Jay Handelman

For the show to truly work, audiences have to believe that the young wannabe we first meet possesses all those skills. In the tour that opened Tuesday night at Sarasota’s Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Hannah Shankman displays a lot of appeal, including a strong voice that can be joyful or mournful depending on the moment. But there’s some kind of special sparkle missing, that “it” thing that can make you gasp in appreciation at key moments.