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Boston Globe

Cynthia Erivo opens the Spring Pops season in style

Without explicitly stating it, Erivo's set affirmed a Great American Songbook centered specifically around Black artists. With the lone exception of her leadoff number — a 'Don't Rain On My Parade' that could stand up proudly next to Streisand — every song on her set list was either written by a Black songwriter or strongly associated with a Black singer who delivered a definitive version. That meant room for Nina and Aretha, Prince and Peebles, even Screamin' Jay Hawkins, all treated as the standards they surely are. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up With a stage presence steeped in control and deliberateness whether singing or simply speaking to the audience, Erivo delivered strange bedfellows 'Ain't No Way' and 'I Put A Spell On You' as torch songs, and both 'At Last' and 'Stormy Weather' were lush and sweeping, with the singer slightly behind the beat on the latter and playing it for laid-back languidness. But her reserve occasionally made numbers like 'I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)' and 'I (Who Have Nothing)' a touch too genteel to burn. Advertisement It also gave unexpected moments added electricity. Erivo called for a redo at the start of 'I Can't Stand The Rain,' cuing the xylophone player to the proper tempo with her shoulders, maybe the only time she got the music physically into her body. And a cry of 'Yes!' from the audience immediately before the arrival of the title of 'Feeling Good' made her laugh at length and re-collect herself before diving in and dancing around the melody and rhythm with her voice. But Erivo was capable of electricity even when all went according to plan. 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' was light and majestic even before Scott Johnson's delicately-plucked folk guitar and the string and horn swells, with Erivo singing the first verse a cappella with a gentle, masterful touch. And as she did, Lockhart slowly turned toward the audience with a knowing smile, as if making sure everyone understood what they were hearing. THE BOSTON POPS WITH CYNTHIA ERIVO At: Symphony Hall, Thursday Marc Hirsh can be reached at officialmarc@ or on Bluesky @ Advertisement