Josh Groban, Idina Menzel powerhouse vocals sell out Vivint Arena
Josh Groban performs Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City.
Idina Menzel performs Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City. Menzel's Christmas album, "Christmas: A Season of Love," is poised to become a holiday favorite.
Josh Groban performs Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City.
Josh Groban performs Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City.
Josh Groban performs Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City.
Josh Groban performs Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City.
Josh Groban performs Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City.
Josh Groban performs Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City.
Idina Menzel performs Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City.
Idina Menzel performs Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City.
Idina Menzel performs Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City.
Idina Menzel performs Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City.
Josh Groban’s “Bridges” tour stop at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City was nostalgic for the singer, as it marked a return to the first arena he ever played in his career.
“This was a place that welcomed me,” Groban told the crowd. “To be back here again … and you’ve sold out the place, Salt Lake City. You’ve come out here and you’ve supported us and you’ve brought us here again and again and again, and we love you so, so very much, so thank you for a world of memories in my career, and it’s always an esteemed pleasure and an honor to come back here and play for you.”
Fans young and old packed the venue from top to bottom, from a newborn baby Groban spotted in the audience to a couple that indicated they had been married for 48 years when the singer asked if anyone had been together for more than 10 years.
The full house enjoyed more than three hours of music from Groban and his “very special guest,” Idina Menzel, both of whom received multiple standing ovations throughout the night.
Groban expressed during the concert a lot has happened since the last time he was in Salt Lake City. He talked about how in the last couple of years he recorded and released his latest “Bridges” album, performed on Broadway in “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,” hosted the Tony Awards with Sara Bareilles, grew a long beard, and starred in Netflix’s “The Good Cop.”
“I had an amazing time, but they made me shave the beard because it is detective protocol to be clean-shaven and I combed my hair like I used to do in sixth grade and I played Detective Tony Caruso Jr., goody two shoes, rule-abiding, infraction-giving homicide detective,” Groban said of his role on “The Good Cop.” “I missed the beard. I haven’t had a beard my whole life, and I have one now because I like having a place to keep snacks and coins.”
Groban’s witty banter kept the audience smiling throughout the concert between performances of several songs from his new album, like “Bigger Than Us” and “Won’t Look Back,” intermixed with a few hits from his previous albums, including “You Are Loved” and “You Raise Me Up,” backed by the Salt Lake City Festival Orchestra and a choir from Southern Utah University.
He also emphasized the importance of education and respecting others, announcing proceeds from his “Bridges” album will go to the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services and Artists Striving to End Poverty.
Groban’s beautiful tone and uplifting messages created musical perfection with each moment from the first downbeat of every song.
Fans cheered when Groban took a smaller stage near the back of the arena about halfway through his set and sat down at a piano to perform a heartfelt cover of Billy Joel’s “She’s Always a Woman.” Menzel then joined Groban on the smaller stage to perform two duets: “Lullaby” and “Falling Slowly.”
Groban then sang a cover of the classic “Les Misérables” ballad “Bring Him Home,” which provoked a standing ovation, after which the singer quickly walked through the crowd back to the main stage.
The singer also connected with the audience by telling the stories behind many of his songs, including “River,” which he said he wrote about those who feel alone and silently suffer from things like addiction and mental illness.
“To those of you that know what I’m talking about, please don’t be afraid to reach your hand out and ask for help,” Groban said. “Be brave enough to put your hand out because you will be so surprised at how many people are right there to take that hand and tell you that you do belong, you are necessary, you are loved, and this is a song about all of that.”
Groban ended the night with an encore of “To Where You Are” and “Bridge Over Trouble Water,” paying tribute while introducing the final number to songwriter Paul Simon.
“It is a particular privilege to be in music during this time period because as a musician, we get to come out here and we get to invite people into a space of inclusivity and equality and togetherness, and that is not something that we take lightly up here, and so we thank you for coming out to see us tonight in that spirit,” Groban said.
Menzel, a film and Broadway star known for voicing Elsa in Disney’s “Frozen” and originating the roles of Elphaba in “Wicked” and Maureen Johnson in “Rent,” included several fan favorites in her set from “Let It Go” to a show-stopping finale of “Defying Gravity.”
She said Salt Lake City’s altitude made her feel a little faint and lightheaded, but that didn’t stop her from belting out each stunning note with powerhouse projection. Menzel also made the crowd comfortable by being herself onstage and relating to the audience, for example, by talking about how her lyrics were printed in large font because she has to use readers now.
“I’m only at a 1.5. That’s not that bad in your late 40s, is it?” Menzel asked the crowd. “It’s just I used to have 20/20, and it’s very upsetting to me.”
Menzel said during her set that this tour means a lot to her, thanking Groban for inviting her to perform with him and for “being such a good friend and special person.”
“He’s as kind and generous as he is talented, and I love him very much,” Menzel said. “We’re really happy to be a part of the family and going on this journey with him.”
Josh Groban
Vivint Smart Home Arena
Oct. 29, 2018
Bigger Than Us
You Are Loved (Don’t Give Up)
Won’t Look Back
Granted
Pure Imagination (from “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”)
Oceano
She’s Always a Woman (Billy Joel cover)
Lullaby (with Idina Menzel)
Falling Slowly (“Once” cover with Idina Menzel)
Bring Him Home (“Les Misérables” cover)
Música del Corazón
River
Alla Luce del Sole
Awake
You Raise Me Up
Encore
To Where You Are
Bridge Over Troubled Water (Simon and Garfunkel cover)
Idina Menzel
Brave
I Stand
The Wizard and I (from “Wicked”)
Don’t Rain on My Parade (Barbra Streisand cover)
Do You Want to Build a Snowman? (from “Frozen”)
Life is Good
Extraordinary
I Melt With You (Modern English cover)
Let It Go (from “Frozen”)
Over the Moon (from “Rent”)
Take Me or Leave Me (from “Rent”)
No Day But Today (from “Rent”)
For Good (from “Wicked”)
Defying Gravity (from “Wicked”)