Anwaar Hassan's Fantasy Springs Concert Review on FB:"Nothing is more disappointing than the end of a Jackie Evancho concert. Tonight was my 5th disappointment. The concert ended too soon for me ,
For two hours I was able to give in to the music and relax to the soothing voice of a ...... 30 year old woman ? or is she 17 or is she 13?? More on that later. But, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end and so did the concert.
Here is the song list :
Lovers
Imaginer
To where you are
Pirates of the Caribbean (Orchestra)
Ombra Mai Fu
The Lord's Prayer
Intermission
OMBC
My Heart Will Go On
Music of the Night
White Christmas
O Holy Night
Encores :
Walking in the Air
Believe
There were also 3 other orchestral numbers but don't know their names.
To my unexperienced ears the orchestra did a fabulous job and received very enthusiastic applause for Pirates of the Caribbean in particular.
I arrived at the concert about 2 hours ahead of time and was fortunate enough to meet with some old friends, Joe Duerr and Gary Godwin. I also met Hal whom I had not met before. It bears note that just as Jackie is a phenomena her fans are equally phenomenal
. I had a great time with all three as we shared ... what else ... but stories of Jackie and her concerts.
As we approached the concert hall I noticed a few kids in the audience but very few. Most were adults (40s and up). Interestingly though there appeared to be more women than men.
I had a seat in the fourth row to the right of Jackie. Jackie wore the same two dresses as she has in her previous concerts on this tour. The blue dress in the first half. The black dress after intermission drew audible sighs and "oohs" and "aahs" from the audience.
Jackie, as we all expected entered the stage for "Lovers"..... radiant and resplendent as a thousand suns !
Let me just say that seeing Jackie again confirmed what we all knew....The "Lil'l Peanut" is little no more ! Clearly the child of yesteryear is on her way to becoming an adult though she is quite a few years away yet. For many of us that discovered her on AGT, there was a cognitive dissonance....a tiny child singing like a mature adult. As she is growing up that cognitive dissonance is supposed to diminish but it hasn't. Its even more complicated now for those who are discovering Jackie for the first time or seeing her live. You hear the singing voice of a 30+ year old professional coming from, you think, a 16,17 and even a very young looking 18 year old who talks and acts like a 13 year old. You go figure. During intermission we had a audience member approach us and ask about the orchestra and John Mario. He had some music background and told us that he liked the orchestra and could appreciate their work. But when it came to Jackie he just shook his head in bewilderment. He thought she was 13 during her DWMIC recording and seemed stunned when we told him she was 11 then and was now 13. He thought she was much older than that. His parting comment was, "I wish my daughter had that much talent". During Jackie's performance there are times when I had difficulty remembering she was only 13. Her face is very expressive and there is a distinct maturity to her gesturing. Hard to describe how its different but it's there. So you're listening to a professional at the apex of her craft who takes you on a musical journey when she's singing and then you come crashing down back to earth to a little girl saying "Thank you" and giggling and doing her signature double wave.
She possesses a quiet dignity and grace and exuberance that is reminiscent of Grace Kelly, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy and Lady Diana.
Nature seems to have not only been generous to Jackie but seems to have showered everything complimentary on her to the exclusion of everyone and
everything else
.
One of the reasons why I decided to go to this concert was to hear Jackie's voice. The last time I saw Jackie was in April 2013 at the Smith Center in Las Vegas.
Last night she seemed a little nervous at the start but true to tradition, really amped up her game after intermission. Her voice still defies description .... beautiful, sultry, soulful .... chances are you'll run out of superlatives and still not come close to describing what its like. One key difference from when I saw her in Las Vegas .... last night, other than the initial jitters, she seemed very relaxed and sang effortlessly. Its not an understatement when people say you can feel the restrained power in her voice. Tonight was no different. She is holding back on the high notes probably to protect her voice. Listening to her beautiful high notes I thought to myself, if this is holding back .... God help us when she isn't ! Many have said this before. Some of us may not be able to withstand the power and beauty when she unleashes that voice in all its splendor and glory a few years from now.
Its hard to pick a favorite for the night but I do have a few. Her OMBC was absolutely the best I've heard. Music of the night equally incredible ! Her Christmas songs were a special treat for me. I had heard all of them on HC album but heard them for the first time, live. If you think they were good on the album, you need to hear them now. The maturity in her voice adds a whole new dimension to the songs !
People usually leave Jackie's concert satisfiied ... I left wanting more
.
But....
Long will my mind recall
Wondrous, the music of the night
And center stage, captivating all
An Angel singing to our heart's delight !"
. I had a great time with all three as we shared ... what else ... but stories of Jackie and her concerts. 
'
