Review: SONS OF SERENDIP at Wausau's Grand Theater

SONS OF SERENDIP is a quartet comprised of a vocalist (Micah Christian), a cellist (Kendall Ramseur), a harpist (Mason Morton) and a pianist (Cordaro Rodriguez). They rose to popularity on season nine of AMERICA'S GOT TALENT, but you don't have to be a fan of the show to enjoy their live performances.

The addition of harp and cello to the contemporary repertoire provides an exciting variation on familiar numbers. SONS OF SERENDIP focuses predominantly on ballads. Each number is impressive and enjoyable. The songs are broken up with conversation, preventing numbers from running together and providing opportunities to learn more about the performers.

Micah Christian's soaring vocals made each number powerful and stirring. While he forgot a few lyrics at the Wausau performance, he handled it in such a way that actually added to the overall performance. Christian also spoke to the audience frequently and was very humorous. He even managed to discuss the current political climate in a non-divisive manner.

In addition to his impressive harp performance (a rare treat for Central Wisconsin audiences), Mason Morton played host to a quiz in which audience members won CDs for correct answers. This provided interesting information about the band and the venue.

Kendall Ramseur's radiant smile while playing energized the performance. His superior cello skills and backing vocals rounded out the sound. Ramseur also explained the background of one of the group's original compositions in a way that humanized the performers and gave insight into the group's origins.

In addition to providing expressive and technically skilled accompaniment to the musical numbers, Cordaro Rodriguez provided constant piano backing during conversations, which kept the musical momentum going.

SONS OF SERENDIP also did a nice job customizing their performance for local audiences. At the Wausau performance, they referenced being lactose intolerant. Referencing cheese always goes over well with Wisconsin audiences. It's a great "whey" to our hearts.

SONS OF SERENDIP led the audience in several sing-alongs. While these sing-alongs were more rhythmically complex than most, the audience sounded great, perhaps speaking to the group's skill in teaching others.

The night was capped off with a moving rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," which was worth the price admission by itself.

All in all, SONS OF SERENDIP gave a great performance that the audience won't soon forget.

Photo Credit: SONS OF SERENDIP