Manoel Felciano Rocks!

[InTheRed]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 5:31pm

To whoever is going to see Manoel at Ars Nova tonight:

Details, people!
I need details!

Setlist, crowd info, apparel descriptions, the works!
All info greatly appreciated.

Thanks! You guys are awesome.

:)

[BroadwayChica]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 5:33pm

I'm goiiiiing!!! And yes, he does indeed rock. I'll try to post details when I get back. :)

[InTheRed]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 5:36pm

Thanks BC!

You're one lucky Chica!

[aspiringactress]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 10:47pm

I went and it was FABULOUS!!! My personal highlight was the Michael Cerveris appearance.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 10:49pm

Details, people.

[LeaGirl]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 10:51pm

Just got back... it's sort of all a blur and I'm not settled down yet.

BUT.

Sondheim was there.

Manoel sang a song with Michael Cerveris that Cerveris wrote - that REALLY made me want to buy Cerveris' CD. Really.

He sang "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" - U2 with Merle Dandridge... that was beautiful.

Melissa Erico is ADORABLE and it is escaping me what she sang with him... but they met in college and talked about that a bit.

He did a couple of numbers that he wrote himself and they were all excellent - including a "club dance" number - I had no idea you could make something like that work live, but he sure as hell did.

He sang Mariah Carey's 'Vision of Love' with Eden Espinosa - which was not only funny, but brilliant - and he said it was a guilty pleasure type dream of his to do it.

And now I'm drawing blanks but tomorrow morning I'll probably be able to run through the whole thing.

It was AMAZING and I wish I was going next week too... his voice is just so pure.


And I think he spilled his water on the stage... several times. He's so cute it makes me blush...

Updated On: 2/6/06 at 10:51 PM

[InTheRed]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 10:52pm

please sir, may I have some more
Updated On: 2/6/06 at 10:52 PM

[LeaGirl]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 10:54pm

Ok, my FAVORITE part was when he sang with Marya Grandy.

And I need somebody to help me out with what show that song was from - I'd never heard of the show or the song, but it was about seeing the sky for the first time and it was BEAUTIFUL.

And she blew me away, I love her voice.

Um... and for an encore he sang "No One is To Blame" and that was just... very moving for me. I know I'm not being very descriptive but I really don't know what to say at this point, it was TRULY wonderful.

Updated On: 2/6/06 at 10:54 PM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 10:55pm

He is so cute.

[Fantabulous428]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 10:57pm

Cute? Oh, yes.

[FrancisGumm]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 10:58pm

YAY thanks! broadwayChica where are you?! keep em coming people!

[aspiringactress]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 10:59pm

Either the show or the song was called "Hidden Sky" (or something along those lines maybe) and it was written by his musical director.

[LeaGirl]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 11:00pm

He had some members from his college a capella group there with him, and they did a little college style a capella and that was very sweet.

Played some clips of himself singing in an opera at age 10 - in French. Hysterical. He did the moves onstage while the audio played and that was very funny.

He did an impression of himself talking about how much musicals suck, and that he hates musicals, and wants to be a rockstar - and told a sweet story about someone (Hal Prince?) asking Melissa Erico who he was, and that he looked like Jesus and did he sing? And Melissa said he was wonderful and didn't mention that he wasn't an actor - at the audition for JCS they took a polaroid of him since he didn't have a headshot and he played the guitar and sang with his eyes closed.

And he sang the song that he auditioned with... which was....well now I'm forgetting everything, I should have written stuff down...

Updated On: 2/6/06 at 11:00 PM

[aspiringactress]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 11:01pm

Oh and at the end with him and the a capella friend and the beatles imperssion...it was priceless.

[FrancisGumm]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 11:02pm

that sounds wonderful! do they ever tape ars nova and sell it like seth's?

[forgetregret]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 11:03pm

Manoel has one of the most gorgeous voices I have EVER heard. The show was absolutely incredible.

The song he sang with Marya Grady WAS beautiful. It was from a musical that- I think anyway- was written by the pianist/musical director, Peter Foley. I forget the name of it, but the song was amazing. And that woman can BELT.

The whole night was amazing. Highlights for me were the song with Marya, Vision of Love with Eden, Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (a gorgeous arrangement) with Merle, and the encore, No One is to Blame.

