The Broadway and movie icon was joined by the National Symphony Orchestra for a night of standards and surprises
Cynthia Erivo’s soul radiated across Wolf Trap on Sunday (Sept 7th) at the last of two open-air shows with the National Symphony Orchestra.
After the NSO played the overture, a slow-burning “Don’t Rain on My Parade” opened the night. Starting at a crawl, Erivo masterfully built to the song’s climax.
Showcasing her signature kindheartedness, Erivo immediately spotted the American Sign Language interpreter and crossed to address her, ask her name, and hug her. She did it again when the interpreters switched out.
And if that weren’t enough, a late-entering mother and baby daughter caught the singer’s eye, and she spent a solid two minutes holding one-and-a-half-year-old Juniper. It was a live display of the humble gentleness that has been a hallmark of her career.
But that gentle nature belies a blow-you-back-in-your-seat voice. Every note Erivo sang dazzled. No song showed her vocal range more than act one closer “Feeling Good.” From the way she pushed the lyrics out, to the quiet jazzy runs she sang as she trodded back and forth across forth stage, microphone at her side, Erivo’s full range was on display.
The multi-award winner showcased her acting chops. Live on stage, she seemed to transform into Aretha Franklin, whom she played in an episode of NatGeo’s “Genius.” It was a marvel to behold.
Where Erivo errs in referencing her work is by not offering her rendition of “Defying Gravity.” She breathed new life into the ubiquitous musical number in last fall’s Wicked film, as the green witch Elphaba. Her song-ending battle cry has become as iconic—and perhaps more widely beloved thanks to the mass medium of cinema—as Idina Menzel’s high-flying triumph in the original Broadway cast. Fans want to hear that song and feel the emotions her powerful interpretation evokes, live and in person.
Ms. Erivo: You are your generation’s theatrical crossover icon—a Bette, an Idina, a Kristen. You have a signature song now. That is a rare and precious gift in the annals of entertainment. I lovingly implore you to embrace it heartily.
But Erivo’s voice is stunning, such that it hardly matters what she sings anyway. Another example: “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” wowed in the second half. Erivo started it a cappella and sang it among the orchestra, kneeling on a piano bench.
Guest conductor Christopher Dragon of the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra led the National Symphony Orchestra in understated arrangements that let Erivo shine. “At Last” comes to mind here, with the gentle lilt of the immediately recognizable opening fading wistfully behind Erivo’s vocals.
The second half focused more on pop selections. Donny Hathaway, Carole King, and even Prince tunes made up this section. The NSO opened the act with an in-the-pocket “MacArthur Park.”
That the show began as the daylight faded into a crisp Autumn-like evening added to the intimacy of the show. Erivo spent time between songs chatting with the audience, as though she had imported the NSO and 7,000 folks for a show in her backyard. She’s one Oscar away from EGOT status and is a shoo-in for another few nods at the Academy Awards when the second half of Wicked drops this November. But statue or not, it hardly matters. This collection of songs Erivo is touring with shows why she has been cemented as an icon of immeasurable talent, For Good.
