BWW Reviews: Migguel Anggelo's Thrills Audiences with BETWEEN DREAMS/ENTRE SUEÑOS Concert

In support of his upcoming album, LA CASA AZUL, Migguel Anggelo took the stage at Joe's Pub last night to share his BETWEEN DREAMS/ENTRE SUEÑOS concert with audiences in New York City. With a background in musical theatre and opera, the Venezuelan-born singer brings boundless energy and larger-than-life, charismatic performances to the stage. In concert, Migguel Anggelo thrills audiences with his bold voice, winning smile, swiveling hips, and radiant charm.

With a refined head-voice and falsetto, Migguel Anggelo kicked off BETWEEN DREAMS/ENTRE SUEÑOS with a captivating cover of the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams." Vamping the crowd with his energetic cover of the pop classic, he used it to segue into a funk-pop rendition of "Todo" from his debut album DONDE ESTARÁ MATISSE. By the time the mash-up was complete, there was no denying that Migguel Anggelo's concert celebrating the space between our dreams would be anything but sleepy.

Next in the set was his gorgeous and biographical ode to Frida Kahlo. Singing "La Casa Azul," the lead single off the forthcoming LA CASA AZUL, Migguel Anggelo delved into the character of Frida, delivering both monologues and lyrics with tangible passion and vigor. He also demonstrated a wonderful range of levels, beginning the number with quiet, plaintive singing and building to an impressive belt that he must have perfected during his operatic and musical theatre training.

Then, he took us on a journey to the city of Paris, France. Migguel Anggelo revealed that he himself is also a painter and has always been quite taken by Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, and that when he first visited Paris, he ran around asking, "Where is the Matisse?" This was the lead in for his performance of "Donde Estará Matisse?" Full of animation, Migguel Anggelo smiled his way through this performance and acted out searching Paris for Matisse paintings. He also did some partner dancing on the cramped Joe's Pub stage, adding some fascinating musical theatre flair to the concert.

Continuing in the spirit of dreams, Migguel Anggelo sang a cover of "When You Wish Upon a Star." Translating the number into Spanish, he sang it in a way that really grabbed the ears of the audience. As the song built, his back-up singers accompanied him in English and repeated the phrases as he finished them. Unfortunately, some dissonance crept its way into this rendition making Migguel Anggelo sound as though he were flat. Yet, the minor chord dissonance wasn't entirely off-putting, leaving me to wonder if it was intentional.

For a trio of numbers, Migguel Anggelo treated audiences to a series of re-imagined classics. First, transporting the audience to Buenos Aires, his next song was an up-tempo cover of "Balada Para Un Loco," where he sang with fervor, crazy eyes, and varied between whispers and belts in a way that would make a "It's Oh So Quiet" era Björk proud. Second, he covered "Cucurrucucú Paloma," a classic huapango song. He approached this number with a softness and sweetness that brought out the song's themes of finding hope and being free to fly wherever your heart takes you, which was made all the more impactful when he created a cascading wall of sound towards the end of the number. Lastly, he sang an electrifying crowd pleaser full of hip-swaying swagger.

With a Frank Zappa flair, the next performance was a captivating rendition of his "Un Día con la Dama del Pentágono." Inspired by a woman living in a phone booth whom he met on Miami beach, this touching song was penned in response to her telling him that every night she dies in the ocean. In his performance there was a certain manic zealousness that almost made the number comical, yet the powerful vocals and darkly poetic lyrics never allow the number to slip into the realm of comedy. Truly feeling the emotions of the song, Migguel Anggelo let his character driven showmanship outshine the vocals, losing his control and polish on the more explosive moments.

Drawing his concert to a close, he launched into a French song where his levels were an unsatisfying loud and louder, and then he performed his number "Libre." Again, levels were non-existent, but his dancing, the Latin beat, and sensuality of the number left the audience clamoring for more.

For his encore, he took to the stage with costumes and wigs, performing a hysterical and mirthful rendition of "The Lonely Goatherd" from THE SOUND OF MUSIC. In this performance he let his opera training shine through and had the audience both giggling and signing along.

Without much name recognition in the United Sates, Migguel Anggelo does have quite a fan following. The people seated around me were familiar with both him and his songs, and his BETWEEN DREAMS/ENTRE SUEÑOS concert at Joe's Pub was a sold out event. While you may have never heard of him, he definitely knows how to entertain a crowd and is probably someone you should acquaint yourself with. His artistry on stage in undeniable, and his music is both poppy fun and artistically stimulating. Whether you saw this concert or not, you should visit http://www.migguelanggelo.com for more information about him and his upcoming album LA CASA AZUL. Moreover, you can follow Miggeul Anggelo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

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