I looked back at my first review of a Megan Hilty concert before writing this one. It’s been roughly three years to the day since she first wowed me with her show. Little has changed in terms of what Megan does, but this time around she’s doing it on a much grander scale.
Like the first tour, Megan’s set drew heavily from Broadway standards and the music of her own hit shows, Wicked on Broadway and Smash on the small screen. Like that first tour, “Heart of the Matter,” her Don Henley cover, seemed a little out of place. Yet again though, I could forgive that because it’s such a beautiful song. She even finished on the same song for the same reason. She’s played “Rainbow Connection” for her daughter at the close of each show since she was in the womb. It’s such a lovely tradition that I didn’t mind the degree of predictability the second time around.
The scale of this production really made this show something special though. Staging anything at the Sydney Opera House brings a certain level of gravitas. The 40-piece orchestra made songs like “Let Me Be Your Star” from Smash and Gershwin’s “Someone to Watch Over Me” really soar. Her beautiful sparkly dress, which would have been right at home on any red carpet, was so fitting for a show like this.
Now after three years and with so many shows in between, my memory of that first Sydney gig is a little foggy. So I can’t remember if she was so animated, so charismatic, the first time around. If she was, Megan, I apologise. But this time I was so struck by her charm. Whether she was joking about her time at university dying to land those lead parts or gushing about her love for our country, she was so warm and genuine. A beautiful voice is one thing, and she has that in spades, but charm like hers can elevate any concert experience.
The final element of any concert is the audience. Sydney, you outdid yourself. Megan was greeted with such rapturous applause she begged us to not make her cry. Not yet, not at the beginning. We sat respectfully for the songs, hanging on their every note, then erupted with appreciation when every one was done. I felt true electricity and appreciation in the room, and I’m sure she did too.
Monday was one of those concerts where everything came together so beautifully. Megan said she was anticipating this show for such a long time, so I hoped it lived up to her expectations. It certainly did for me.
Image source: own photos