Wednesday, December 10, 2003
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Wednesday, December 10, 2003 |
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‘The most wonderful time’ Legendary singer brings holiday show to Atlanta By MONROE ROARK Folks in the Atlanta area have a very rare opportunity next week to spend an evening with a legend whom, for some, symbolizes the best music of the holiday season. Andy Williams, whose voice has delighted fans for more than 50 years, is bringing his beloved Christmas show to the Atlanta Civic Center for two shows this Monday and Tuesday. It’s part of a week-long tour that comes on the heels of another successful holiday season at his famous Moon River Theater in Branson, Mo. Williams’ Atlanta shows benefit the Atlanta Opera. He would not even be on tour except for the fact that Opera officials asked him to come here, and he decided to fill out the week with a few other engagements for himself and his entourage, which includes an 11-member orchestra. He plays about 16 weeks per year in Branson, performing two shows a day, six days a week. Other than that, the singer, who celebrated his 76th birthday Dec. 5, almost never performs anywhere else these days, making next week’s shows an even bigger treat. The Christmas show in Branson is closing today after five weeks, and what Atlanta fans will see is essentially the same show, Williams said last week by phone from his Branson headquarters. “We won’t have the same huge sets, and not quite as many singers and dancers, but otherwise it’s the same,” he said. A top-notch local choir is selected in each city to accompany Williams for a portion of his program, which included traditional sacred holiday numbers as well as some of the songs he has made famous over the years. That makes for a program that is familiar to almost everyone, he said. Another feature of the Christmas show that families love is the opportunity for children to come on stage at one point in the show and participate, while joyful parents take pictures of them. After a long and very successful career on the music charts and on television, Williams became the first non-country performer to permanently locate in Branson, where the Moon River Theater was completed in 1992. It is the only theater in town featured in Architectural Digest, he said. The singer splits his time between the Ozarks and Palm Springs, Calif., where he plans to spend Christmas. He still records once in a while, although he is not currently under contract to anyone, he said. But a most unusual highlight of his career has been his enormous popularity in England, the result of having two of his old hit songs placed in television commercials there. “They got so popular with the kids, they rereleased the records and they got really hot,” he said. “So we went and played 16 cities in the U.K. last year, and they sold out way ahead of time. “Half the audience was 65 years old, and half was 16,” he continued. “It was interesting.” He is also being discovered by younger audiences in the United States, some of whom were likely taken to his show as children and are now taking their own children, he said. His 2,000-seat theater is filled with pretty good crowds throughout the year, and he is not ready to slow down just yet. “It’s always fun to come out on stage,” he said. “As long as I feel good and I enjoy doing it, I’ll keep doing it. When it becomes work, I’ll stop.” Monday and Tuesday’s concerts start at 7 p.m. For tickets to one of the shows, call 404-881-8885 or visit www.atlantaopera.org or www.ticketmaster.com. For virtually anthing else you would ever want to know about Andy Williams, visit www.andywilliams.com. |
