Chicago Voices Concert
Howard Reich
Chicago Tribune
But the concert began gathering real momentum when operatic tenor Matthew Polenzani dared to take on "Be My Love," a song universally identified with the unrivaled Mario Lanza. The tenderness of Polenzani's opening notes instantly marked this as an interpretation apart from Lanza's, as did the ardor of Polenzani's phrasing and inexorable swell of his crescendos ...
Who could forget Terrence Howard and Jussie Smollett (from the filmed-in-Chicago TV series “Empire”) chanting “A Change Is Gonna Come,” their imploring voices intertwining in a series of cascading climaxes? Or Mueller and Polenzani duetting on “The Prayer,” their unison passages as exquisite a blending of two voices as one might hope to hear?
… “Chicago Voices” got so much right as to transcend expectation.”
Howard Reich – Chicago Tribune