The First Methodist Church in Conroe was lit up like a Broadway Stage this past Saturday afternoon, as the Conroe Symphony Orchestra welcomed Broadway star Sal Viviano to the stage as the CSO and the singer teamed up to present ‘The Best of Broadway,’ with songs from the best of the best of past Broadway shows. Viviano has performed in Conroe numerous times before dating back to the CSO’s time at the Crighton Theater and its founding in 1997, when he worked with Dr. Aline Arnold, and her son Tex. As CSO President Bill Thompson described, by attending the concert, you saved thousands in airfare, hotels, cab rides, and show tickets, just by catching Viviano’s act. Sal is a man well versed with Broadway having first appeared on-stage over 40 years ago. He was accompanied by his pianist and great friend Jimmy Roberts, who himself is a well-known composer on Broadway, television, and children’s musicals, as well as being a published poet. The Conroe Symphony Orchestra was in great form for their fourth concert of the 2024-2025 Season, and Conductor Gary Liebst was excited to be working with Viviano for the first time. The Broadway classics played from the 1930’s to the 1980’s are just as meaningful today, as when they were performed back in the day.
Conductor Gary Liebst, as usual, started the concert off with our national anthem, ‘The Star Spangled Banner,’ and it was wonderful to hear the chorus of the audience, which was just as vibrant as the music coming from the instruments. The orchestra started the afternoon’s musical journey with the appropriately titled score, ‘Curtain Up!,’ arranged by Bob Krogstad, which showcased favorites from several show favorites from throughout the years, such as ‘There’s No Business like Show Business,’ from the 1946 musical ‘Annie Get Your Gun,’ and ‘Phantom of the Opera,’ from the 1986 Andrew Lloyd Webber musical of the same name. Liebst then introduced Vivano to great applause.
Sal started the fun off with ‘Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin’’ from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ‘Oklahoma,’ from 1944. Almost immediately the entire room was filled to the rafters with Viviano’s vocals, and the audience was wondering where he was, entering from the rear of the sanctuary. Sal gave a little history of each song, from Broadway hits such as My Fair Lady’s ‘On The Street Where You Live,’ Funny Girl’s ‘People,’ and’ Bells are Ringing’s ‘Just in Time.’ ‘Bring Him Home,’ the Claude-Michel Schonberg/Alain Boubil song from Les Miserables, 1985, sometimes called ‘The Prayer,’ was the most touching of the afternoon, being a song of hope and sacrifice. The CSO was a perfect accompaniment to Viviano’s voice, and as Bill Thompson said, “they make a perfect pairing.”
Following the intermission, Conductor Liebst struck up the band with ‘The Music Man Selections,’ arranged by Meredith Wilson, which included such favorites as the ‘The Wells Fargo Wagon,’ and ‘Seventy Six Trombones,’ with the CSO trombones and horns hard at work. Sal Viviano’s rendition of ‘Willkommen,’ from Cabaret, 1966, arranged by John Kander/Fred Ebb, which perfectly captured The Emcee’s manner in song. Another song that rang true was ‘If I Only Had a Heart/Brain,’ a tune cut from the 1937 production of Hooray For What, but another version was later used for ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ Viviano sang a song about a show about a chandelier called ‘Music of the Night,’ from 1986’s The Phantom of the Opera, the masterpiece of Andrew Lloyd Webber. The Conroe Symphony Orchestra work in support of Sal Viviano was remarkable, and played to the heart of each piece.
The next concert is ‘Celebrate America,’ to be performed on June 28th, and is Free admission.
The CSO website is: conroesymphony.org Please consider donating to this wonderful organization.
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