NEW YORK—”Magnificent,” “outrageously wonderful” and “a must-see not-so-guilty pleasure” are some of the phrases that can quickly become overused when trotting out the superlatives. That being said, Il Divo (Urs Bühler, Sébastien Izambard, Carlos Marin, David Miller), the internationally renowned singing group—from Sweden, France, Spain and the U.S.A. respectively—now making their Broadway debut at the Marquis Theater for an all-too limited run, deserves every one of them and more.
Presenting an evening of Broadway show-stoppers, the Il Divo foursome grabs and holds the audience’s attention from the first song to the last. This is true not only due to the power of their voices, which is considerable, but also because of each of their individual stage presence.
Each of the men’s actions interlock to present a different yet unified canvas of emotions for each song, yet at the same time, each is impressive enough to stand on his own.
Credit must go to the show’s musical and vocal arranger Alberto Quintero for making each of the songs work with their vocal talents, as well as with that of special guest star Heather Headley. Moreover, each offering comes off feeling fresh and alive and not just a rehash of something heard many times before.
The show’s director Brian Burke also gets accolades for allowing the various elements to come together with nary a false step along the way.
Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber is well-represented here, with songs from four of his shows (Cats, Evita, The Phantom of the Opera, and Aspects of Love) as are such Broadway stalwarts as Rodgers and Hammerstein (South Pacific and Carousel), Lerner and Loewe (Camelot) and Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim (West Side Story).
Also included are numbers from Mamma Mia, The Lion King, Ghost, and more. It soon becomes apparent that there’s a theme running through each of these songs: about dreams of a better life, an as-yet-unfulfilled promise, and an impossible dream which just might become a reality.
Not coincidentally, “The Impossible Dream” is also one of the songs performed during the evening.
The biggest treat of all is not the songs themselves, but how this group vocally interprets them. At times their voices blend which each other’s’ in prefect unison, at other moments, the voices layer on top of each other’s, allowing each to be distinct yet unified for the desired effect. The result is some of the most beautiful interpretations of well-known tunes I’ve heard.
“Memory,” for example, comes off here as an absolutely inspiring song about rebirth and new beginnings.
Several of the songs are also sung in languages other than English (such as Spanish and Italian), in keeping with the international flavor of the group. No one in the audience seemed to mind in the least: The group got several standing ovations throughout the performance.
Now entering its second decade, the quartet demonstrates a remarkable feeling of comfort with one another as evident in their attitudes while performing. Their actions suggest a level of ease of people who have worked together for years.
Each also gets a few minutes alone to relate a little of their personal history and to tie that in to what they are about to sing. Miller, for example, introduces a song from Camelot, which he sang at his first-ever musical audition; Bühler recalls how he used to watch movie musicals as a kid; and Martin talks about the importance of passion in music.
Headley more than holds her own with the Il Divo foursome, while making a long-overdue and quite welcome return to the Broadway stage.
Among her numbers was a wonderful rendition of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” which she originally performed in The Lion King, her Broadway debut; the aforementioned “Memory,” and “Music of the Night,” from The Phantom of the Opera—all of these as duets with Il Divo members.
As solo numbers, she sang a tune from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, as well as songs from the London stage version of The Bodyguard in which she appeared and which is based on the Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner movie of the same name.
If Headley’s performance of these latter songs is any indication, one can only hope this particular show will soon move to Broadway so she can reprise her role in New York.
Just as important as the musical elements are the various other technical aspects of the production. The lighting in particular seems almost like a living character at times, complementing what was happening on the stage.
The video projections help build on the overall experience. For example, one could see a full moon during the performance of “Some Enchanted Evening,” a forest in springtime during “If Ever I Would Leave You,” a magnificent field of stars during “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” and an sea of candles during “Music of the Night.”
For all the songs about love, hope, dreams, togetherness and possibilities, it’s interesting that Il Divo chose to end the show with a number that reeks of hardship, pain and individuality—the Frank Sinatra standard “My Way.”
This number, like all the others, delivered both flawlessly and expertly, sung in perfect unison at some points, and separately at others, once again showcased the four as both a powerhouse group and completely unique individuals.
During the encore section there was also a very rousing and uplifting version of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” which once again brought the audience to their feet.
A joyous experience from start to finish, Il Divo” is an affair that deserves to be seen, enjoyed, and embraced by everyone who appreciates good music brilliantly sung by professionals at the top of their game. Here’s hoping Il Divo won’t be strangers to the New York stage for too long—sadly, this current run is far too short.
Il Divo: A Musical Affair
Marquis Theatre
1535 Broadway
Tickets: 877-250-2929 or visit www.ticketmaster.com
Running Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes
Closes: Nov. 13
Judd Hollander is the New York correspondent for the London publication The Stage.
