Although it's drizzling in Morristown, NJ this Friday, September 29, 2023 evening, concertgoers cheerfully walk between the raindrops as they enter the Mayo Performing Arts Center for tonight's 29th Season gala opening night performance of "Hitting New Heights" starring Mandy Gonzalez and Javier Muñoz from Broadway's Hamilton and In the Heights.
In front of the 86-year-old venue — which was originally designed as a Walter Reade movie theater — GM Ed Kirchdoerffer talks about MPAC and its upcoming season of spectacular live productions.
Revealing, “Today, on September 29, we celebrate our 29th season of performances at MPAC, which reopened on September 29, 1994,” Kirchdoerffer adds, “Following the pandemic, we’ve gotten back to normal and look forward to having more and more people come to the theater. We want to keep the momentum going strong, so we’ve increased the ‘wow’ factor in terms of our 29th season of programs and events.”
As such, according to Kirchdoerffer, the new season will feature outstanding pop concerts by artists including The Bacon Brothers, Pink Martini, Tower of Power, Il Divo, and Dionne Warwick, and will also include a selection of family shows including a screening of the Disney film Coco with a live orchestra, 13 performances of the New Jersey Ballet’s Nutcracker, and multiple performances of Bluey’s Big Play.
In terms of jazz, the venue will feature concerts by Spyro Gyra and Jeff Lorber Fusion, Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis, and Pat Metheny, in addition to such theater-related programming as a touring production of Hairspray, The Four Phantoms in Concert, Patti LuPone, and Bernadette Peters.
“We hope people will take advantage of our Season 29 offerings,” says Kirchdoerffer, prior to concluding, “We want patrons to be able to forget about their troubles and celebrate the joy in their lives with a live performance, which is something we could all use more of these days.”
Inside the stunning MPAC auditorium, MPAC President and CEO Allison Larena welcomes tonight’s audience comprised of concertgoers of all ages. Acknowledging that MPAC is a “shining example of the type of impact the arts can have,” Larena notes that “the theater is in the top 50 in the country in terms of attendance.” After recognizing and thanking special guests, board of trustees members, business circle members, and MPAC staff and volunteers, Lorena introduces tonight’s headliners, Mandy Gonzalez and Javier Muñoz.
Gonzalez, dressed in a black sequined jumpsuit with a halter top, and Muñoz, sporting a silver jacket with black shirt and slacks, take the stage. They open tonight’s performance with an uptempo medley of The Jackson 5’s “I Wanna Be Where You Are” and The Pointer Sisters’ “I’m So Excited,” their strong voices complementing one another’s perfectly.
At the conclusion of the medley, the audience erupts into avid applause and Muñoz exclaims, “We are so excited! Thank you for battling the rain to be here tonight!”
For her first solo number of the evening, Gonzalez launches into “Something’s Coming” from West Side Story. Crying, “Somethin’s comin’/I don’t know what it is/But it is gonna be great,” Gonzalez impresses with her big, full voice on this jazzy version of the Leonard Bernstein classic.
The crowd cheers, and Gonzalez reveals that when she took on the role of Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton, she ended up returning to the same Broadway theater where, several years earlier, she had appeared in In the Heights. Sailing into the appropos “As If We Never Said Goodbye” from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard, Gonzalez belts out, “I’ve come home at last/This time will be bigger!” as the audience erupts in vigorous applause.
Hamilton fans in the house sing along with Muñoz on the crowd pleaser, “The Story of Tonight,” before Gonzalez continues with Hamilton’s “Satisfied.” The duo is rewarded for their exemplary efforts with animated applause, at which point Javier declares, “It’s always a trip when I can do something from Hamilton with Mandy!”
Up next is “A Very Good Day” from Working, a musical which pays tribute to the working class in America. On this number, Javier affectionately sings about an underpaid but loving worker who cares for an elderly man.
Gonzalez picks up the story by revealing the plight of a warmhearted woman who cares for a needy child.
Following large applause, Gonzalez gives a heartfelt interpretation of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run,” which starts out slowly but builds as Mandy belts out the well-known “Tramps like us/Baby, we were born to run” refrain. The audience hoots and hollers in delight as Gonzalez reveals, “I live in New Jersey, and this is my first show here!” acknowledging, “When you live in Jersey you learn to follow The Boss!”
Mandy and Javier follow up by performing a duet version of Jason Robert Brown’s “And I Will Follow,” where they ardently sing to one another, “And I will follow/Anywhere/I will follow/And you will lead me there.”
Afterwards, Muñoz solos on a Latin-inspired interpretation of Pippin’s “Corner of the Sky” which has him dancing to the number’s syncopated arrangement. At the conclusion, Gonzalez returns to the stage to tell Javier, “You are amazing!” and audience members applaud to show they agree.
