Dream With Me BY Jackie Evancho

I recall the chills I got when I first heard the 11-year-old Michael Jackson sing "I Want You Back." Here was a performer with all of the soul, talent, and musical feeling of an adult in the body of a child.

I have a similar thrill every time I listen to the angelic Jackie Evancho, a young prodigy with unlimited potential in both the classical and popular genres. Regardless of how many times I've seen her television debut on "America's Got Talent" or her performances on YouTube, whether she's singing "Silent Night" with the Canadian Tenors or "The Star-Spangled Banner" a cappella at a hockey stadium in her hometown of Pittsburgh, I still shake my head in amazement.

Watch the video from the Great Performances special "Dream with Me in Concert." Premiering this month on PBS, it's Jackie's first solo concert, featuring full orchestra and chorus with producer-arranger David Foster at the piano. Try not to be stunned by the perfect poise and preternatural professionalism of this 11-year-old lyric soprano as she covers Sarah McLachlan's song "Angel." She's only been singing for three years, yet it's clear that Jackie not only feels the music coursing through her; she comprehends every technical aspect of its production and understands how to make it seem effortless.

All the songs on "Dream with Me," Jackie's first full-length album, have the same power and purity as "Angel." I take special pleasure in the way she sings opera arias like "Nessun Dorma" (from Puccini's "Turandot"), "O Mio Babbino Caro" (from Puccini's "Gianni Schicchi"), and "Ombra Mai Fu" (from Handel's "Serse"). She demonstrates flawless diction and phrasing, an astoundingly mature tone, and pitch-perfect vibrato.

Yet Jackie's pop performances of "When You Wish Upon a Star" (from "Pinocchio"), "All I Ask of You" (from "Phantom of the Opera"), and "Lovers" (from "House of Flying Daggers") are just as enjoyable. And she co-wrote the album's title song! As a bonus, two renowned guests who know something about singing and appreciate talent when they hear it join Jackie in duets: Barbra Streisand on "Somewhere" and Susan Boyle on "A Mother's Prayer."

Jackie is blessed with loving parents and professional advisers who have allowed her to discover her gift and pursue her dreams, yet retain her childish joy and enthusiasm for music. She doesn't know how to feign happiness or put on the airs of a diva. She is who she is: an international phenomenon in the form of a darling little girl who is having the time of her life and only wants you to enjoy it, too. And millions of people like me can't help but respond to her radiant smile and perpetually sunny personality by falling in love with her and her miraculous voice.

An exclusive edition of "Dream With Me" with four additional tracks is available at Target stores. The songs are "Someday," "The Impossible Dream," "A Time For Us," and "Mi Mancherai" (the theme from the Italian film "Il Postino"). But if you want this CD, run, don't walk, as it will sell out in a heartbeat.

The Book of Mormon Review

THE BOOK OF MORMON

I really didn't have too high of expectations coming into this production; all I really knew beforehand was that this was the cast recording of a musical based on The Book of Mormon that the creators of South Park were involved with. I had mixed initial thoughts as, while I think South Park has some incredible writing and is a brilliant social satire, I never really cared for most of the musical interludes included and assumed this would be along the same lines (and I also recently watched `Cannibal! The Musical' which lowered my expectations even more). But after listening to this in its entirety I was completely blown away, and even began searching the internet for tickets immediately afterwards (I haven't seen the production yet but I'd love to and will definitely see it eventually).

The writing, the singing, the characters, the story, and the theme overall is absolutely brilliant. From some initial feedback I heard I thought that this production could be a bit juvenile, like some sort of vaguely masked attack against Mormonism / religion in general, but I was incredibly surprised when I found the complete opposite to be true. Yes, there are scenes that poke fun of some of the more questionable aspects of Mormonism, but these same hard-to-really-believable facts are present in all religions, which ends up strengthening the theme with universal appeal. And instead of focusing the theme squarely on the trivial oddities of Mormonism, the play actually focuses on the deeper meaning of religion in general, of how the important meaning isn't in the technical details (like how Joseph Smith received the gold tablets, etc.) but instead how religion can be used as a powerful tool to bring people together, give people hope and contribute to a positive outlook when life seems overwhelming.

Therefore, I'm really (well, I guess not really, unfortunately) surprised by the number of people that have taken offense to this production. It does contain coarse language and vulgar content at times, but never in any way that's unfair, adversarial, or mean-spirited. But for those who were offended, I mean, what did you really expect? Did you think that this was actually a serious documentary based on Mormonism? Did you overlook the explicit content advisory on the CD cover? And if you saw the play, did you really throw down at least three hundred dollars a ticket to attend a show you knew nothing about? Going back to the earlier South Park reference, I guess that would be fair analogy for the level of offensiveness: if South Park offends you then this will probably offend you as well.

But if you take this in with an open mind, you'll really see that this play has a huge heart and actually manages to create a beautiful, positive examination of religion in general, all while being extremely hilarious and uncompromising in its focus; truly an impressive feat, highly recommended.

taken from amazon reviews by MP Perspective