Go next week if you can...he's beyond amazing.

EDIT: The song he auditioned for JCS with was Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic...sounded awesome. Updated On: 2/6/06 at 11:03 PM

[InTheRed]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 11:24pm

Note:

He auditioned for "Whistle Down The Wind", with the guitar and the Police song, not JCS, from what I understand. JCS came later...

But who cares!!!

NOW More Importantly:

- what did he wear?! :)

- how many people were there?

- how many musicians? good band?

Thanks!

:)

Updated On: 2/6/06 at 11:24 PM

[forgetregret]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 11:29pm

He wore...hmm a black T-shirt with something on it I couldn't really make out, with kind of a sport coat/pants set type thing. It was cute :)

Ars Nova apparently has 99 seats- it was full, so I'm guessing there were 99 people there. Notable people in the audience included Stephen Sondheim (as someone mentioned before), Benjamin Magnuson, and Alexander Gemignani (who accompanied Manoel on one of the songs).

The band was really good. I think there were about four guys on instruments and then two women singing backup.
Updated On: 2/7/06 at 11:29 PM

[FrancisGumm]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 11:29pm

and a list of who sang, what songs, was he solo or did he have back up (was he as good as manoel) and the band... there is no such thing as too much detail!! THANKS!

edit-xnay on the band (though if anyone else has more stuff to add, go ahead! and sorry ladies, not men. good?)

oh yes sorry one last thing- did they take pictures for broadwayworld or any site?

Updated On: 2/6/06 at 11:29 PM

[InTheRed]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 11:32pm

thanks forgetregeret

*visualizes*

:)

[Isabella2]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 11:51pm

::triple gasp:: i really should have gone!!!
::kicks myself::

[InTheRed]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 11:58pm

Isabella, can't believe you didn't go!

There's always next week, (which I also cannot attend - boo.)

Hope you make it. We need your reportage skills!

:)

Posted: 2/7/06 at 12:22am

He also sang George Michael's "Teacher (Just One More Try)"; "Midnight Train to Georgia" was also memorable.

And Sondheim was there with a woman but he does not have a "wife".

I did not see any photogs there.

Eden's face looked greenish - the greasepaint doesn't come off completely apparently.

Mano's sleeve buttons on his jacket were each a different color.

His dad was in the audience.

[InTheRed]

Posted: 2/7/06 at 12:26am

Cool!

Did anyone notice if he did any of his own songs??
Did he play guitar?

[BroadwayChica]

Posted: 2/7/06 at 12:30am

I just got back, and I'm too tired to give a detailed review right now. I DID take notes, so I'll post a complete songlist, and who sang what, etc.
The show was FANTASTIC. Mano was simply amazing. He was funny, he told many cute stories, sang many songs...He has an amazing voice. He played the guitar, and the violin (I think it was just one song with violin, though. He made a joke about having to be careful not to break the violin, or else it would be a VERY different Sweeney Todd)He looked damn sexy, and was incredibly gracious. I really liked the songs he wrote himself. One of the songs was written for a girl who was in the audience (he made a note of saying that)
He also recited a sonnet he wrote for the opening night of Sweeney Todd, which was HILARIOUS. I wish I could remember it, but it ended with "F*CKing Sweeney Todd!" He also said he knew he wanted to end with "Sweeney Todd", but didn't want to rhyme that with any of the words Sondheim had used in the musical. So he went with "pod"
The Beatles parody he sang with an old classmate was so funny. Mano did a spot on Lennon, and the other guy was McCartney. It was basically the idea that the Lennon parts were very dark, and pessimistic, and the McCartney parts were upbeat. God, that was funny. Those 2 really cracked me up.
Michael Cerveris was wearing this fuschia tie, and he told Mano:"I wore this tie for you". They sang a song from Dog Eared which was FANTASTIC.
Mano forgot to introduce Alexander Gemignani, so when the song had started, Alexander just came rushing up the stage with his trumpet, and Mano had to go: "Oh! Right! Alexander Gemignani". We all cracked up at that.
After the show, Mano just hung out in the lobby with everyone. He was really cool, and approachable.

I'm going to Monday's show as well

Updated On: 4/26/06 at 12:30 AM