Enchanting Solo Show from Jessica Vosk at The Noorda Center

OREM  —  Something has changed within Orem; something is not the same. Jessica Vosk came to town, raved about the banana bread at local eatery Communal, went up such and such a canyon where she saw men fishing for trout in a river, and, in her own words, “dipped my feet in the river and have now been healed.” All of this prepared her to blow the doors right off of the concert hall Saturday night at UVU’s Noorda Center as part of The Noorda Series, and she did just that.

With her opening number of “When I Meet the Wizard” from Wicked Vosk immediately gripped an audience ready to hear her legendary belt. The sound came naturally as she had used it many times in the role of Elphaba on Broadway. The attendees in the hall sang along with this first song, and when she delivered the powerful finishing notes, she told the audience. “I wanted to start off in a good place, but it’s all downhill from here.”  She then told the story of NBC filming the 15th anniversary edition of Wicked on Broadway with stars such as Ariana Grande and Pentatonix in the audience. Vosk related on that night, when Elphaba releases the flying monkeys Vosk recounted tripping over her 40-pound dress, being unable to get up. Fom her sprawling position on the floor she simply urged, “Fly my monkeys!” This story was complete with her physically enacting it – an impressive feat itself in stilettos at least 3 inches tall, but made more impressive knowing she’s four weeks removed from back surgery.

The show did not go downhill from there. The night continued with power ballads from modern Broadway standards like Rent, Dear Evan Hansen and Waitress, as well as Vosk performing Adele’s “Send My Love” with UVU’s choir and a “Suddenly Seymour” duet with UVU student KC Johnson. In between numbers, fans were given insight into Vosk’s engagement with a series of new projects, including a musical she calls “California Dreamin’” exploring the history of artists like Joni Mitchell and The Eagles who came out of Laurel Canyon.

Jessica Vosk performed at The Noorda Center for The Arts on September 21. | Photo Credit: Scott Savage

Throughout, Vosk had stories that tied in with each number. Her relatability in explaining that she misunderstood the first line of “Waving Through a Window” to be, “I’ve learned to stand on the brink” instead of “I’ve learned to slam on the brake” was humanizing. She shared personal stories about her parents’ displeasure that she was leaving a lucrative finance job to pursue her dreams of being a Broadway performer. One particularly sweet anecdote was about how her solo show a year ago in a zip code she called “Scooby Dooby Doo 33” led her from a dating app simply seeking someone to make out with to find the long-standing relationship of her last year. That relationship was fueled then by her singing an exceptional version of “Nobody’s Side” from the musical Chess, and she sang it Saturday as well.

Pop was infused in the show starting with her medley of Joni Mitchell’s “Love Has No Pride” and “Somethin’ To Talk About”. Vosk covered Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” and orchestrated a surprisingly in-tune audience chorus. She was such a profound hit that audiences begged for not one, but two encores and Vosk obliged – sans high heels – to much adulation and an expressed wish to be back in Orem again soon. While I secretly hoped she would grace the concert hall crowd with Defying Gravity as she had alluded to the song being daunting to her more than once in the show, I left thrilled with having a night filled with so much laughter and musical prowess. Vosk is a virtuoso solo performer and her show was a stellar addition to a strong Noorda Series slate.