For two nights, and two nights only, Ramin Karimloo and Mikaela Bennett took to the stage alongside the beloved Toronto Symphony Orchestra in Broadway Blockbusters. In the midst of their whirlwind careers, the two stars returned home to regale the Canadian audience once more at Roy Thompson Hall. They were joined by celebrated conductor Steven Reineke whose presence was as much a gift as the vocalists’. When you put together these pieces of such high quality, the result is bound to be spectacular.
Much of the substance of the show was derived from the fame of its stars. Steven Reineke is the music director of the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall and a travelling guest conductor who has a home at the National Symphony Orchestra, The Houston Symphony, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. A creator as well as conductor, Reineke’s orchestral arrangements can be found in many places including the New York Philharmonic and the LA Philharmonic. His expertise has brought him into collaborations with many big names: Kendrick Lamar, Cynthia Erivo, Cody Fry, and Sutton Foster, to name a few.
Mikaela Bennett is a rising star in the performance space. She is an Ottawa native and a graduate of opera at Julliard. She is known for her versatility, earning her the Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists. Bennett has performed all over: at the LA philharmonic, Walt Disney Concert Hall, West Side Story, Carnegie Hall, BBC Proms, and the list goes on.
Finally, Ramin Karimloo, the reason I was determined to snag a ticket to this limited event, is a name found all over Broadway. Born in Tehran, Iran, but raised in Peterborough and Richmond Hill, Ontario, he brings pride to both nations. He rose to fame in the early 2000s in West End productions like The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables. He is known for his stunning portrayal in many main roles of musicals including Nick Arnstein in Funny Girl, Che in Evita, and Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar. Karimloo released his second solo album, From Now On, in 2019 which rose to the Billboard Heatseekers charts. His fame and popularity had a long line of hopeful fans waiting outside the building to talk to him.
The pop-up performances lasted for three shows on Tuesday 24th June and Wednesday the 25th, with 8pm evening shows and a matinee on Wednesday at 2pm. The late summer sunset illuminated the chic, elegant attire of the attendees entering the building. Much of the audience was made up of the older generations, likely patrons of the TSO. I found it disappointing that there weren’t more younger people in attendance. I find that the continued appreciation of such concerts is vital to their survival. Either way, the attendees were certainly dressed for the occasion. The lobby of Roy Thompson Hall was buzzing with excitement, likely because Ramin Karimloo, my biggest reason for attending, is huge in the Broadway community. I was lucky enough to see him in Funny Girl on Broadway last year, and his performance only left me looking for more.
Roy Thompson Hall, the main performance venue of the TSO, is one of the grander theatres in Toronto. Its unique circular shape and domed ceiling may be responsible for its tight acoustics, perfect for an orchestra. I was seated in the balcony on the right side of the stage when it occurred to me that there were no bad seats in the hall. Every area in the seating map provides an ample view of the stage and the sound reaches every nook and cranny of the auditorium. The hall was packed apart from the scatter of empty seats on the main floor, belonging to people who sorely missed out.
The show began promptly, starting strong with some Leonard Bernstein in Concert Overture to West Side Story. Dramatic and fast-paced, this piece was the perfect way to kick off the evening, showing off the orchestra’s and Reineke’s proficiency before the singers stole the show. After the audience was sufficiently captivated, Reineke introduced “Broadway Blockbusters with Ramin Karimloo & Mikaela Bennett”. His cheerful and humble countenance gave away no hint of his mastery and accomplishments. In keeping with the West Side Story theme introduced in the Overture, Ramin Karimloo and Mikaela Bennett entered an auditorium filled with raucous applause and adoring fans to perform Balcony Scene/Tonight by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim. Bennett, as we quickly found out, was from an opera background. Her voice was fluid but piercing and his was full of emotion and power. Although very different, their styles meshed beautifully in a celebration of the relationship of the male and female voice.
The first act was full of older, more classic Broadway music from shows such as South Pacific, Man of La Mancha, and The King and I. While this may have been designed for the older audience, I left in the intermission full of songs and shows to look up. Each song was goosebump-inducing and the singers’ performances were spellbinding. We were enchanted by Karimloo’s preambles to the songs he sang. Funny, witty, and oh so charming, it’s no wonder he’s on every stage.
My favourite performances of Bennett’s from the first act were I Could Have Danced All Night from My Fair Lady, full of high notes to show off her operatic technique in tackling them, and Unusual Way from Nine, a gorgeous and haunting piece. Karimloo’s most memorable song from the first act was definitely The Streets of Dublin from A Man of No Importance. This song choice offered a nice change of pace and some laughs at Karimloo’s attempt at an Irish accent. Besides his energetic rendition, what made the piece the most memorable was his introduction. In his charismatic way, he explained his struggle to find a connection to Alfie, the Irish character he must embody for the song. He went on to explain that at that time, he happened to take 23 and Me, a DNA ancestry test where he discovered that he’s 2% Irish. It was hilarious and the whole audience was positively charmed.
After the intermission, the pieces played grew more and more familiar. We saw favourites like Still, reminiscent of his part on Broadway in Anastasia. I was itching to hear Maybe This Time from Cabaret, and Bennett delivered everything she had. Her unique twist on the jazzy number and increasingly powerful voice brought the first standing ovation of the night. Preceding this song, I received the luckiest surprise when Karimloo and Bennett took on Who Are You Now? from Funny Girl, where I saw him last year. It was not in the program. They ended the show with Stars from Les Misérables and All I Ask of You from Phantom of the Opera, the latter of which earned a roaring standing ovation. I’m slowly learning the inevitability of encores. When the audience chanted “Encore!” and the orchestra got the instruments in position, no one else seemed to share my surprise. The final song was the duet Somewhere from West Side Story, the perfect song to bring the show full circle. Another standing ovation.
While Ramin Karimloo and Mikaela Bennett were the stars, it is worth noting that Reineke’s conducting of the orchestra was extremely impressive. His coordination with the singers and the orchestra on fermatas was spot-on, almost like they were communicating in a way we could not see. The orchestra itself was spectacular. Every instrument worked harmoniously together, and the musicians were admirable in their professionalism. One particular instrumentalist made quite an impression on me. At the centre of the orchestra was a green drum kit, occupied by an elderly man whose dexterity had not been met by his age.
Forevermore I will look out for Steven Reineke, Mikaela Bennett, and Ramin Karimloo’s names in an attempt to recreate a sliver of the evening I had with them with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
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