OCEAN CITY – Sunday night, Vince Lee and the Ocean City Pops hosted Frankie Moreno for a program of Elvis music. Not an impersonator, instead Moreno injected his own personality and energy into music associated with Elvis.
He brought along his own pianist, who is also his arranger, Matt Podd, two backup singers, a drummer, and two guitarists in addition to his own guitar work.
The Pops Orchestra opened with the familiar trumpet call of “Thus Sprach Zarathustra” which was quickly interrupted by Moreno’s drummer for a high octane “Burning Love.” He completely won over the audience, interacting and tossing out stories and asides. By his second tune, “The Wonder of You,” he had the crowd singing along on “oh-oh-oh.”
While staying with the Elvis theme, the selections had amazing variety. “Always on My Mind” used piano with light orchestration and a brief trumpet interlude. In contrast, Moreno sat down at the piano himself and banged out a shouted “Great Balls of Fire”; again, the audience couldn’t resist joining in. After a gentle “Just Can’t Help Believin’” with a sweet interlude from the Pops Orchestra, he attacked his guitar for a vicious “Mystery Train” with pianist Podd interjecting on the accordion.
“Surrender,” he explained, was originally an Italian song. He sang from the piano with more accordion, the orchestra in European style, and solid vocals. “Moonlight Matinee” also shared the spotlight with the orchestra.
Moreno obviously enjoys these tracks and talked about learning them as a child from his musician father. Proving that he “knows all the Elvis songs,” he took suggestions from the audience. And then, in a tour-de-force from the piano, improvised excerpts from each of the called-out tunes with his fine back-up band and singers joining in. Maestro Vince Lee even went to the keyboard and connected to the improvisatory fun. Moreno made a particular point of complimenting Lee and the Pops Orchestra.
For a final ballad, “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” the audience lit their cell phones, swayed to the slow beat, and sang along on the refrain. The standing O brought an encore, “Suspicious Minds,” and the near-capacity crowd stayed on their feet like teens at a rock concert.
Broadway Bash last Wednesday
Last Wednesday, Maestro Vince Lee called the program “Broadway Bash.” Shannon Cochran, soprano, and David Gordon-Johnson, tenor, joined the Pops for 18 songs from 17 shows. Some highlights:
Shannon Cochran, who holds a doctorate in performance, displayed extended range and control. “Whatever Happened to My Part” (“Spamalot”) delightfully engaged the audience. She spoke of how her experiences had given her “a different perspective” as she introduced “So In Love” (“Kiss Me Kate”) with its rich low register and near-operatic high range. The equally charming “Much More” (“The Fantastics”) brought Vince Lee to the piano for a beautiful back and forth of those two talents.
David Gordon-Johnson enhanced his selections with fine diction. Whether it was “If I Can’t Have Her” (“Beauty & The Beast”) or the frantic patter of “Tonight at Eight” (“She Loves Me”), every word was clear and convincing. His choices included “76 Trombones” (“Music Man”) which also let the brass shine on several answers and interludes. His “Music of the Night” (“Phantom of the Opera”) offered the cellos their moment; his lovely sustained last note captured the feeling of the show.
The two sang together for, appropriately, “It Takes Two” (“Into the Woods”). They handled the very demanding “Move On” (“Sunday in the Park with George”)—as pointillistic as Seurat’s painting that inspired the show. It’s not a melody that the audience goes out humming. Their encore was “The Song That Goes Like This” (“Spamalot”), a self-parody of Broadway standard tunes, a spectacular high ending, and a solid conclusion for a showy evening.
The O.C. Pops are back this Sunday, July 21, featuring Scott Coulter and “Songs of Summer.”
– STORY and PHOTOS by RICHARD STANISLAW/For the Sentinel