John Foreman has been leading variations of the annual New Year’s Eve Gala Concerts tradition on several occasions in Melbourne since 2012 at the iconic performing arts venue Hamer Hall, making a triumphant return to see out 2024.
The 2024 Gala Concert provided a joyous atmosphere, much akin to Carols by Candlelight, for which John Foreman is also the Musical Director. A treasured icon of Australia’s live music and television industries for many year, Foreman brings a welcoming feel and humorous spark to all events that he is involved in.
This year’s special vocalist performers consisted of the well-loved Paulini, internationally renowned Josh Piterman, and the ever iconic Silvie Paladino.
The concert which I attended on the day before New Year’s Eve, began with the triumphant sounding composition of ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’ by Richard Strauss, followed by George Gershwin’s upbeat ‘I Got Rhythm’, setting the tone for the rest of the evening.
Paulini brought the energy, encouraging the whole audience to clap and sing along with her, as she delivered stellar performances of popular hits such as Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’, Tina Turner’s ‘The Best’, and another Whitney Houston classic, ‘I Have Nothing’. She also revisited her School Spectacular roots, where she first came across Foreman, by performing West Side Story’s ‘Somewhere’.
Josh Piterman lent his powerful voice to songs from some of his most famous musical theatre performances, including Les Misérables’ ‘Bring Him Home’, Phantom of the Opera’s ‘Music of the Night’, and from his very first musical West Side Story, ‘Tonight’. It was evident why Piterman has been internationally-sought for some of these roles, with a commanding vocal and emotional presence felt through throughout the whole Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall venue. Piterman also brought some fun in beginning his performance of ‘Granada’ with a rose in his teeth and some cheesy winks, before tossing it back to Foreman.
Silvie Paladino showed us once again why she has been such a mainstay in Australian theatre and live music. She treated the Melbourne audience to a powerful performance of ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ from Les Misérables, plus with her more recent well-earned role of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard, we were gifted with renditions of ‘As If We Never Said Goodbye’ and ‘With One Look’, and the moving ‘Anthem’ from Chess. Silvie Paladino’s strong voice and gentle demeanour endeared her performances with deep and personal connections to each song she chose to share with us.
The lighting throughout the concert complemented each piece of music aptly and filled the space with colour. The Dana Jolly Dancers also provided visual spectacle throughout the concert, showcasing a variety of dance styles and costumes to expand the visual stage presence of several pieces.
Supporting our special guest vocalists was John Foreman’s Australian Pops Orchestra, providing a full and big sound for the lyrical songs. Throughout the concert, there was also interspersed the more classical instrumental pieces. Foreman has a reputation from ingeniously bridging the gap between the world of pop and orchestral music, with the gala concerts being no exception.
By providing little extra titbits of information to introduce pieces, or by reminding the audience that they are free to imagine and interpret each piece of music how they see fit (like any art), but also giving some prompts of what some visuals might be associated with the music (for example, a sparkling garden for ‘Waltz of the Flowers’), Foreman helps the entire audience connect to the music, no matter what their past level of interest in pop or classical music might be. A true gift.
The gala concert’s repertoire was the perfect balance between the various styles and performance types. Aside from the solo performances, our vocalists also performed several duets and group numbers. Act 2 began with ‘The Liberty Bell March’, Foreman stating it was a selection chosen by Chat GPT! It fit in well with the rest of the (we assume) human-chosen program.
Closing out with moving renditions of Andrea Bocelli and Céline Dion’s ‘The Prayer’ and Bocelli’s ‘Time to Say Goodbye (Con te partirò)’, featuring all performers, and a mix of Italian and English lyrics. There just was time for a few more encore tunes, including the essential piece of any new year’s celebratory performance, ‘Auld Lang Syne’.
John Foreman’s Australian Pops Orchestra: New Year’s Eve & The Day Before Gala Concerts for 2024 was an evening of reflection, joy, inspiration, and hope going into the new year. It was a wonderful way to celebrate one more trip around the sun! I’ll sure be looking forward to next year’s event.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://apoconcerts.com
https://www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/whats-on/2024/seasons/apo/new-years-eve-gala-concerts
Photography by Heidi Victoria.
