Broadway and West End actress Sierra Boggess charmed a full house of enthusiastic
concertgoers on Friday, March 29, during a performance held at The Noorda. The memorable
evening was among a weeklong series of events celebrating the inauguration of UVU
President Astrid S. Tuminez and the opening of the Noorda Center for the Performing
Arts.
Boggess began the evening with an energetic rendition of "If I Were a Bell" from "Guys
and Dolls." She gratefully acknowledged the warm welcome she had received in Utah,
and was especially impressed by the circle of mountains — "a mountain hug" — which,
as a native of Denver, made her feel "right at home." Her warm and comedic personality
resonated throughout the performance, punctuating the lyrical pieces she is most famous
for.
She showcased her famous vocal range by singing, "All I Ask of You," from "The Phantom
of the Opera," in English, French, and Japanese. She continued wowing the crowd with
songs from Disney's "The Little Mermaid," in which she made her Broadway debut as
Ariel. The audience was so engaged with Boggess that at one point in the evening,
she had everyone loudly singing, "I Could've Danced All Night," from "My Fair Lady."
She spoke of being vulnerable as a performer and had the audience recite "You are
enough, you are so enough, it’s unbelievable how enough you are!" It's the same message
she shared with UVU students during a masterclass the day before. Through a series
of poems about nature and self-worth, Boggess encouraged attendees to realize their
unique value and not to try to aspire to be someone else, but to simply embrace their
own talents.
Boggess shared the story of singing for Queen Elizabeth on the queen's birthday at
Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber's castle in England. Her surreal tale included lively excerpts
from "If They Could See Me Now" from "Sweet Charity" juxtaposed with her comedic insight
into her anxiety about the protocol of performing for Her Majesty.
She was accompanied by her sister, cellist Summer Boggess, and her brother-in-law,
pianist and musical director Brian Hertz. In an especially poignant moment, Sierra
Boggess read love letters written by their grandmother to her grandfather during World
War ll. The sweet words from the family treasures were followed by "You'll Never Know
How Much I Love You."
Other highlights of the evening included songs from "Love Never Dies," "The Secret
Garden," and "Ever After."
Prior to the Sierra Boggess concert, the audience was treated to highly talented young
singers from Utah's One Voice Children's Choir who performed numbers from "The Greatest
Showman" and "Dear Evan Hansen."
You are enough, you are so enough, it's unbelievable how enough you are!
