Back in February I was privileged to interview Broadway star Sierra Boggess, and I remember getting off the phone feeling every chirpier than I normally am – and that’s a lot! I connected with her in many ways but one attribute of hers which really came through was her outlook on the world. She is a very grounded woman who emanates an energy into the world, and allows that energy to shape and create her existence. Cut to the Saturday night just gone, and I was seeing her live on stage where all of this wonder was explored.
Boggess is a presence unlike any other. When she is on that stage, she is captivating beyond words. In fact, for most of the evening I found myself breathing irregularly simply because she was breathtaking. I went with my best friend who I went to performing arts school with, and we were a hot mess! Her more so than me! But we sat next to this lovely older couple who were huge fans of hers and together we were able to share the night coming from such different backgrounds. I think this is the “Boggess Effect”; she transcends generations and represents every role a woman can be – a daughter, a sister, a friend, a lover. She is every woman!
Her concert was birthed from a time of awakening in her life. For most, a time that like can either make or break them but given Boggess’s amazing perspective, you know it made her. And she she did make it! She is one of Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s go-to performers, and one of Broadway’s true stars. In her young years, she has accomplished things performers would only dream of, but her humility and gratitude are what keep her as we call it, ‘booked and blessed’!
This concert was a masterclass in storytelling. In many ways, Boggess shared parts of her life that have led her to find success in her career, but there’s one thing you can’t deny with her; she is OUT OF CONTROL, FULL BLOWN, A+ TALENTED! With the start of each song she would assume a new character, and her eyes are where you see the depth of each one. It’s really hard to put into words just how captivating this woman is. Guess you just have to see her next time she’s in a show or in Australia.
She has had some amazing pinch yourself kind of moments and speaks of her family so dearly. The fact that her cellist sister Summer Boggess left Hello, Dolly! on Broadway starring Bette Midler to come play for her speaks volumes. Her parents had also flown in to see the show. Talk about a tight-knit and supportive family. Also, I loved the fact that she had Aussie musicians in her orchestra; what an absolute treat for them! She sung every song we wanted to hear and it was an indescribable feeling being in that space.
Sierra Boggess embodies what every woman aspires to be; positive, fun-loving, happy and driven. If we took away anything from her performance on Saturday it wasn’t that she can impersonate Britney Spears amazingly (absolutely priceless by the way), it’s that she reinspired us even if we didn’t think we needed to be. Again, that is the power of the “Boggess Effect”!
The reviewer attended the show on Saturday June 10th at the Arts Centre in Melbourne, where she ended her tour.
———-
