Review: AN EVENING WITH BERNADETTE PETERS at Colorado Symphony

Some performances will stay with me forever. This year alone, I have had the pleasure of seeing both Adam Pascal and Kristen Chenoweth, two legendary Broadway performers who were large influence on a me as a young thepsian. Each time, core memore was formed. The most recent addition however is Berndaette Peters live with the Colorado Symphony.

In her first appearance in Denver, Peters premiered before a warm and welcoming audience. Dressed in a stunning Bob Mackie orignal, Peters is 74 years young and showing the children how its done. The concert was certainly what you would expect - brilliant in every way. Peters treated audience to a number of musicals, highlighting her career on Broadway and close relationship with the late Stephen Sondheim. Songs such as "Being Alive" from Company, "Children Will Listen" from Into the Woods, and "Losing My Mind" from Follies were received by an audience that simply could not get enough. Peters also performed the jazz standard, "Fever", for the first time for a crowd in what was such a special moment between audience and performer.

My favorite songs though, were those chosen from Hello, Dolly! which was one of my earliest, most formative musical memories (picture it: a young queer child obseseed with the movie version starring Barbra Streisand by the age of 6). "Before the Parade Passes By" was truly the number in Ms. Peter's set that sent me over the edge with giddiness and excitement.

But what is a singer without musicians? Under the direction of Bernadette's Music Director, Joe Thalken, the Colorado Symphony once again proves why it is one of the best in the nation. Their versatility and willingness to perform music outside of the normal symphonic repertoire is something that I have long appreciated. It is a show of solidarity to various communities at large. Among the numbers that best highlighted the members was "Send in the Clowns" from A Little Night Music with an iconic clarient solo played beautifully by Principal Clarinetist, Jason Shafer.

Seeing Bernadette Peters live will forever live in my brain rent free. It has become an instant favorite of any concert I have seen with the symphony. Perhaps that is the theater geek getting the better of me and should that be the case, well, as they say in the theatre, "the show must go on."

Don't hesitate to check out what is coming up next at the Colorado Symphony!