Not sure why they decided to change the concert & make it free after Queen Latifa cancelled. They are still doing their free annual Canada Day concert tonight. No idea how ticket sales were for Latifa.
Anyways, I only heard about the change by chance on the car radio yesterday morning. For rock concerts, where everyone is standing & they don't allow lawn chairs, Deer Lake Park holds about 10,000. Last night the park looked full, but everyone was on chairs they brought or blankets - no one standing - with comfortable spacing instead of being crammed like at rock concerts. The far parking lots were also empty, unlike at sold out rock concerts. So I'm guessing only maybe 5/6,000 people. Lots of families with kids out picnicing for a free show, many who didn't seem to know what they were there to see. I only got there at about 7, so was at about middle of the lawn. From sounds from the front later, die hards must have set up a few hours earlier.
The symphony played a few Bernstein pieces first with the regular conductor; & hearing the West Side Story Suite really made me ache to see a well sung production. Hopefully, no matter what concept the upcoming NY production has, they cast good singers.
After an intermission to move chairs about, Peters came on with her own conductor. I imagine she did the same show she does on tour. It was wonderful, she was charming, her voice is still great, she did almost everything you would want her to sing. Some highlights for me were No One is Alone, Children Will Listen, Send in the Clowns, & Being Alive. She did some fund stuff from South Pacific & Carousel, Fever - the Peggy Lee song - & a long bit with dialogue & scenes from Hello Dolly. It was wonderful, though unfortunately there were a lot of people who were there just because it was free & didn't really appreciate what they were getting - like people chatting through it all, familes who were leaving once the sun set & it got cooler (though I won't fault those with small children).
I just tried to tune everything else out & enjoyed a splendid evening, an unexpected gift.
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Updated On: 6/30/19 at 11:30 AM