Drenched in the piercing red overhead light, the pianist for the evening opened the show with the iconic melody from “The Phantom of the Opera.”
The rich notes floating off the piano were enough to silence the audience and grab their attention. Because there were no lyrics sung during the performance, the grandiose piano playing had to dominate the room.
As his fingers danced across the keys, pianist Jesse Warkentin passionately played the melody filling the Dvorak concert hall. When he finally hit the last key, his performance was met with a round of applause.
This was just the beginning of the Premier event “Broadway A to Z,” taking place at the Doudna Fine Arts Center Saturday night at 7:30.
The show featured some of Broadway’s greatest hits, including songs from “Cabaret,” “Mamma Mia!,” “Les Misérables,” “Rent” and more.
Dabbling in the arts themselves, theater majors junior Gage Matthews, sophomore Megan Fox and senior Marie Mullinax were excited to see a big production like this take place in Charleston while being so close in alignment to their majors.
“Yesterday, I went to the master class that the actors in the event held and was able to work with them about techniques performance-wise and singing-wise, so I wanted to come and see how they incorporated it into their performance,” said Matthews.
For Fox, it was the thought of getting to see some of Broadway’s greatest hits be performed by Broadway actors, she said.
“Seeing how they perform and getting to study them, I think it’s a great educational opportunity, and just great entertainment,” she said.
Mullinax said she came out to the show because of her love for show tunes and theater.
“It was really cool that they picked an event that I felt like catered to a specific major in Doudna and within the arts department,” said Mullinax.
The real fun began after a brief introduction of the pianist and the four Broadway actors Ali Ewoldt, Teri Hansen, Robert Sims and Ben Michael.
Each actor put on a robust performance, adding their own flair to each song uniquely.
Ewoldt’s performance of “Popular” from “Wicked” was enticing. Her charismatic bubbly energy on stage truly put her in character the moment she began singing. Her effortless singing paired with her cheerful demeanor as Glenda the Good Witch allowed her to keep all eyes.
In his performance of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” from “Jersey Boys,” Sims let it be known that this song was dedicated to the women of Charleston.
Making his way off the stage and into the crowd, Sims began to serenade all in attendance. His deep vocals partnered with his bright smile got the audience to sing along, making lasting impressions on those sitting in the front where he walked through singing.
Leaving the audience with some words to live by, the performers ended the first act with “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” from “Spamalot.” This cheerful lighthearted song had audience members whistling and singing along to the comedic show tune.
EIU alum Makayla McPhedran personally enjoyed the performance of “Always Walk on the Bright Side of Life” because she was a part of the same musical put on by Doudna this summer. She said she was very happy to witness a show like this in Charleston.
“Every Doudna Premier event is a fantastic time,” she said. “They work so hard to bring amazing artists to central Illinois, and I’m really grateful to get to live here and see them regularly like this.”
After a brief intermission and an outfit change, the performers were back.
Standing under the soft blue stage lights with her new outfit sparkling like stars in the night sky, Hansen performed the ballad “Memory” from “Cats.”
Although it was just her and the pianist on stage, Hansen’s voice filled the whole room, leaving space for no one but the cheering audience.
Ending the second act where the first one began was a performance of “Phantom of the Opera” from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most famous musical “Phantom of the Opera.”
The red light that encapsulated the stage at the beginning of the show made its return as Ewoldt and Michael performed.
Ewoldt’s character sings in a frazzled daze as she realizes she is under the control of the Phantom. Her vocals radiate feelings of fear and confusion as Michael takes the stage to reassure her character of the fear that she is feeling.
The call-and-response nature of their duet blended into the next song, “Music of the Night.”
Taking on the role of several different characters while singing songs that ranged from different pitches, tones and energies was a big task to complete but the actors did with no hesitation.
After performing 16 songs, the quartet gave an encore and performed “I’ve Had the Time of My Life” from “Dirty Dancing.”
The colorful stage lights behind the performers illuminated the Dvorak Concert Hall turning the last song into a bit of a party for everyone there.
The night ended with the final bow from the five entertainers on stage and a round of applause from the crowd as the lights faded back to black to close the show.
The Doudna Fine Arts Center will have its next Premier event on Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m. with Radius taking the stage.
Alexis Moore-Jones can be reached at 581-2812 or at admoorejones@eiu.edu.
