(Photo by: Mitchell Badelles)
Brian Lorenz finally made his debut as a solo performer last weekend. And it sure was worth the wait! What was meant to be a Saturday one night stand, stretched to a matinee show on a Sunday afternoon.
He stepped on the stage with a smile and he owned the moment. He was dressed in a savvy Dominic Abellana designer outfit in traditional shades of gray that spelled class all the way. He donned a silvery grey jacket with a mild sheen, contrasted with black trousers, a little bling on his tie for extra sparkle and shiny black shoes topped off his total look. And he shimmered as he shimmied.
His debut not only proved his undeniable talent for singing and dancing but his professionalism. Just as the show was about to start, there was a power failure, due to the weather. But as they say, in the entertainment world, the show must go on . And he did just that.
Real troopers, Brian along with his special guest, Marcus Rivera and dancers stepped up to the challenge and they performed in perfect timing against all odds. Armed with his mobile phone to provide him with tonal cues, Brian entertained the waiting audience with a song and dance undeterred by the absence of electricity. Then in tandem with soprano, Marcus Rivera, they sang with gusto, joshing with each other and the audience.
Then, presto the lights were back on and as the audience cheered “from the beginning”, off they dashed for a second attempt to get the show on the road. It was one more time with feeling, even more energized and more determined than ever to give a good performance. And that he did!
While most in the audience have heard him sing as a guest at club events, they were pleasantly surprised for the whole Lorenz package. “Ang galing naman,” were the whispers from the audience. There were was nothing pretentious or extravagant. A cozy, casual ambiance at Club 55, Mt. Druitt, with raw talent, matched with graceful moves, sprinkled with subtle hints of humor.
Lorenz was smooth as he shifted from swinging rhythm and blues to raptures of heart twitching ballads; from Michael Buble, Tom Jones to Barry Manilow’s all-time hits. And when he uttered the lyrics “I am music”, it simply rang true. And with his two back up dancers, Renelle and Ashley , they were a visual delight as they twirled and swayed and shook their booties too.
His guest performers included the pitch perfect Marcus Rivera, country-western singer Rachel Fahim, and Aunty Nora who surprised the audience with her cool rendition of two old time favourites.
“To everyone who believed in me, thank you so much for sharing my passion.” said Brian.
In our little world where many crave for the stage only to perform with flimsy results, Brian Lorenz proved that he’s really got what it takes. He was charming and definitely divinely entertaining!
