Vanessa Williams – Photo by Tom Alvarez
Singer-actor Vanessa Williams lit up the Palladium stage with the talent and charisma that earned her the Miss America title in 1984, and the distinction of being the first Black woman to wear the crown. Wowing the audience with her infectious showmanship, Williams held court on Friday evening.
Accompanying lyric mezzo-soprano Williams was a band of exemplary musicians, whom she said have played with her for years. They included her music director Leo Colon on piano, Keith Robinson on guitar, bassist Alsamad Caldwell, and Edward “J.T.” Lewis on drums. Also joining her was soprano Shelley Thomas, a backup singer.
Performing a 90-minute set sans intermission, the still youthful-looking 59-year-old Williams’s program included a mix of songs from her albums, Broadway tunes, and several of her signature songs.
Commencing with a slow start, Williams opened with two rather nondescript tunes, “Peel Me a Grape,” and “Comfort Zone.” It wasn’t until she sang one of her hits, “Dreamin’,” that she began to hit her stride and pick up the concert’s momentum.
Highlights of what was ultimately an entertaining concert were “Colors of the Wind” from the animated film “Pocahontas,” “Stormy Weather,” made famous by Lena Horne, and a medley that included “Any Place I Hang My Hat is Home” and “Come Rain or Come Shine,” two Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer songs she sang in the musical “St. Louis Woman.”
Sprinkled throughout her show were stories and anecdotes detailing her successful career following the scandal that erupted when she was relieved of her Miss America title as a result of nude photos of her that leaked toward the end of her reign. It is to Williams’s credit that she never allowed the humiliating incident to define her.
Songs that stood out during the second half of Williams’ performance were her rendition of “Bill” from Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein’s “Showboat,” Sondheim’s “Losing My Mind” from “Follies,” and “Save the Best for Last,” another of Williams’s hit songs, written in 1992.
Charming and engaging throughout the concert, Williams was the epitome of a seasoned entertainer. Possessing beauty, intellect and talent, she thoroughly connected with an audience that was obviously receptive of all she and her first-rate band had to offer. By virtue of her compelling stage presence, Williams demonstrated that with or without a beauty-queen title, she carries herself like showbusiness royalty.
