BWW Reviews: Sutton Foster Brought Rapturous Vocal Perfection to BYU

Pure and clear as crystal, Sutton Foster's voice was rapturous perfection in her recent concerts at Brigham Young University.

The two-time Tony Award winner (and six-time nominee) performed in BYU's de Jong Concert Hall as part of its BRAVO! professional performing arts series on Friday and Saturday, September 5 and 6, 2014.

The combination of Foster's unmatchable singing voice with her warm, outgoing personality and her overwhelming Broadway star power created an event of mammoth proportions.

Presenter Jeffrey Martin hit the nail on the head in his program notes about Foster. "Her contributions to the American theatre over the last many years should not be underestimated," he wrote. "Few actors are given the opportunity during the course of a successful career to create even one or two iconic roles in their original Broadway production, yet she has done it at least six times."

The songs in Foster's set list that she originally performed on Broadway were far and away the best numbers of the night, and it is unfortunate that she didn't sing more of them. Those she did sing included the rousing "On My Way" from this past season's VIOLET and her thrilling encore performance of "Gimme Gimme" from her star turn in THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE. Especially wonderful was a clever medley featuring "Not For the Life Of Me," also from MILLIE, "NYC" from ANNIE, and the stunning "Astonishing" from LITTLE WOMEN.

One key reason these songs were such hits with the audience is that they featured Foster's vocal belt, which is unparalleled. No one on Broadway, or anywhere else for that matter, can match her power, control, and clarity. While a hint of her belt could also been heard in a handful of other songs (including a large presence in her comical rendition of the title song from OKLAHOMA), it was largely absent from the majority of the selections. These were often low-key jazz or folk songs that gave her the chance to relax and sing different kinds of music than she normally has the chance to sing in musicals. They were still beautiful to listen to, but they didn't always showcase what makes her so unique.

One lesser-known gem in the set list was "My Heart Was Set On You," a gorgeous song from her album that highlighted her strong acting skills as she expertly navigated the dichotomy between life's joy and pain.

Joining Foster was her long-time musical director and accompanist, Michael Rafter, along with her friend, Megan McGinnis, who played her younger sister Beth in LITTLE WOMEN, among a number of other Broadway credits. McGinnis sang two solos, including a lovely song from her musical DADDY LONG LEGS. She and Foster also sang two memorable duets, including another album song, "Flight," which featured beautiful blending and angelic harmonies.

The audience adored Foster and her guests, and it filled the concert hall with euphoric applause throughout the entire evening.

BYU's BRAVO! series has consistently brought musical theatre icons to Utah every year since 2010, and it deserves the highest accolades for the incredible Broadway experiences it has brought and continues to bring to not only BYU students but also the rest of the arts community in the state.

For more information about future BRAVO! performances at BYU, and to buy tickets, visit arts.byu.edu.

Photo Credit: Sutton Foster

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