported by an orchestra that she
later called "the Fabulous Providence Orchestra".
It was conducted by Arnie Ross and contained a number of
musicians that I recognized as members of the Rhode Island
Philharmonic. This was not a shabby bunch and they also were
very well received throughout the evening.
In October I attended Charlotte's program in Wisconsin with
the Milwaukee Festival Symphony. If you look back you will
see Steve's write up on it and I concur. I think he had
better seats than I did though because I felt like I was
watching that concert in an old hockey arena with tables on
the floor. For me there were lots of distractions, but
Charlotte was still marvelous.
Back to Providence and last night; Charlotte looked
terrific. My wife commented on all her outfits. She looked
like she was dressed to go to the Junior Prom, which is the
only time hereabouts that we see young women in evening
dresses. I know this sounds trite, but she was taller than I
expected. I have the opportunity to see some great folks
over the years in concert. I finally heard the explanation
that cleared something up for me about concerts and seeing
someone in person; for that night you get to share the air,
and in this case with Charlotte Church.
There are moments for me in concert where I can feel a
tingle and the hair on the back of my neck stands up. I did
not expect it to happen in the first 15 seconds of
Charlotte's first song, Tonight. Every song thereafter had
my rapt attention. The audience was vociferous in their
approval all evening. Charlotte did My Hiraeth Y Yn Mor
without a microphone. She walked out into the audience on a
short runway and said she would do this without a microphone
and apologized if we could not hear her well, but if we came
back in five years we would be able to. I could hear her
quite well and you could have heard a pin drop in the
audience. Since the PPAC was built as a movie theater that
would normally have amplified sound I do not know how good
the acoustics are. I do know that everything I have seen at
the PPAC has been amplified.
I also had no problem following the program. Charlotte
announced each song and the orchestra played pretty
recognizable compositions. I figure that the absence of
programs saved a few trees. I should also note that the
performance was signed for the hearing impaired. This was
done very unobtrusively and I glanced over a few times and
enjoyed watching Charlotte's songs being interpreted.
I felt that Charlotte was in great voice; my wife of Irish
heritage liked Danny Boy best of all, but really enjoyed La
Pastorella. Me, I liked it all, but Bridge Over Troubled
Water hypnotized me. I have always liked hearing Charlotte
sing better on television than on her CD's. In person it is
10 times better. Charlotte is a work in progress. I found
the difference in her Milwaukee Concert to the one in
Providence to be enormous. Her poise, grace, stage presence
and voice were all advanced in just a few months. I expected
to again really like Charlotte, because I really like
Charlotte, I did not expect to be absolutely blown away.
Some of the lamer critics have commented that Charlotte does
not sing with sufficient emotion. I suspect that their lives
and jobs have desensitized them from looking to a 15 year
old for emotion. Pie Jesu was riveting, Bali Hai was
alluring, Summertime delicate, If I loved You fragrant, if a
song could be fragrant. As Charlotte sang I could get lost!
in the song with her. I found true feeling as she sang
coupled with THE voice. If she missed any notes last night I
didn't notice because I was to busy waiting for the next
one. A special note on Bali Hai. There was a huge audible
sigh from the audience when she announced it as her next
number.
Charlotte was a winsome performer: cute, attractive, funny
and she consistently responded to the audience and genuinely
looked like she was having fun. She accepted every bouquet
of flowers that children delivered with a thank you unless
in mid song. With intermission the show was about 2:20. It
flew by. A man behind me commented "she talks
like a girl and sings like a woman". A woman on the way
out said "I did not know what to expect, now I have to
go out and buy her CD's". Lots of standing ovations, an
audience that really got involved and an opportunity for my
wife and I to share the air with 15 year old Charlotte
Church. I thought after seeing her in person in Milwaukee
and on recent television appearances and of course reading
Charlotte Church.net that I knew what to expect; wrong.
The evening and Charlotte were magnificent. We walked out
into a beautiful Rhode Island evening. Mortgage the house,
break open your piggy bank, but go see Charlotte and share
the air.
- Mr. B
|
