By james art 
Conductor: Michael England
Under the baton of conductor Michael England and with the help of a quartet of fabulous voices, 
The Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) is thinking of putting us a spell with an evening Musical magic.
And the name is not just hyperbole: the program is cured with magic firmly in mind – although if you have not read the notes of the program, this fact can pass you while enjoying the power that England is able to unleash.
So the program has many songs from Disney’s stable, from the magic nanny, Mary Poppins yes AladdinS But the animated mouse doesn’t have all over its way: Sondheim sneaks with In the forestWe have excerpts from Matilda and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang And, of course, Wicked and FrozenS And maybe because magic is often used to create chaos, since one tries to perform a mission, we have many songs “I want …”, especially before the interval.
Even given that CBSO is several times more than the typical Pete Orchestra, it would occasionally be easy to forget its power in the presence of such great voices and personalities. But we firmly remind us in pure orchestra pieces that open both halves. We are familiar with the liquid style of conducting England when the evening opens with the overture of Beauty and the BeastWith the participation of all known topics. And to open the second half, Mary Popinter overture Let the orchestra show its more surprising country, especially the impact in the initial segment, reflecting the nature of Poppins. It also enables the orchestra to demonstrate a more introspect, atmospheric style in Feed the birds section.
But the rest of the night belongs to the singers, all veterans from West End or Broadway. We meet all of them in Be our guest And to have our first attempt from the evening of Trevor Dion Nicholas’s rich velvet voice, the crystal clarity of Stephanie McKeon, the cleanliness of Caroline Sheen and a fine light tenor by Rob Huchen. Their voices blend well. Given the nature of the evening, many of the songs are ambitious, there are relatively few duets. However we have romantic duets in All -new world (Aladdin) and Do I love you because you are beautiful (From American TV Cinderella It aired in 1957) brought to us by McKon and Huchen, whose votes complement themselves well. Sheen and Nicholas join forces to bring the slow burner that is The circle of life (S)The King of the Lions), skillfully building its magnificent climax, supported by the fine lighting that floods the scene with the warmth of sunrise savannah.
Nicholas represses his role as genes Aladdin In the uplifted and joyous Friend like mewhich bursts with energy. In perhaps less familiar This is the moment (S)JEKYLL & HYDE) It provides ambitious accumulation as it captures the feeling of expectation. He also carries a more thoughtful, introspective feeling of the evening when his syrup voice betrays If I can’t love her from Beauty and the BeastDuring which England applied a culmination after the culmination of CBSO.
McCon brings a pathetic air of Somewhere over the rainbow (S)The Wizard of Oz) Maintained by a delicate orchestration as well as the gentle air How are things in Gloca Mora? It is completely more ego-centered (in a Well way) in Popularthe first of the two songs of WickedThe other, of course, is the show Gravity Delivered with power and sentence by Caroline Sheen.
Sheen also brings us Let it goBut it is not just about power as it counts its blessings My house from MatildaS A person’s heart goes out to her while he sings “Not much but is enough for me”
Houchen has a fine voice that uses well Can you feel love tonightS It has a low start only with a piano initially, with a gentle crescendo when the rest of the orchestra joins; One feels as if Huchen really inhabits character. He is similar with his eyes wide open as he tells us there is Giants in the skySondheim In the forest: Songheim’s carefully crafted songs are rarely the easiest to sing, but Houchen pulls it out.
There are also times of ease. The four singers unite to give high -octane performances to Super California …(You certainly know the rest!) And Chitty Chitty Bang BangIn the latter skillfully avoids encountering the texts of the quick fire.
A packaged house at Symphony Hall leaves with wide smiles while the magic woven by CBSO, and the singers gradually fade.
Reviewed on January 31, 2025