Andrea Bocelli at the Vivint Arena

I have wanted to see Andrea Bocelli in concert for a really long time and I finally had the opportunity last night.  It was an absolutely amazing performance and I am so glad that I decided to get a ticket (even though it was pretty expensive).  Bocelli was backed by the American Festival Chorus and Orchestra, based in Northern Utah, under the baton of Music Director Steven Mercurio and they looked and sounded very impressive.  There was a large panel of screens behind the stage which featured dazzling visuals and several numbers incorporated choreographed dances on stage with Brittany O'Connor and Paul Barris so the show was more like a theatrical experience than a concert.  The first half featured many well-known selections from the operatic repertory and I loved it.  I particularly enjoyed "Di quella pira" from Il Trovatore by Guiseppe Verdi, "La donna e mobile" from Rigoletto by Guiseppe Verdi, "Mario! Mario! Mario!" from Tosca by Giacomo Puccini with soprano Larisa Martinez, "Vissi d'arte" from Tosca by Giacomo Pucinni as a solo by Larisa Martinez, "Come un bel di di maggio" from Andrea Chenier by Umberto Giordano, "Si Pel Ciel" from Otello by Guiseppe Verdi with baritone Edward Parks, "Au fond du temple saint" from The Pearl Fishers by Georges Bizet with Edward Parks (this was a highlight of the night for me because I love this duet), and "Libiamo ne' lieti calici" from La Traviata by Guiseppe Verdi.  After the intermission, the orchestra and chorus performed a stirring rendition of "O Fortuna" from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff.  Then the rest of the second half featured music from Bocelli's latest album Believe which includes songs of faith and inspiration.  I especially loved "Oh, Madre Benedetta!" (another highlight because it uses Adagio in G Minor by Tomaso Albinoni which is one of my favorite pieces in the classical repertory), "Ave Maria" (with music composed by Bocelli), a cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" with his nine-year-old daughter Virginia, "You'll Never Walk Alone," "Amazing Grace" with Loren Allred (she also performed her song "Never Enough" from The Greatest Showman), and "I Believe."  For the encore, Bocelli performed "Time to Say Goodbye (Con te Partiro)," which is probably his best known song, with Larisa Martinez (this brought the audience to their feet), a delightful version of "'O Sole Mio," and "Nessun dorma" from Turandot by Giacomo Puccini (this gave me goosebumps).  Many of these songs moved me to tears because Bocelli has such a beautiful voice and he performs with such passion.  After wanting to see him for so long, this concert exceeded all of my expectations and it will definitely be among my favorites!