The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills is again the most desired ticket in town with the premiere of the Rufus-Retro-Wainwright-Spective.
By John Lavitt
Beverly Hills, CA (The Hollywood Times) 11-02-2024
In the Bram Goldsmith Theatre, the Rufus-Retro-Wainwright-Spective was an extraordinary three-night performance extravaganza. Over the three nights, Rufus Wainwright reimagined his COVID-19-wrought digital phenomenon at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Performing the concerts live for the first time in the United States, they proved to be a huge hit overseas during their premier performance at the Philharmonie de Paris in France.
What makes the Rufus-Retro-Wainwright-Spective such an exceptional event is the intimacy between the performer and audience at the 500-seat theatre. A true iconoclast with a voice that is the Steinway piano or Stradivarius violin of voices, Wainwright also has a personality that exudes emotional resonance and charismatic presence.
With three concerts in a single week, each night with a different theme, Wainwright took on the task of singing over 70 songs. Originating from Wainwright’s “Quaratunes,” the Rufus-Retro-Wainwright-Spective journeys through his entire studio catalog. However, the songs were not arranged chronologically but thematically into three categories, one for each night:
- Songs of Youth and Addiction
- Songs of Love and Desire
- Songs of Contempt and Resistance
Each evening featured stripped-down versions of the songs, with only a guitar player and a keyboard player supporting him. The concert focused on the music’s creative intimacy by stripping down the songs. Moreover, Wainwright’s luxurious voice transported the audience deep into the emotional world of the music.
Although one wishes to experience all three nights, only the second night, featuring “Songs of Love and Desire,” was seen. Beyond singing incredibly intimate takes on his mother, husband, and daughter, Wainwright also investigated love’s obsessive and all-encompassing nature. Love is often a double-edged sword that cuts into the soul, even when it is reciprocated.
Still, in the stillness of private moments of happiness, the most peaceful and transcendent experiences happen with loved ones. Wainwright’s music elevates these experiences, taking them from memory and expressing them as art. Indeed, the iconoclastic intimacy of Rufus Wainwright’s music was on full display at The Wallis as he connected deeply with his audience, allowing them into the deepest recesses of his creative soul.
Photos Courtesy of The Wallis and Rufus Wainwright
