After a rainy June afternoon gave way to a clear, pleasant evening, concertgoers headed to the Charleen & Charles Hinson Theatre in New Albany for a summer show featuring Waitress actor, Joshua Henry, and the world-renowned Columbus Symphony Orchestra.
Maisie Fitzmaurice
As orchestra members tuned their instruments ahead of the performance, casual conversation filled the table seating area and the lawn. However, once Joshua Henry and his band hit the stage the crowd’s attention was immediately grabbed by his infectious energy - the kind of energy only a Broadway performer could cast.
The New Albany Community Foundation’s summer concert kicked off with George Gerwin’s “Summertime,” as Henry encouraged the crowd to clap along, doing a little bit of stomping and clapping on stage himself.
Through the song choices, concertgoers experienced a blast from the past. Henry began first with some 60s and 70s classics before moving to the 80s and beyond.
Each transition from song to song was smooth and kept the audience’s attention. He iterated his appreciation for musicians including James Brown and John Legend and continued to interact with audience members, sharing jokes. He mentions that with the number of couples in the audience, “you would have thought it was Valentine’s Day.”
“The weather – God blocked it – as my mama would say,” he remarked with a grin, leading right into “Heard it Through the Grapevine.”
His impeccable vocals were noticeable right away and the gorgeous amphitheater’s acoustics added to the magic of the evening.
Maisie Fitzmaurice
The orchestra never missed a beat and showed effortless vibrato that echoed off the wooden amphitheater walls. The musicians, especially the keyboardist and guitarist, impressed the audience with exciting solos.
He seemed to connect physically with the ensemble, moving and jerking to each beat, feet floating across the stage, talking – or rather – singing, with his hands.
Moreover, if the concertgoers had never heard of or witnessed “stank face” they certainly have now.
The stank face refers to the scrunching facial expression one makes when smelling something bad. Sometimes the expression is shown when something is indulgent or pleasurable, as was the case with Henry when his band and the orchestra were jamming between vocals.
“Don’t smile away the stank face,” he says.
In my opinion, one of the most impressive aspects of the performance included Henry blowing out of his mouth to create a sort of acapella trumpet tune that really did sound like the brass instrument.
Maisie Fitzmaurice is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mfitzmaurice@cityscenemediagroup.com.
