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Regional Reviews: Phoenix Vanessa Williams Also see Gil's reviews of Lombardi, Rent and Annie Get Your Gun
The show started off with Stevie Wonder's "The Real Thing," which was originally written for Sergio Mendes, and appears on Williams' most recent album. She followed this with three chart-topping hits. First up, "Dreamin'," from her debut album back in 1988, which was a number one hit on the R&B charts. Her #3 Billboard hit "Love Is" followed, and it received a powerful duet from Williams and her musical director. Both showed Williams' beautiful ability to deliver smooth jazz hits with her warm voice connecting with the emotional meaning of the lyrics. The Oscar winning song from Pocahontas, "Colors of the Wind," had the singer's voice softly soaring to the ceiling of the SCPA, then segued right into "The Sweetest Days," a song that Williams stated was written for her four children. The slightly suggestive "Comfort Zone" came next, receiving an upbeat delivery. Williams spoke about how the first person she saw in concert was Chaka Khan, and sang a funky take on Khan's hit "Everlasting Love," which Williams recorded on her album that featured a selection of '70s tunes. A song that was written about some personal issues she was dealing with, "Who Were You Thinkin' Bout?," received a rousing turn with its excellent staccato-delivered lyrics that question what someone's spouse thinks about when they're having an affair. "Constantly" was a nice counterpart to follow, since it speaks about thinking about someone all the time and wondering if there is more to the relationship than just being friends. The Broadway section of the show was kicked off by Carmen Ruby Floyd, who also sang back-up on most of Williams' songs during the evening, performing Duke Ellington's charming, soaring and hilarious "Creole Love Song," which she sang in After Midnight on Broadway last season, a show in which Williams appeared as one of the special guests. "Stormy Weather," one of the songs she sang in that show, received a stellar rendition with Williams mentioning that it was originated by one of her mentors, Lena Horne. She recently played "Julie" in Show Boat in New York, which was filmed for PBS, and sang a beautiful version of the ballad "Bill" from that show. Williams appeared in the New York Encores! production of St. Louis Woman and performed a pairing of "Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home" and "Come Rain or Come Shine" that demonstrated her ability to deliver excellent renditions of classic stage songs. Williams was in the original production of Sondheim on Sondheim on Broadway and delivered that show's pairing of Follies' "Losing My Mind" with Merrily We Roll Along's "Not a Day Goes By." Originally she performed that with Broadway legend Barbara Cook, whom Williams stated was a joy to share the stage with. For this performance, she sang with backup singer Shelly Thomas Harts, with each woman getting the nuance and emotion behind Sondheim's lyrics. She spoke about how much she loved playing Wilhelmina Slater, a woman who never apologized for anything, on TV's "Ugly Betty" and delivered a sassy take on "Peel Me a Grape," stating it could have been Wilhelmina's theme song. Her anthem to the working woman, "Work to Do," showed her vocal prowess from down and gritty to an almost roar. The sweet and charming "Oh How the Years Go By" was followed by Williams' biggest hit, "Save the Best for Last," which she delivered impeccably. She came back for an encore of the Latin themed "Betcha Never," which also gave her a chance to show off her dancing skills. Throughout, Williams showed her ability to successfully deliver a wide range of music styles, how her voice has many layers, and how her phrasing and connection to the lyrics is superb. The fantastic sight lines and clear sound capabilities of the Scottsdale Center for the Arts complemented Williams' 90-minute set, which included Harts and Floyd on backing vocals and a four-piece band of musicians Williams stated have been with her for twenty years. Vanessa Williams performed at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday January 18th 2014. Information for upcoming concerts at the SCPA can be found at www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org
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