With Broadway blowing up the box office and the holiday season in full swing, Jessica Vosk has come to “Sleigh” at the perfect time. Vosk, the Broadway belting powerhouse known for roles such as Jersey in “Hell’s Kitchen” and Elphaba in “Wicked,” left Boston audiences laughing and singing in harmony at the Berklee Performance Center.
Arriving straight from Detroit, where she recently sang the National Anthem at a Lions game, Vosk took to the stage in a slick-back bun, poinsettia red dress, and black heels, which she ultimately tossed aside at some point in the night. Kicking off her “Sleigh” tour in Boston, Vosk told the audience to get comfortable, as “a lot of shit has gone down” since she last performed in the city.
With the promise of many stories to tell, Vosk delivered a night of stellar performances and comedic stand-up that felt as if the audience had spent a few hours catching up with an old friend.
Vosk opened the performance with the poppy holiday tune “This Christmas” before proceeding into her effortless comedy routine. After retelling the story of auditioning to be a “Harlett” on tour with Vosk’s “Lord and savior,” Bette Midler, she went on to perform Midler’s “Health and Healthy.”
Vosk emphasized her admiration for Midler as a woman who “knocked down the doors so that [Vosk] could run through them as this wacky beltress.”
Reflecting on the pivotal moments of her career, Vosk pointed out that she feels there is no right path for someone pursuing a career in the arts.
“I have no rhyme or reason as to why I am here right now,” Vosk said, addressing the crowd. “But all I know is I work hard, and I truly believe that hard work does pay off.”
This reflection served as an introduction to her next selection, “Times are Hard for Dreamers” from the musical “Amélie.”
With the musical theater energy in full force, Vosk transformed the venue into a choir rehearsal room, an impromptu moment that certainly enforced the “most unscripted performer” title given to her by her pianist and long-time collaborator Mary Mitchell-Campbell. Vosk shared that her stage companions rarely know her next move; she keeps them as much in suspense as the audience.
Dividing the audience into voice parts, Vosk had Mitchell-Campbell play the harmonies for her next tune, “Wintersong,” and queued the crowd in, humorously basking in her moment of teaching at Berklee.
The Berklee College of Music, who hosted Vosk for the night with the help of Celebrity Series of Boston, made quite a statement at the holiday performance. Vosk’s string quartet consisted entirely of Berklee students performing with the Broadway beltress, and for her final holiday tune, Vosk brought out a group of Berklee vocal students to serve as the choir in “O Holy Night.”
Before concluding her musical revue, Vosk performed a couple more theatre and holiday hits. She sang “Nobody’s Side” from “Chess,” a musical she starred in around the time she met her current fiancé.
“Cut to two and a half years later, and now we’re getting married, and I think it’s because of this song!” Vosk added, before the band ripped into the pop-rock chords of the song composed by ABBA’s Benny and Björn.
Selections from “Dear Evan Hansen” and “Waitress” also made an appearance, with the latter lauded as a new addition to the set list that Vosk changed not once, but twice earlier that day, as was wittingly confirmed by pianist Mitchell-Campbell.
With the evening winding down, Vosk pronounced “O Holy Night” as her last number.
The audience responded with boos and a single low voice shouting “Encore!” to which she replied, “Obviously!”
Without playing into the typical antics of leaving and reentering the stage, Vosk made a few final remarks as the stage lights shifted to the iconic combination of green and pink, which could mean only one thing when shining on someone like Vosk.
“Mary Mitchell, let’s try a completely new one we’ve never done before,” Vosk hinted as the chords of “The Wizard and I” from the Broadway—and now Hollywood—smash hit “Wicked” played.
With a final display of her vocal bravado, the musical and comedic powerhouse sent audiences dancing home humming holiday tunes and newly learned harmonies, having given Boston a “Wicked” good night of music and merriment.
