Maestros in Concert: Jack & Enrico – Courtesy of Tom Russo. Used with permission.
I was so completly immersed in the exceptional music, vocals, and atmosphere enhanced by the audience’s electric energy at the Maestros: Jack & Enrico Pops concert, presented by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, that I couldn’t help be reminded just how thrilling and vibrant live performance can be. I witnessed the rare event Friday.
Mandy Gonzalez in Maestros in Concert: Jack & Enrico – Courtesy of Tom Russo. Used with permission.
The highly entertaining concert, held at the venerable Hilbert Circle Theatre, featured ISO music director Jack Everly and his successor, Enrico Lopez-Yañez, to whom he is passing on the baton commencing with the 2025-2026 Pops season. Adding to the singularity of the concert, among the best I have seen during my many years of covering the ISO, was the spectacular guest performance of Broadway luminary Mandy Gonzalez.
The premise of the concert was a tongue-in-cheek rivalry between Everly and Lopez-Yañez. Everly, who made at least six costume changes throughout the show, wore a variety of glitzy , sequined tux jackets of different colors, a sight gag in which he constantly upstages the youthful, energetic Lopez-Yañez, throwing darts that were laced with deadpan sarcasm. Lopez-Yanyez got in his digs with passive-aggressive comments of his own. However, though it was all in good fun, the recurring bit with its negative “mean girl” connotation wore thin by the second act.
L-R Jack Everly & Enrico-Lopez -Yañez, Maestros in Concert: Jack & Enrico – Courtesy of Tom Russo. Used with permission.
The variety-filled concert, which consisted of a curated mix of classics and pop, interpreted by the versatile ISO, began with a medley in which the two gifted conductors took turns leading the musicians in a lively, staged competition. Everly’s marvelous arrangement included everything from Beethoven’s Fifth to Barber of Seville, from Duel of the Fates to West Side Story.
Highlights included Gonzalez’s show-stopping performance of As If We Never Said Goodbye from Sunset Boulevard. A quintessential Broadway vocalist, Gonzalez, who knows how to connect with an audience, showed off her range, technique, and belting skills, all the while projecting a formidable stage presence.
Another singular moment in the concert occurred when Lopez-Yañez, accompanied by Everly on the piano, performed a solo on the flugelhorn during an instrumental of “Love Story.” Each conductor displayed impeccable artstry and technique whille playing their respective instruments. Their renditon literally gave me chills.
Reprising her stunning medley of Let it Go from Frozen and Winter from Vivaldi’s 4 Seasons, which brought down the house during last year’s Yuletide Celebration, was ISO violinist Sherry Hong.
Adding a nostalgic delight to the proceedings for a primarily senior audience, including yours truly, was the Baby Boomer (those born between 1946 and 1964) Prelude, another superb arrangement by Everly. A delightful medley of classic hits, it included everything from music by the Beatles to “Downtown,” made famous by Petula Clark.
For tickets and information about the remaining 2024-2025 ISO season, visit indianapolissymphony.org
