By Kathryn Olsen for Front Row Reviewers
The Noorda Center of the Arts at Orem’s Utah Valley University has been a haven for some of the finest artists since its opening and the solo concert by Renee Elise Goldsberry was no exception on September 16. This actress, who has won a Tony award for her beloved performance in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton and starred on Broadway in The Lion King, has performed in the state before, but never made it to Orem before this weekend. I have been singing along to her recordings for years and even saw her performance with the Utah Symphony, so it was a genuine thrill to hear her in a more intimate setting.
Goldsberry, after opening the program with a medley of Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner’s “On A Clear Day” and Jimmy Cliff’s “I Can See Clearly Now,” set forth the theme of the program. She related that Brigham Young University had invited her to perform and asked her to be respectful of the religious institution that is behind that school. She explained that this was not telling her what she can’t do, but inspiring what she can do. The ninety-minute concert, accompanied by percussion, keyboard, and guitar as well as a trio of women, was described as “manipulating you into feeling love.”
The program could not have been more appropriate to that mission. Goldsberry selected music across all genres, such as the spiritual-influenced “Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)” by Patty Griffith to Jonathan Larson’s “Without You” and “No Day But Today” from his Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway musical RENT. Some of the choices were clearly deeply personal, such as Bob Dylan’s “Lord, Protect My Child” or her own composition for her daughter, “Twinkle.” She introduced “Shadowlands” from The Lion King by recounting that she had meant to audition for the role on September 11, 2001, and sang it while processing the changed world. Others literally drew the audience into spontaneous participation, whether by joining in on the civil rights song “We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest Until It Comes” by Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon based on words of Ella Josephine Baker or dancing and singing wildly to the crowd favorite of Hamilton’s “The Schuyler Sisters.”
As a fellow audience member commented, “I felt I was in a vocal master class just watching her sing!” Anyone familiar with Goldsberry’s recording history knows the power of her vocals as well as her soul-deep nuance. She is a charismatic performer, but her artistic expression is as intense and intentional in her perpetual-motion-style “Beat Me That Rhythm on the Drum” from Carmen Jones as when turning Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” into a soul ballad as arranged by Aretha Franklin. She was at her most dynamic when matching with her small band or the outstanding performers who backed up her vocals, but the most impressive moments for me were contained in the stories she told. Her engagement with the audience and encouragement to participate made the concert that felt like a gathering of friends more than anything and it was a privilege to be manipulated into feeling love by such a phenomenon of the musical world.
Goldsberry’s performance was a single event at the Noorda, but there are many more things to look forward to in the upcoming season. Audiences can appreciate programs featuring pianist Aristo Sham or operatic tenor Isaac Hurtado. For a flavor of more local talent, there are such things as the Fall Choral Showcase or the Voice Faculty Recital. Check out the website for the full details of the many good things that are to come at Utah Valley University.
The Noorda Center for the Performing Arts Presents Renee Elise Goldsberry
The Noorda Center for the Performing Arts at UVU 800 W University Pkwy, Orem, UT 84058
September 16, 2023, 7:30 PM
Contact: 801-863-8888
www.uvu.edu/thenoorda
The Noorda Center for the Performing Arts Facebook Page
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