Photo Coverage: Raul Esparza, Jane Krakowski, Audra McDonald & More at The Black Creek Music Fest.

On Saturday night Torontonians who ventured out to The Rexall Centre got to witness something magical as "The Very Very Best of Broadway" descended upon our city for one night only thanks to The Black Creek Music Festival. The concert took place under a gorgeous night sky, on one of the most beautiful evenings we have had this summer. It almost appeared as though the celestial stars themselves were out in support of the amazing talent that graced the stage for a blissful two hours. Led by Oscar, Tony, Emmy, Grammy, Golden Globe and Pulitzer Prize-winner Marvin Hamlisch, the concert featured Martin Short (acting as a very funny MC) as well as Tony Award winners Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell (who were last seen together in Toronto 13 years ago for the world premiere of Ragtime), Jane Krakowski (30 Rock, Ally McBeal, Tony Award Winner for Nine) and Raul Esparza (Company, Taboo, Rocky Horror Picture Show). The stars of the Great White Way were joined by the fantastic Black Creek Festival Orchestra and Chorus, who together delivered an evening of showtunes that was second to none.

From the moment the first note of the Gypsy overture rang out through the crowd, I knew that we were in for a special evening. The setlist was kept a secret, which added to the surprise and delight that the audience experienced with each new song. Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, Marvin would throw another twist in that would thrill any musical theatre aficionado.

Martin Short set the tone for the entire evening with his unique blend of humour and humanity, cracking jokes at the expense of both Marvin and his co-stars, but also showing his vocal chops on numbers such as Applause and his now famous lark Goodbye Al Qaeda's Rose. While Mr. Short provided comic relief throughout the evening, he also (perhaps unwittingly) provided one of the most emotional moments of the evening when he came out from backstage and sat unassumingly alongside the audience to witness Jane Krakowski sing A Quiet Thing and recall a story about her newborn son. It was moments such as this that captured the essence of the entire evening - the audience weren't simply witnessing talented performers do what they do best, but rather watching a group of friends who were united by their common bond - a love for all things musical theatre and a desire to share that with the rest of the world. That Toronto was able to share in that love for even one evening was a true gift.

In an evening as special as this it becomes very hard to choose highlights, but I personally believe there were some stand-outs worth mentioning. Jane Krakowski delivered a fantastically funny rendition of A Call From The Vatican from her Tony Award Winning role in Nine that left the audience saying "Penelope Cruz who?"  And during My Heart Belongs to Daddy, the new mom showed that not only has she not lost her vocal chops, but her sex appeal and comedic timing remain second to none. 

Raul Esparza was perhaps the most unknown to Toronto theatre-goers, but by the end of the night he had clearly won the audience over with his gorgeous voice and charming charisma. Act 1 highlights included a breathtaking rendition of Being Alive from his Tony nominated performance in Stephen Sondheim's Company, as well as the show-stopper Soliloquy from Carousel that had the entire audience buzzing throughout intermission. However, in true Broadway form Raul left the best for last as he took to the stage in Act II to deliver a powerhouse performance of Defying Gravity from Wicked. Before he sang those famous last few bars, Raul jumped atop Marvin's grand piano and (surrounded by the glow of Wicked's signature green lights) he belted out the final few notes with such power that the entire audience leapt to their feet.

And the hits just kept on coming. Hard to imagine it possible, but after Defying Gravity the show really took flight. Raul gave a performance that no actor would want to follow, but Brian Stokes Mitchell came out with a sheepish grin and a giggle and immediately transitioned into The Impossible Dream from his Tony Award winning turn in Man of La Mancha. Within mere seconds, the audience who had just been on their feet cheering and applauding fell completely silent as they became entranced in the gorgeous vocal performance they were witnessing. Brian was then joined on stage by Audra McDonald for what was (in my opinion) the highlight of the entire evening as the two performed Wheels of a Dream from Ragtime together for the first time since the world premiere in Toronto 13 years earlier. They bantered back and forth before singing about how much their lives had changed, and how much more the song meant to them now that they both had children ("not together" as Audra quipped). The audience melted as the two dueted on what is a gorgeous piece of music when sung by just about anyone, but was elevated to a whole new level by Ms. McDonald and Mr. Stokes. If anything, 13 years later these two are in better vocal form than ever, and it was magnificent to have them performing together again on a Toronto stage. They even made sure to thank Garth Drabinsky, the man who was behind the original production of Ragtime in 1996 and who was responsible for bringing this Best of Broadway show to Toronto.

As the evening wound down and the night sky darkened, the northern stars became more visible and the audience more entranced by what they were seeing. This concert was designed to bring the stars of Broadway to Toronto - and it delivered. The show ended by showcasing the man who took home three Oscars in one evening, has won multiple Tony Awards and is beloved among musical theatre lovers everywhere - Marvin Hamlisch. The orchestra conducted a stunning version of the overture from Marvin's Tony Award winning A Chorus Line, which then segued into a piano solo of What I Did For Love which had most of the audience in tears. To end the evening, the entire cast came out together to sing One, complete with high kicks and line dancing. After a long standing ovation and thunderous applause, they closed out the evening with Give My Regards to Broadway before heading backstage to conduct brief interviews and take photos with friends and family. BWW was thrilled to be on hand to provide coverage of the entire evening, and will be releasing that coverage over the next few days.

Those who haven't ventured out to The Rexall Centre to check out a Black Creek show really don't know what they are missing. There is something breathtaking about sitting outside, under the stars with 10,000 other people enjoying an evening of live music. Jane Krakowski's heart may belong to Daddy, but this Broadway Baby's heart belongs to The Black Creek Summic Music Festival, and it is my sincerest wish that the "Very Very Best of Broadway" series become a regular event in Toronto's musical theatre roster.

Setlist for Best of Broadway:

Gypsy Overture
Once in a Lifetime/Applause/Once in a Lifetime - Martin Short
Goodbye Al Qaeda's Rose - Martin Short
My Heart Belongs to Daddy - Jane Krakowski
Some Enchanted Evening - Brian Stokes Mitchell
Summertime - Audra McDonald
Can't Take My Eyes off You - Raul Esparza
Another Hundred People - Chorus
Barcelona - Raul Esparza and Jane Krakowski
There Won't Be Trumpets - Audra McDonald
Being Alive - Raul Esparza
Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat - Martin Short
Adelaide's Lament - Jane Krakowski
This Nearly Was Mine - Brian Stokes Mitchell
Soliloquy - Raul Esparza
You'll Never Walk Alone - Chorus
Before The Parade Passes By/Put On Your Sunday Clothes/Hello Dolly - Chorus
A Call From the Vatican - Jane Krakowski
If Ever I Would Leave You - Brian Stokes Mitchell
A Quiet Thing - Jane Krakowski
I Could Have Danced All Night - Audra McDonald
Defying Gravity - Raul Esparza
The Impossible Dream - Brian Stokes Mitchell
Wheels of a Dream - Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell
Somewhere - Raul Esparza
Chorus Line Overture
One - Whole Cast
Give My Regards to Broadway - Whole Cast

For more details on the other concerts of this years Black Creek Festival please visit their official website at www.blackcreekfestival.com

Tickets can now be purchased in person at the Box Office at the Rexall Centre.

Hours on Non-Performance Days:
11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday
11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday

Hours on Performance Days:

11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

You can also order your tickets by phone at 1-888-860-7888 between the hours of 9am and 8pm EST Monday-Saturday and 12pm to 7pm EST on Sunday.

All Photos by Racheal McCaig Photography