Top show leaves audience searching for words, too

By Kelly Yates
THE lights went down; the red velvet curtains opened as Australian tenor David Hobson took centre stage for the opening show of his One Voice tour last Friday night at Dandenong’s Drum Theatre.
With his backing band by his side, consisting of a pianist, a keyboard player, a percussionist, a bass player and a cellist, Hobson put on a dramatic show from start to finish, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats.
The professional singer performed everything from The Impossible Dream which he sang at one of the AFL grand finals, Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany’s to songs from famous children’s movies such as toy story.
He also performed a memorable tribute to the Beatles saying he always wanted to be the fifth Beatle.
After the opening song, Hobson welcomed he audience and said his One Voice show would be a celebration of everything he loves to sing.
And that it was.
A comedian and joker as well, Hobson had the audience in hysterics especially when he forgot the lyrics to one of his songs.
“I’ve just had a blank, and this is a song that I wrote,” he said while on stage in the middle of his performance.
“I haven’t sung this song for many years. I’m very bad with lyrics.”
He started the song again, glancing back and forth at the words on a sheet of paper.
After the show, Hobson admitted that forgetting the lyrics was an absolute fear of his.
“I was just as nervous performing here as when I’m performing live on television,” he said.
His special guest was Melbourne’s young supreme opera singer, Jackie Porter, from the Victorian Opera.
Together, they performed several duets including the famous Prayer and Jackie did an inspiring version of On My Own.
Hobson oozed personality on stage, and got into character for every song.
An animated performer, Hobson did show a few of his famous moves from his stint on Dancing with the Stars.
During the show, he said that his passion for singing a variety of different genres and being able to switch from one to another was a metaphor for his life.
Hobson said he hoped the show would educate people in classical and opera music.
The finale was a suitable song called It’s Time to Say Goodbye and the audience leapt to their feet with a standing ovation.