It was mid-December, and I was on the phone with Elizabeth Blau, who was asking me when I would be returning from my upcoming vacation.  When I told her that I’d be home the night of January 20, she informed me that that was perfect, as David Foster was going to be performing at Wynn Las Vegas on January 21, and she figured (and I concurred) that it’d be the perfect way to celebrate Diana Bennett’s birthday.  Since by this point I’d come to terms with the fact that I would not be attending the opening night of Adele’s then-upcoming Weekends with Adele residency, I said that I couldn’t wait, and to please count me in.

Fast-forward a month or so, and—after a rather hilarious double-birthday dinner at Cipriani, where I enjoyed the bejesus out of my Pollo al Curry followed by what I’ve come to refer to as the “Vanilla Double-down” (Vanilla Ice Cream à la Minute paired with Vanilla Meringue Cake)—we (Elizabeth Blau, Diana Bennett, Marlee Palermo, Taylor Palermo, Dawn Hume, and me) met up with the ever-charming Mike Ravenhill (CEO, David Foster Foundation), who greeted us with our tickets, and backstage wristbands.

Following a few technological hiccups, the show began, and from the very moment he walked on the stage, David Foster had the audience in his thrall.  With decades of experience playing for Las Vegas audiences (he was the musical director for the long-running annual Andre Agassi Grand Slam for Children), and 16 GRAMMY Awards to his name, Foster knows what folks come to see, and he delights in serving it up for them, in the form of dazzling vocal accompaniment from an array of accomplished guests, as well as funny anecdotes about the hits he’s written, arranged, and/or produced, for some of the world’s most acclaimed recording artists.

While Foster tickled the ivories, he was accompanied at various times by talented tenor, Fernando Varela; American Idol alum, Pia Toscano; and longtime Steve Wonder collaborator and Quincy Jones protégée, Sheléa; as well as by Smash and Scorpion star, Katharine McPhee (aka Mrs. David Foster).  But wait: There’s more!

Kenny G appeared via video—to accompany Foster on “Love Theme from St. Elmo’s Fire”—as did Josh Groban, who sang along with Varela on “You Lift Me Up” (a minor UK hit in 2002 for Secret Garden, Groban would receive the first of his four GRAMMY nominations for the Foster-produced cover he recorded in 2004).

Andrea Bocelli was the next headliner to join the multimedia concert and performed “The Promise” with the dynamic Toscano, who very ably performed the role originally written by Foster for Celine Dion.

Perhaps one of the most memorable moments of the evening came when Foster stood up and announced that he was going to Facetime Michael Bublé, at which point he held up his iPhone in his left hand while holding his mic up to the bottom of his iPhone with his right.  It worked, and Bublé (who appeared to be wearing an RCMP hat) got serenaded by Sheléa who performed a steamy and soulful arrangement of “Fever” that was so hot, her “Fever” gave me fever! Bublé was blown away, and a cursory glance around the audience confirmed that everyone looked as though they wanted a cigarette.  Carry on, Miss Sheléa!

Katharine McPhee came on and joined her husband for a number of numbers, but I’ll be damned if I can remember what they were, as I was too focused on her barefoot tapdancing (which was excellent), her ensemble (which was sleek and stylish), and her shoes (Dior heels with a jaunty ribbon).

Two of my favorite performances of the night were, surprisingly enough, songs that Foster had no connection to, whatsoever, besides accompanying the vocalists on piano.  The first was when Sheléa channeled her inner Effie White and treated the audience to a ripping rendition of “And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going” from Dreamgirls.  After the bridge, she was joined onstage by Toscano, and the two vocal dynamos let us have it while telling us that we, and we, and we, we were gonna love them. *

My other favorite performance came when Fernando Varela returned to the stage and joked with Foster about performing a song about which Foster quipped that he’d written “a hundred years ago,” at which point Foster began playing “Nessun Dorma,” from my favorite opera, Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot.  What cracked me up was that earlier in the concert I’d raved to Dawn Hume that Varela was the “Puerto Rican Pavarotti,” and here he was singing what had become the late tenor’s signature aria and making it his own.  Bravo, Sir!

After the finale, which brought all the artists back on stage (those who were there, in person, that is), we waited in our seats until Mike Ravenhill came to escort us backstage.  There, we kibbitzed in the hallway with AEG’s Chris Hammond, and Wynn’s Stephanie & Brian Gullbrants, and Amanda & Craig Billings, until we were brought into the green room shared by the Fosters and their adorable baby boy (who was, no joke, tinkering on Foster’s keyboard), for a brief audience; after which we posed with Foster for a photo (taken by Ravenhill), before heading out. **

Don’t worry if you were unable to attend this concert, though; because Foster will be returning to Wynn Las Vegas on April 20 for a mini-residency running through April 23!

DAVID FOSTER: HITMAN TOUR | An Intimate Evening with David Foster
Encore Theater | Wynn Las Vegas
Click HERE for info and tickets

Get into it!
#DavidFoster

[Editor’s Notes: * Sheléa’s bravura performance of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” bodes very well for the singer, considering the accolades and honors bestowed upon the two women most famous for portraying Effie White, for whom the song served as their debut single: Jennifer Holliday (who originated the role on Broadway in 1981, and won the Tony Award for “Best Actress in a Musical” as well as the GRAMMY Award for “Best Female R&B Vocal Performance” for the single, which topped the R&B charts), and Jennifer Hudson (who assumed the role for the 2006 film adaptation, won the Academy Award for “Best Supporting Actress,” and whose single of the song became a hit on both the R&B and Dance charts) // ** Green rooms are rarely green.  To wit, the green room at the Encore Theatre is designed in the same style as the Wynn’s Fairway Villas, in chocolate brown and ivory.]