Gonzalez explains that the duo’s next song, “Remember Me,” from Disney’s Coco, celebrates her Mexican heritage. On this number, Muñoz starts off singing solo before Gonzalez joins him and the pair finishes off the song with a soft and smooth final “Remember me.”
Gonzalez and Muñoz follow up with “Breathe,” from In the Heights, where Mandy reprises her role of Nina, crying, “I got every scholarship/Saved every dollar/The first to go to college/How do I tell them why I’m coming back home?”
The audience cheers, and Gonzalez talks about performing as Elphaba in Broadway’s Wicked. After presenting a heartfelt rendition of The Muppets’ “Bein’ Green,” Gonzalez breaks out into a show-stopping version of Wicked’s “Defying Gravity” which leaves the audience spellbound.
Gonzalez is rewarded for her efforts with a spirited standing ovation, at which point Muñoz returns to the stage exclaiming, “There’s just something about Mandy in Jersey that is special!”
After acknowleding the members of her band — pianist Ian Weinberger, guitarist Jacinta Clusellas, bassist Irio O’ Farrill, and drummer Emma Ford — Gonzalez introduces tonight’s special guests, the MPAC Performing Arts Company, a group of performers aged 13 to 21. The young people take the stage to accompany Gonzalez on the Lin-Manuel Miranda composition, “Fearless,” which he wrote specifically to honor Mandy Gonzalez’s parents. Singing “We can be fearless/We can try to change the world,” Mandy and The MPAC Performing Arts Company touch the crowd with their very powerful and poignant performance.
Munoz retakes the stage, and Mandy, Javier, and the MPAC choir sail into the dynamic “Finale” from In the Heights where they bedazzle the audience with their inspirational performance, and the number’s “There’s no place like home” message inspires the crowd to respond with another standing ovation.
Gonzalez exclaims, “I think we can do one more!” and the still-standing crowd sings along with Javier, Mandy, and the chorus on a heartfelt rendition of Rent’s “Seasons of Love” where concertgoers dance at their seats and clap their hands over their heads to the finale of tonight’s sparkling “Hitting New Heights” performance.
As theatergoers make their way out of the MPAC auditorium, several comment on tonight’s opening night concert starring Mandy Gonzalez and Javier Muñoz. Leigh, age seven from Florham Park, reveals, “I really liked the show!” pointing out that her favorite songs of the evening came from the Broadway musical, Hamilton.
Kim from Little Ferry asserts, “I really enjoyed tonight’s performance!” noting, “It was a perfect way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month.” Her boyfriend Chris, also from Little Ferry, insists, “It was a lot of fun, and it made me want to sing along!” Kim’s brother, Kenny from North Bergen, enjoyed the performance as well, declaring, “Gonzalez’s voice is breathtaking and it filled and warmed the whole auditorium,” prior to acknowledging, “All of the young talent was amazing, too!”
Laura, a music therapy major from Mine Hill, exclaims, “I loved tonight’s show!” disclosing, “I felt a real connection to Mandy Gonzalez since I performed one of her songs at my own college senior recital.” Continuing, “The MPAC kids were amazing and the harmonies were so good,” Laura explains, “The concert had such texture, and I could feel a real sense of community when everyone was singing together.” Laura’s friend, Kaitlyn from Ramsey, concurs, adding, “I love theater and, tonight, the MPAC kids were so good, they made me wish I sang as a kid!
Lastly, Bruce from Parsippany asserts, “Before this evening, I really wasn’t familiar with Mandy Gonzalez or Javier Muñoz, but their performance at MPAC tonight far exceeded my expectations,” prior to concluding, “The chemistry between these two talented artists was absolutely incredible!”
To learn about Mandy Gonzalez, please go to mandygonzalez.com. For info on Javier Muñoz, click on instagram.com/jMuñoz . To find out more about great upcoming Season 29 performances at MPAC — including Coco Live-to-Film Concert on Oct. 14, The Bacon Brothers on Oct. 19, Pink Martini on Nov. 2, Tower of Power on Nov. 5, Il Divo on Dec. 6, The New Jersey Ballet’s Nutcracker on Dec. 15–27, Hairspray on Jan. 26–27, Dionne Warwick on Feb. 16, The Four Phantoms in Concert on Mar. 2, Spyro Gyra and Jeff Lorber Fusion on Mar. 7, Patti LuPone on Mar. 8, Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis on Mar. 24, Pat Metheny on April 5, Bluey’s Big Play on Apr. 12–14, and Bernadette Peters on May 17 — please go to mayoarts.com.
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