Maestro Bill Doherty — along with Andrew and Michelle Struhar — came full circle Friday in Savannah Center.
For Doherty, it was another sign of his comeback after a harrowing bout of sepsis that caused him to spend three weeks in the hospital before being released in November.
For the Struhars, the “Hooray for Hollywood” concert was a nostalgic reminder of how their romance began. They met while singing under Doherty’s direction in “The King and I” nearly a decade ago.
This was an emotional performance and the healing and majestic power of music was on display throughout. The talented cast performed such movie standards as “Over The Rainbow,” “The Sound of Music,” “My Heart Will Go On” and “I Will Always Love You.” The setlist included everything from “The Wizard of Oz” to “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” It honored singers from Judy Garland to Celine Dion
Such music added meaning to the night for Doherty.
“It’s great to be back and feeling well,” he said after the show. Although he had performed a few shows since his illness, this one was special because “the music was so outstanding and the cast was fantastic.”
It was like old times for Doherty, playing the piano and nurturing the young talent of the Central Florida Lyric Opera.
Like Andrew and Michelle Struhar, who fondly remember working with Doherty on “The King and I.”
“We both were singing together, and soon after we started dating,” Michelle said. “Now he’s mine and we also had a baby. This is very special to me.”
Such is the magic of talent, music and love.
It was on display Friday in a delightful blend of old standards and contemporary numbers from the movies.
Victoria Sexton nearly stole the show with an alluring stage presence in a silver-sequined gown and a rapturous vocal on “I Will Always Love You.”
David Gehring, looking Fred Astaire dapper in a white tuxedo, opened the tribute with an energetic “Pure Imagination” from “Willy Wonka.”
Next up was a rousing salute to “My Fair Lady.” Autumn Turner kicked up her heels and started things off with a robust “I Could Have Danced All Night.”
Andrew Struhar followed up a whimsical “On the Street Where You Live.” Next came Michelle with a joyous “Hello Young Lovers.”
Justin Scarlat was percolating with some rocking choreography on “Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat,” from “Guys and Dolls.” He also brought juice to “Cabaret,” earlier in the show.”
Andrew and Michelle Struhar teamed up for an emotional balcony scene from “West Side Story.” They played the tragic lovers, Tony and Maria, with a deep emotional bond and brought romantic fever to their duet on “Tonight.”
Among the other songs featured included a medley from “Mary Poppins.” Also, such Hollywood staples as “Once Upon a Dream,” “Over the Rainbow,” “I Dreamed a Dream” and “The Sound of Music.”
Tony Violanti writes about music and entertainment for Villages-News.com. He was inducted into The Buffalo Music Hall of Fame as a music journalist.
