Review: Kristin Chenoweth in Concert at Colorado Symphony

If you want to view paradise, go see Kristin Chenoweth in concert. In her recent engagement with the Colorado Symphony, the legendary good witch cast a captivating spell over the audience from the moment she took the stage of Denver's own Boettcher Hall. The long-running Broadway musical, Wicked, was a turning point not just in musical theatre repertoire but in my own life and my relationship with the art form. The opportunity to see Glinda herself was not one I could miss - nor one I will soon forget.

From start to finish, Kristin Chenoweth was a sight for sore eyes singing beautiful music to the ears. Aside from her vocal prowess, her personality is also light and pure. There is a sense of community building through performance that you can tell means so much to her that it becomes in integral part of the audience experience. The Colorado Symphony, again, showcased why they are one of the top orchestra in the country. Under the direction of visiting Imagination Artist - and personal friend of Kristin - Mary-Mitchell Campbell took to the podium, leading the orchestra seamlessly along to Kristin's spectacular vocals. The repertoire spanned a nice variety, including songs you might expect such as a standing-ovation worthy performance of Popular, a captivating performance of Bring Him Home, and a healthy dose of female empowerment, performing such hits alongside her backup singers as You Don't Own Me and I'm A Woman.

Speaking of her backup singers, each brought their own soul and experience to the stage. A fierce beltress, Marissa Rosen showcased her abilities in all the right ways. The soul songstress herself, Melinda Doolittle, was also a welcome surprise. Taking bronze in the sixth season of American Idol, Doolittle was one of my favorites that season so the teenager in me was excited beyond belief. Chenoweth went out of her way to make space for these to performances to do more than "oohs" and "aahs" in the background. Throughout the concert, she addressed the young artists in the room and at one point said something along the lines of, "When you know and are confident in who you are, you can celebrate other people."

Part of Kristin's charm is her personality; her kindness. But it is her musical intuition that I find most astonishing. Her encore performance of The Way We Were was the perfect balance of both ideas. There is a sense of belief in the words she is singing that comes across so clearly and firmly that just goes to show - she's not done casting captivating spells.

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