Review: Alfie Boe, NIA, Birmingham
When Britain's favourite tenor walked onto the NIA stage last night he remarked that there were a few more there than the last time he was in Birmingham.
Symphony Hall, the venue for his previous show, holds just over two thousand, but nearly twelve thousand braved the atrocious weather to support the former Blackpool car-mechanic in his national arena tour.
The format has changed slightly. Out have gone the lengthy introductions and impromptu guest spots, while much of the knockabout humour with his supporting musicians has also been curtailed.
What he offers now is an exceedingly slick and professional show, with a very accomplished accompaniment being provided by a four-piece rock group with supporting string and brass sections as well as keyboards and backing-singers.
There are still some questions about his choice of material. His programme drew heavily on his latest Storyteller album release, timed to coincide with the publishing of his autobiography,which takes some classic songs from the pop repertoire and delivers them with operatic panache.
Perhaps the Elvis Presley numbers didn't benefit from the big rock treatment, nor Bridge Over Troubled Water or Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood. But Sweet Angel and Righteous Way were delivered in some style.
However, it was his trio of Italian songs and, of course, Bring Him Home from his fantastic role as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables which demonstrated quite superbly the outstanding quality of his voice—all sung very simply with minimal accompaniment.
Gaffe of the night: as support act Emilia Mitiku left the stage after her first-half opening set Alfie Boe thanked her and said, "She's going to be huge."
Loud laughter from the audience reminded him that the singer is obviously in an advanced stage of pregnancy, though it took a few moments for the irony to dawn.
Jerald Smith
