I hadn’t seen Anthony in a solo concert for several years, so
to have him appear in Long Beach, about an hour’s drive from
where I live here in California, seemed like a small miracle.
The venue is cozy and modern, and my husband and I had front
row seats. We’re having a heat wave here, but fortunately the
theater was refreshingly cool from air conditioning.
Anthony and Patrick appeared onstage in their immaculate
white tie and tails, a green satin handkerchief peeping out of
Patrick’s coat pocket. Anthony’s hair, longer than usual, fell
over his forehead giving him an appealing new look. He was
in excellent voice! There was a microphone, but his voice is
so powerful, it was unnecessary. (This is only my little opinion,
but at small venues, I wish they would leave the microphones
in a closet and just let Anthony sing.) Here are the songs that
made up the varied and delightful program:
Anthony sang:
The Minstrel Boy
Meeting of the Waters
Kitty, My Love
Finniculi Finnicula
O Sole Mio (sung in Italian)
A German song, the English verse was “You are my heart’s delight”
The Old House
McBreen’s Heifer
Just a Song at Twilight
I’ll Be Seeing You
Because You’re Mine
How are Things in Glocca Morra?
The Impossible Dream
Galway Bay
Sally Gardens
Ave Maria
La Vie en Rose (sung in French and English)
A French song, the English verse was “Under the Bridges of Paris”
Friendship – a comic duet with Patrick, written by Patrick
Time to Say Goodbye (sung in Italian)
Danny Boy
Granada (sung in Spanish)
Patrick sang: The Nine Penny Fiddle and The Isle of Innisfree
The program well displayed Anthony’s incredible versatility,
from comic songs like McBreen’s Heifer, where he effortlessly
brings out all the humor with a playfulness in his voice and his
expressive face, to lovely classics like The Impossible Dream,
to showstoppers like Granada, where the sheer power in his
voice draws cheers and standing ovations from the audience.
I was also impressed with how cosmopolitan he’s become,
singing in French, Italian, German, Spanish and Latin (Ave Maria).
Over the years he’s also acquired a natural gracefulness in the
way he moves onstage and uses his hands; he seems totally
relaxed and focused on bringing the meaning of each song to
life, with no self-consciousness at all.
Watching him made me think of when I first saw him onstage
about a decade ago, at an Irish Tenors concert at the Greek
Theater. He was only in his late twenties then, and his voice
seemed “older” than he was. Now he has grown into his voice,
which is even more well-trained and beautiful. At the Greek,
I recall that he sang The Old House, especially the last verse:
“Why stand I here like a ghost and a shadow? It’s time I were
moving…it’s time I passed on.” He brought such poignancy to
those words, that two white haired men in the row in front of
me audibly sighed. At the time, I thought it remarkable that
such a young singer had the understanding and ability to
bring such weight to the song, that it could visibly affect older
men listening to him. When Anthony sang that song again last
night, I felt that same poignancy at the last line, and this time,
it was my husband, who is facing retirement soon, who sighed.
Time marches on for all of us. Yet Anthony and Patrick go on,
richly talented, charming and adorable as ever, like silver coins
who never tarnish but shine more brilliantly with each passing year.
Lori Herter
WEXFORD TOUR
CENTER THEATER
LONG BEACH PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
September 26, 2010
