BWW Blog: Paisley Haddad - Thoroughly Modern Sutton

Boston is really the only city where you can be leaving the Boston Symphony Hall after seeing the Boston Pops and be walking alongside Boston Red Sox fans leaving Fenway Park. This past Thursday I had the opportunity to see my Broadway idol, Sutton Foster, with the Boston Pops. She sang songs from her previous Broadway roles, including Anything Goes, and added some others to the list. She sang "Sunshine On My Shoulder " by John Denver, in honor of her mother, who passed away 2 years ago. She performed a soft-shoe dance during her "If I Was a Bell" and "Singing In The Rain" medley. She paid tribute to her brother, Hunter Foster, by singing a song from his show "The Bridges of Madison County" called "It All Fades Away". There was a "Little Women" reunion when Meg McGinnis joined Sutton on stage to sing a duet, it was a harmonious collaboration. We were also a part of a live recording as a gift for the 85th birthday of the previous Boston Pops conductor, John Williams. The live orchestra matched Sutton's voice so well, and just being in the beautiful Boston Symphony Hall made the night that much better. They played three pieces, but my favorite was a compilation of his songs that he wrote for "The Force Awakens". Keith Lockhart was very funny and such a talented conductor. I look up to Sutton so much because not only is she a triple threat, but she is also not afraid to take a chance. What other Broadway actress do you know that can switch back and forth between stage and screen, playing a character that has to act half her age? She is simply fabulous. As I watched her, I realized that sometimes it's better to not have to worry about props, scenery, or other actors when you just stop and appreciate the music that goes into each Broadway show and why it is truly called a musical.

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