Alfie Boe Is A Star. Watch out, World!

Hello, friends. One night removed, I feel I in better position to articulate what I saw last night At the O2 Arena in London. 

Alfie Boe performed his first solo concert in the massive oval. Let's just say the massive structure the forms one of the highlights of London's skyscape was barely able to contain this once-in-a-lifetime talent.

 Alfie was magical. He went to the site where a lifetime's work culminated -- the O2 Arena in London. It was there his career changed, because the then-relative unknown brought the 25th Anniversary concert of Les Miserables to a standstill with his show-stopping rendering of Bring Him Home. 

He received a four-minute standing ovation that night in 2011. He had tears in his eyes when they opened to see 19,000 plus stamping approval of a most magic moment. 

Alfie recreated that moment last night, bringing folks to their feet with another amazing rendering of what is now his standard. 

And, again, there were tears. His. Again, he closed his eyes til the audience rose. Again he owned BHH. Again he blew a kiss to the crowd as he reenacted the iconic moment, just as did the crowd. 

The concert was an orchestration of a time period in which I think he would have been very comfortable. Doing it right? His musical director, Murray Gould said that no song sung was written after 1960. And the primary instruments were aged, like fine wines. Murray's acoustical guitar was 126 years old. Murray, a terrific talent, made that guitar sing. 

The most impressive instrument on the stage belonged to Mr. Boe. His new album, "Serenata," and its Italian love songs, formed the heart of the early concert. Alfie's vocal dexterity, and his ability to jump up and down the range of octaves he comfortably and forcefully visits, awed me. He dabbled in the classics-- "Nessun Dorma", musical theatre--"Wheels of a Dream."

Then he moved where I'd hoped - a wonderful selection of the beauties from his album, "Trust." If I had any one bucket list item involving Alfie, it would be "Trust" tour in the US. 

 The songs are so lovely, and he loves singing them, getting the audience up and dancing as he twirls, laughs, "dances" and has a party with 10,000 guests. 

Alfie's A Capella "Danny Boy" formed the start of his encore. Most of the audience was up and standing. I was, and, for the first time ever, listened to a song, start to finish, with eyes closed.  The voice and passion absolutely enveloped. You could hear a pin drop. So moving. So humbled, because this is a once-in-lifetime talent. Just as his genres, Alfie knows no bounds. 

The most intriguing portion of the concert came when Alfie sang two songs from The Who's "Quadrophenia" rock opera. Alfie 

was giving a peek of what's to come, as he has recorded, with Pete Townsend and the London Symphony, the 25th anniversary salute to the musical. Alfie will star alongside Mr. Townsend in a live performance of "Quadrophenia" at the Royal Albert Hall on July 5. I can't wait after hearing "I'm One" and "Reign on Me." The latter was so powerful, I thought the roof would fall from the reverberations. Shattering! 

Alfie is about to ride this next phase to stardom. His life is about to undergo a major sea change, again, just as it did in 2011. He will be a star. If their is a God in Heaven, the man who's voice is a gift from above will take flight. Watch out, world, he is about to rock you!