Last night’s tribute night opened with a backdrop of the unmistakable alluring eyes of Céline Dion and the sound of solo keyboard by the talent Joe Boyes. It did the job of wrapping the audience up in the ambience of the vocal legend we all love, and set the stage for Alexandra Darby, a Birmingham lass who carries the torch of Dion's legacy. Singing “It’s All Coming Back to Me” in a teal evening flowing dress, reminiscent of Céline’s Las Vegas 2013 concert, it became clear that Alexandra has what it takes to do Céline proud
Fit for Valentine's Day this coming week, the stage then lit with red uplights for “The Power of Love”. Alexandra cued the crowd to sing “‘Cause I am your lady, and you are my man.” It was endearing to hear the audience’s first nostalgic sing-along and got everyone swaying in their seats.
Though starting off with a simple acoustic accompaniment for “My Love”, which really showcased Alexandra’s raw vocal skill, Bryn Jenkins really came front and centre with his phenomenal drumming to champion the build-up. Really impressive!
A highlight was unquestionably the rendition of “Ashes”. It was sung with all the passion behind the motion picture ballad, and Alexandra carried those strong notes and delicate tones beautifully. On that note (no pun intended), "Immortality" brought out the impressive vocals of both Kalvin Watson (on bass guitar) and Curtis Senior (electric guitar). Well done lads! Shout out to Kalvin for nailing that high note – the Bee Gees would be impressed for sure. And I don’t think I was the only one with goose bumps when Alexandra hit the big note in “All by Myself”! Wowzer!
After intermission, Alexandra came back in an elegant but fun beaded dress reminiscent of Céline’s Sidney 2018 concert. "A New Day Has Come" was performed beautifully with the background screen showing images of Céline’s life, her husband and her wedding. I personally found that when the uplights moved a certain angle, the composition of the stage really came together and at times became emotive. It was beautiful to pay homage to Céline’s late husband, René.
What I loved about the show is how Alexandra and the band moved you through top belters to sombre ballads, and bringing the crowd back up with songs like "I'm Alive" It was endearing to see these musicians’ infectious enthusiasm and the colourful production. Not only that, but like everyone's favourite "girl next door" the Brummy in Alexandra came out, and had the crowd in giggles when inviting them to sing the "Oh oh ohhh ohohoh" part of "You're The Voice" (you should give it a go!). When a talented tribute singer mixes a vocal legend with audience karaoke... it gets quite funny! Well done Alexandra for lifting the crowd and making last night feel like a concert!
"River Deep Mountain High" cued a cute bit of choreography with Alexandra and the guitarists, but you knew something fun was going to happen when Alexandra pulled out the glittered mic extension (please let me know if this device has an actual name)! The guitarists came into the crowd and some of the lucky ladies in the front row got their own mini serenade.
You couldn't end off a Céline Dion tribute night any better than with Titanic's "My Heart Will Go On". With a quick change into a gorgeous white gown, and clips of the Hollywood blockbuster showing in the background, it was the perfect way to end the night and got a well-earned standing ovation.
Donning a red sequined dress that paid homage to Céline's "Courage" tour, Alexandra said her goodbyes in the foyer with time to take photos with the audience.
As tributes go, I thought this was a really lovely evening, and given Alexandra’s vocal ability, I’d actually love to see this fellow Brummy perform her own songs. There were moments in the evening where you could see a sense of Alexandra as herself and it was truly impressive. The production of the show and the band's attention to detail merits praise; from the selection of songs to the stage lighting, everything was orchestrated to celebrate Céline's enduring impact on music. Alexandra Darby, your extensive range and powerful delivery invoked the essence of Dion's indomitable spirit. Well done babs! And hats off to the evidently hard-working, professional and playful band, Curtis Senior (electric guitar), Kalvin Watson (bass guitar), Joe Boyes (keyboard) and Bryn Jenkins (drums).
To cap this review off, our winner of our January competition, Tracey Creek (whose birthday it also was!) shared some of here favourite memories with us...
Review by Mandeep Birdy, Editor of The Felixstowe Magazine
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