Review: Jackie Evancho's Angelic Voice Fills Music Center at Strathmore

As evident from the number of people I saw wearing fan club buttons around the performance space at Strathmore - and the poster board sign welcoming her fan club in a lobby area - it's clear that fifteen-year-old music prodigy Jackie Evancho has a lot of (shall we say) enthusiastic fans. They were all very clearly eager to hear the young performer who first drew national attention at age ten on America's Got Talent. Familiar with Evancho's voice through her albums and from some television performances, I was curious as to whether she would live up to the hype live.

Accompanied by twelve strings, some curiously recorded instruments (percussion, for example), and accomplished and equally talented music director Peter Kiesewalter on piano (the latter of whom was unfortunately not acknowledged in the program, but was thanked from the stage), Ms. Evancho opened the concert with several songs from her 2014 album, Awakening. "Made to Dream" - the song she said described her own story - was one of the songs she clearly most connected with as it showcased her lovely technique, but also ability to convey lyrical meaning. "Take Me There" was also memorable. She's clearly in control of her voice and it showed on this and other selections.

There were some other highlights as well. Four songs with musical theatre roots - Darion and Leigh's "The Impossible Dream" from MAN OF LA MANCHA; Harold Arlen's "Over the Rainbow" from THE WIZARD OF OZ; and Lloyd Webber and Hart's "Think of Me" and "The Music of the Night" from THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA - were included in her setlist, and did well to showcase her impressively rich middle register. A lovely and rather unique vocal arrangement of "The Impossible Dream" made it a tad more special than what is usually heard in solo concerts, and her desire to dedicate the song to her mom propelled her performance to another level. "Over the Rainbow" showcased the inherent sweetness she has in her voice, and of course her pure technique. She was quite excited about singing the two songs from THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, undoubtedly because she credits the movie as the impetus for her interest in singing and performing. She's clearly become very comfortable singing these two selections and I especially appreciated that she clearly connected with the lyrics on both of them. This wasn't always the case in other numbers, although we have to remember she's very young still and is maturing. "The Music of the Night" in particular, showcased her strong lower register quite nicely and demonstrated some strong diction (no mush mouth here, thank goodness).

Ms. Evancho, it seems, likes to dabble in singing various types of music in her own way. So, when is the last time you've heard "Nessun Dorma" sung in the same concert, by the same artist, as Evanescence's "My Immortal"? Evancho did both. Her "Nessun Dorma" is spectacularly pure (it should be mentioned, it followed up an instrumental version of the song played by Mr. Kiesewalter and the other musicians, which was also quite nice). "My Immortal" was a bit of a change because Ms. Evancho accompanied herself on the piano for the first several minutes of the song, and I appreciated the more intimate approach to performing. It's good to see she's exploring how her classical voice might be used on songs that fall into the more traditional pop-rock genre.

A haunting version of "The Lord's Prayer" ended the concert on a high note, leaving her appreciative fans wanting more. As for me, I certainly appreciate her beautiful voice even more and look forward to seeing her grow as an artist. It would certainly be a treat to hear her sing in a more intimate space so as to hear her voice in all of its natural glory. She has something special, and a vocal ability that exceeds her young age.

Running Time: Under two hours with a twenty minute intermission.

Jackie Evancho played the Music Center at Strathmore - 10701 Rockville Pike in North Bethesda - for one-night-only on October 10, 2015. For information about upcoming events at Strathmore, visit its website.

Photo: Courtesy of Strathmore website.

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