With Laura Osnes and Santino Fontana, both exceptionally gifted and strong vocalists, along for the journey and a wide range of musical composers represented, including Rodgers & Hammerstein and Stephen Sondheim, it provided for a rich, diverse evening. Osnes and Fontana most recently appeared as Cinderella and her Prince in Cinderella on Broadway, and both received Tony nominations for their performances. The friendship and love they have for each other, and the personal experiences they've been through, was evident in the concert, and the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, as usual, provided exceptional accompaniment throughout.

The concert got off to a joyous start with George Gershwin's overture from Girl Crazy, featuring such well known Broadway love songs as "Embraceable You," "I've Got Rhythm" and "Not for Me." The arrangement gave each section of the orchestra a chance to show their expert abilities. Two songs about love on the horizon came next: first, Fontana delivered a moving, soaring "Something's Coming" from West Side Story, then Osnes sang a touching version of "The Man I Love" from Lady, Be Good. Two songs from She Loves Me about an upcoming first date followed, with Fontana delivering the staccato beats of the lyrics of "Tonight at Eight" perfectly matched by the orchestra and Osnes achieving the lilting anticipation of "Will He Like Me?" with ease. The recent Off-Broadway musical Dogfight provided a nice contemporary love song, "First Date/Last Night," which was the first duet of the evening.

Osnes' warm voice was a perfect fit for "A Little Bit in Love" from Wonderful Town, while "She Likes Basketball" from Promises, Promises gave Fontana a chance to show us the sheer joy and excitement of the lyrics. Both songs had superb orchestrations, which were skillfully played by the orchestra. "If I Loved You" from Carousel was a highlight of the night, with Osnes' soaring voice perfectly matched with Fontana's grounded, deep tones and the vibrant playing by the orchestra. Sperling spoke about his appreciation of Irving Berlin's ability to use simplicity in his writing, with Osnes' take on "I Got Lost in His Arms" from Annie Get Your Gun a perfect way to show that skill. Sperling's piano-only accompaniment matched with Osnes' touching take on the sweet and simple lyrics. Fontana and Osnes' voices paired perfectly on a superb version of "I've Never Been in Love Before" from Guys and Dolls, followed by Annie Get Your Gun's "An Old-Fashioned Wedding," which received a spirited duet from the two vocalists and was a perfect way to end the first act.

"Getting Married Today" from Company started off the second act of the concert, with the fast-paced and funny lyrics receiving superb delivery from Osnes, backed by both Sperling and Fontana. West Side Story's "One Hand, One Heart" provided a chance for Osnes' voice to soar to the top of Symphony Hall, with perfect phrasing. Sperling even took a turn at one of the songs, singing the funny "The Begat" from Finian's Rainbow, strongly delivering Yip Harburg's clever, yet somewhat racy, lyrics. The sweet and touching "Our Children" from Ragtime was another perfect complement between the voices of Osnes and Fontana and the rich, lush sounds achieved from the Phoenix Symphony.

The toll that pressures take on a relationship were shown in a trio of songs. The first, "Dividing Day," from the musical that Sperling won his Tony for creating the orchestrations for, The Light in the Piazza, received a stunning rendition from Osnes. The seriousness of that song was followed by two songs from Follies. First, Fontana excelled in providing the various voices that represent the different characters in the fast moving and comical "Buddy's Blues," then Osnes delivered a biting rendition of "Could I Leave You?."

The concert ended with three songs about the hope in a relationship, led off by a heartfelt take from Fontana on "How to Handle a Woman" from Camelot. In one of his between songs interjections, Sperling added that the man who wrote that beautiful lyric about loving a woman, Alan Jay Lerner, was married eight times. A duet of "Come Rain or Come Shine" from St. Louis Woman found Osnes and Fontana's voices blending beautifully with another superb orchestration that received a stunning rendition from the Phoenix Symphony. "Somewhere" from West Side Story ended the concert with the duo's voices once again perfectly matched with the orchestra. An encore of a pairing of two theatre love songs made famous by Judy Garland's iconic 1961 Carnegie Hall concert followed: "Almost Like Being in Love" from Brigadoon and "This Can't Be Love" from The Boys from Syracuse.

Hearing arrangements of these theatre songs played by such a large and talented orchestra is a treat, considering how small musical theatre orchestras are getting these days. Broadway Romance was another perfect example in the Symphony's series of "Pops" concerts that featured great songs, great vocalists, and superb accompaniment from the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra.

Broadway Romance with the Phoenix Symphony played three performances on January 23rd and 24th, 2015, at Symphony Hall in Phoenix. Information for upcoming performances with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra can be found at www.phoenixsymphony.org.

--Gil Benbrook

Also see the Current Theatre Season Calendar for Phoenix