F. J. Hartland

Pittsburgh CLO continues its 2011 summer season with a revue—Love Changes Everything: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Weber.

Utilizing four main singers (Liz Callaway, Frank D’Ambrosio, Kevin Kern and Laurie Gayle Stephenson) and an ensemble of eight, Weber fans will be delighted as the show is loaded with hits from shows, such as Sunset Boulevard, Evita, Cats…and perhaps a little too much Starlight Express and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. 

Lesser known shows are also highlighted such as The Beautiful Game, Whistle Down the Wind and The Woman in White.  It was refreshing to hear them and made me interested in hearing more of those shows.

The evening opens with a prologue called Love Trio which features the title tune combined with two other love songs (including the “Unexpected Song” from Song and Dance which gets a short-shrift in the show as I was hoping to hear my favorite Weber ballad “Tell Me on a Sunday.”)  Had the production done more of these “mash-ups” I think it would’ve made for a more entertaining evening.

The title of the revue is a little misleading as I thought it would be an evening of love songs, but it’s not (for example “Jellicle Ball” from Cats and the title song from Jesus Christ Superstar).  In fact nothing really holds the evening together except for the fact the composer is the same for all the numbers.

And as a revue, it’s almost too small to fill the massive Benedum Center.

It was a thrill to have the orchestra out of the pit on stage.  Under the baton of Frank Ostrowski, the musicians give the show a lush sound and feel.

Kern, Callaway and Stephenson are powerful vocalists.  Kern’s voice is pure and beautiful.  Callaway shines doing “You Must Love Me” from Evita and “As If We Never Said Goodbye” from Sunset Boulevard.  (Sadly though, her microphone had a crackle in it that was very distracting).  And Stephenson soars with “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina” and “Wishing.”

D’Ambrosio also has an amazing voice, but perhaps because he played the title role in The Phantom of the Opera for so long on Broadway, he plays ALL his numbers in this revue like the Phantom.  It doesn’t always work.

If you love any of Weber’s shows, this revue is a real treat.

And if you don’t like Weber, here is an anecdote you’ll love: Weber once said to Cole Porter, “Why is it people take an instant dislike to me?”  Porter replied, “Because it saves so much time.”