A Rodgers and Hammerstein Celebration - Utah Symphony

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein are two of the most important individuals in the world of American musical theater Their legacy is unsurpassed and their stories and songs continue to touch the lives of millions. March 28th and 29th, the Utah Symphony bring some of their classic tunes to the Abravanel stage.

Lisa Vroman

To a sold-out audience, the Utah Symphony along with guests Lisa Vroman, Gary Mauer, and William Michals performed some classics and some lesser-know work of the legendary duo backed by the Utah Symphony Chorus and Jerry Steichen conduction. Steichen brought his usual charm he brings to the pops concerts and the three broadway soloists with impressive resumes had enough personality to fill the hall. Lisa Vroman, most memorable for her performance as Joanna in Sweeney Todd with the San Francisco Symphony, was adorable and personable, her voice is lovely and clear, if at sometimes a bit shrill. Her best moment was singing "High on a Hill" from The Sound of Music: her personality shone through as well as her vocal flexibility and versatility.

Also on stage was the Utah Symphony Chorus, though their presence was a bit pointless. They sang infrequently, and when they did, their passages were blandly performed and often full of mistakes with extensive balance problems. It would have been best to leave them out for this performance.

A high point of the night was when William Michals sang "Old Man River." An old favorite by many, Michals interpretation had little to offer in originality, but that was what made it so good. He sang it traditionally and let the rich color of his baritone voice shine that captivated the audience.

Finishing with some music from Oklahoma, the three soloists had great chemistry and did a excellent job of moving these works from the theater to the concert stage. All forces joined at the end to provide a climatic and powerful rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone" from Carousel.