CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On Sunday, fans of tenor Andrea Bocelli received a sweet Valentine’s treat when the singer performed at the Spectrum Center. The show was a rescheduled date from one week prior, due to Bocelli having laryngitis -- the first time in 20 years the singer had to postpone a show in the United States.
The stop was his fifth and final stop in the U.S. before heading to Europe to perform five dates in March. Bocelli doesn’t add a lot of tour dates throughout the year, so fans can consider themselves lucky if they’re able to catch him in concert.
As one might expect for an opera-style tenor, the venue was filled with a well-dressed, older crowd although there were some teenagers in the audience, as well.
Prior to Bocelli taking the stage, Carolina Opera’s orchestra, directed by Eugene Kohn, took the stage to warm up.
As Bocelli was escorted on stage, the crowd greeted him with a standing ovation; without haste, the tenor took his microphone, adjusted it to his liking, then began to fill the arena with a voice one can only wish to own.
The orchestra accompanied the tenor for each song, although Bocelli often took breaks in between songs, allowing the musicians to have the audience's full attention. However, nothing could compete with Bocelli, as he was the star of the evening and what everyone was there to see.
Throughout the show, special guests accompanied Bocelli on stage. There were plenty of opportunities for duets with Bocelli, as well as a solo turn from Pia Toscano, who sang her own rendition of Eric Carmen's "All By Myself" without flaw.
In addition to the wonderful vocal performances, the audience had the opportunity to see some of the world’s finest ballet dancing.
In the end, it appeared as if Bocelli enjoyed a triumphant return after his bout with laryngitis. In fact, the tenor awarded the audience with three encore performances, each followed by a standing ovation.
© 2020 Cox Media Group
