Review: Joey Contreras and Natalie Weiss Bring NYC to the Covey Center

Versatile musical theatre and pop composer Joey Contreras performed a special one-night-only concert of his music at the Covey Center for the Arts in Provo on October 4, 2018, featuring Natalie Weiss, who has legions of fans for her breathtaking YouTube performances of contemporary musical theatre songs.

Contreras and Weiss were joined by a number of talented local performers, as well as a fantastic instrumental ensemble, including violin, cello, bass, and drums.

Joey Contreras is a successful songwriter who is right at home in the contemporary musical theatre world. He has a knack for finding great grooves and creating catchy hooks for upbeat numbers, sung with vocal pyrotechnics by the astonishing Weiss.

But most impressive and fulfilling are Contreras' emotionally striking ballads that reflect his experiences in love and loss. "With Him" and "Love Me, Love Me Not" were incredibly stirring as sung with power and restraint by Weiss. It was a pity that she did not perform more ballads in this vein, because they were without a doubt the highlights of the evening.

Contreras really shines with songs that tell a story--each a mini musical in their own right. Most enjoyable were the emotional rollercoaster of "Me and Mr. Popularity," performed absolutely perfectly by Noah Hartwell and "My Simple Request," sung with comedic simplicity by Heather Jeffries.

Two more memorable moments came from duets: the stunningly poignant "Great, Cool" by Jack David Shapiro and Trevor Johnson, and the beautifully blended "Break from the Line" by Natalie Weiss and Bailee Brinkerhoff Morris.

Both Contreras and Weiss deserve even more success than they've already found, and it was a pleasure to experience the little bit of New York City they brought with them to Utah.

For more information, visit www.joeycontreras.com.

For additional productions and concerts at the Covey Center for the Arts, call the box office at 801-852-7007 or visit https://www.provo.org/community/covey-center-for-the-arts.

Photo Credit: Joey Contreras and Natalie Weiss