Josh Groban delivers entertaining show
Julia Felton Josh Groban performs at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh in September.
Josh Groban performs at Benedum Center in Pittsburgh in September.
Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Josh Groban is not unfamiliar with the Pittsburgh area. As a matter of fact, at one point in his career, Groban was studying drama at Carnegie Mellon University. Though he dropped out of college after a few months to pursue a singing career, Groban has made his way back to the city multiple times, most recently on Sept. 17, when he performed songs off his latest album, “Stages,” at the Benedum Center in Downtown Pittsburgh.
Prior to the release of his newest album, Groban had released six albums, beginning with his self-titled debut album, “Josh Groban,” in 2001. His first successful song, “You Raise Me Up,” was nominated for a Grammy and his career continued to grow. Groban has been on tour multiple times, traveling across America and the globe, often singing in front of audiences large enough to fill arenas.
But there was something special for Groban about his “Stages” tour. The album was released last April and contained nothing but songs from musicals and Broadway shows Groban had enjoyed and been inspired by as a child. The tour concert followed the same pattern.
The concert began with “Pure Imagination” from “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and concluded with the classic song “Over the Rainbow.” Groban also sang some of his personal favorite tracks from “The Fantasticks,” “A Chorus Line,” “Phantom of the Opera,” “Les Miserables” and many other famous musicals. He mentioned many of the pieces he performed as holding a special place in his heart as childhood favorites or inspirations as he was aspiring into his musical career.
Groban combined “Children Will Listen” and “Not While I’m Around” – from “Into the Woods” and “Sweeney Todd” respectively–to form his own original performance featuring two of his favorite musical pieces. He also performed one song that was not on the album, titled “Unusual Way” from the musical, “Nine.”
In addition to Groban’s breathtaking vocals, the crowd was serenaded by Tony award-winning performer Lena Hall. Groban and Hall performed “All I Ask of You” and “Move On” as beautiful duets. To help Hall promote her new album, “Sin & Salvation,” Groban left the stage to allow her to sing “Save Me” and “Maybe I’m Amazed,” which were impressive covers of Queen and Paul McCartney.
Though he did not sing any of his own songs from previous albums, Groban certainly did put on a wonderful show. His strong vocals and bubbly personality made for an entertaining experience for everyone in attendance.
Julia Felton is a junior at Canon-McMillan High School.