David Campbell’s On Broadway tour rolled into Perth last night to prove once again that when it comes to all round performers, there are very few in the league of David Campbell.
In an age where it seems that almost every second song on the radio is using electronics to create vocals that no longer sound remotely human, it’s refreshing to experience a performance that showcases the pure power and beauty of the human voice. You don’t need a ‘vocoder’ to play photoshop with a voice as good as Campbell’s. His performance was remarkable, combining incredible energy, timing, power and flawless delivery of each and every note. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a concert before where I’ve wanted to leap out of my seat to give a standing ovation after each and every song.
The orchestra didn’t miss a beat as it provided the perfect landscape for every song, from the subtle beauty of Bring Him Home from Les Miserables to the big band sound of the Guys and Dolls classic, Luck Be a Lady. The show started with a stunning version of Oh What a Beautiful Mornin’ and then carried us through a journey of Broadway classics and even a couple of songs destined for greatness on one of the world’s most famous streets.
If the superb musical feast wasn’t enough, Campbell kept the audience in the palm of his hand as he recounted stories surrounding the recording of the album through to his association with some of the music world’s greatest and most famous players. His humour between songs and his ability to become the character behind each number as soon as the orchestra played the opening notes had the audience on an amazing rollercoaster of emotion throughout.
While the experience of hearing him live can’t be truly captured on CD, I’d encourage you to grab a copy of On Broadway to experience some of the magic that David Campbell brings to some of Broadway’s most loved songs.
David Campbell is one of Australia’s most popular entertainers. A multi-platinum selling recording artist, Campbell has featured on TV, starred in theatre and cabaret, recorded three Top Ten albums, and sold out concert tours from coast to coast. He has a unique legacy as not just one of Australia’s leading musical theatre stars, but also one of the few local performers to have achieved similar success in New York.
Born and raised in Adelaide, David was drawn to the performing arts – initially as an actor. He was performing at the STC and Sydney Opera House by the age of 22, and in 1997 starred in a major revival of Les Miserables in Sydney. Shortly after this, Campbell moved to New York, where his downtown cabaret show attracted major crowds. Due to what Time Out New York described as “the biggest buzz since Barbra Streisand”, Campbell moved his show to the iconic cabaret room Rainbow & Stars, becoming the youngest performer ever to headline the venue.
Campbell’s latest album ‘On Broadway’ sees him interpreting a host of beloved musical theatre songs on record for the first time. The album combines songs from hit shows in which he has starred (Les Miserables, Company, Guys & Dolls, Carousel) with songs from other hit musicals (Oklahoma!, Hello, Dolly!, Chicago, On The Town), and even a world premiere recording from a forthcoming show by Hairspray writers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman – David Campbell bio.
If the concert wasn’t thrilling enough, our family spent a few moments with David Campbell after the concert as he gave generously of his time and attention to dozens of fans in the foyer of the Perth Concert Hall. He immediately recognised Pauline from Facebook and was thrilled to hear that the information Emily received from him helped James to an A for his school project on his favourite singer.
I’ve interviewed him a couple of times via phone in the past so it was wonderful to finally meet David face to face.
He was a family favourite even before last night but I get the feeling there’ll be a lot more of Mr Campbell’s music ringing through our home in the coming months.
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Bruce Kuhn has performed on Broadway in Les Misérables, and has toured with shows such as the highly acclaimed Chess. He’s also been D’Artagnan in The Three Musketeers and Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 
