Jackie Evancho Brings Songs of the Silver Screen to McCallum Theatre Tonight, 11/16

By: Nov. 16, 2012
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Pint-sized opera diva and 2010 "America's Got Talent" star Jackie Evancho will perform "Songs Of The Silver Screen" at McCallum Theatre for one night only tonight, November 16, at 8:00pm. 

When Jackie Evancho submitted a video to YouTube to compete for a slot on "America's Got Talent," she could never have predicted that a push of the "send" button would eventually send her to the top of the entertainment industry. Jackie's unique, gorgeous soprano has won her millions of fans and her recordings have dominated the music and DVD charts. Her warmth, charm and poise have helped her gain the support of legendary music producers like David Foster. Billboard Magazine namedJackie to their list of music movers-and-shakers under the age of 21 because her "spellbinding, operatic vocals possess a power and poignancy that often moves listeners multiple times her age to tears." 

Jackie's trip to the top of the charts almost didn't happen. She auditioned twice for "AGT" in person in Philadelphia and the producers passed on her. "I saw a video with host Nick Cannon saying they were also doing YouTube auditions," recalls Jackie's father Mike. "We decided to put something up and then we forgot about it."

But the "AGT" viewers who watched Jackie's audition submission became instant fans. She earned the most votes and captured the twelfth contestant spot among the slate of "AGT" for the show's fifth season. Her first on-air performance, in which she sung Puccini's "O Mio Babbino Caro," delighted the judges, who were generous with their praise. "I can't believe that from this tiny body, this huge mature voice you have," said Sharon Osbourne. Piers Morgan said, "This is one of the most extraordinary performances that I've ever seen on 'America's Got Talent'." Howie Mandel simply stated, "You're an angel. You're a superstar."

Remarkably, Jackie was 10 years old at the time, but her long-held desire to perform, sparked after seeing the film version of The Phantom of the Opera when she was seven years old, convinced her parents to let her take a chance at stardom. And Jackie has shown everyone that she has the brilliant talent needed to succeed.

She's gone so far so fast and new opportunities keep presenting themselves. Already the recipient of Platinum and Gold records and music industry acclaim, Jackie has accepted a new challenge and will make her debut as an actress. She plays Robert Redford's daughter in The Company You Keep, a political thriller that Redford also directs and produces.

When "O Holy Night," which was Jackie's major label debut, was released in November of 2010, it became the year's #1 best-selling debut recording with sales exceeding 1 million copies. It rocketed into the Billboard 200 at #2, and the chart and sales success securedJackie's position as the year's top-selling debut artist as well as the youngest female solo artist to debut during the SoundScan era. In addition to its pop chart success, "O Holy Night" reached #1 on the Billboard Classical Chart and #2 on the Billboard Holiday chart.

In June 2011, Dream With Me, her first studio album was released. A mix of operatic arias, show tunes and pop standards, it debuted on the Billboard Top 200 chart at #2 and was certified Gold after only four weeks. When PBS aired "Dream With Me In Concert" on their Great Performances series, it became one of their most broadcast programs of the year and was used extensively during pledge drives.Heavenly Christmas, a full-length holiday album, was released in November 2011 and is sure to become a holiday classic.

In the summer of 2011, Jackie sold out concert halls around the country during a tour that culminated with a show at home in Pittsburgh and later at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Though other pre-teen singers are limited to pop tunes, Jackie's understanding of classical phrasing and her perfect pitch and diction allow her to tackle difficult music that is far beyond the ability of her peers. "I never really had a pop voice," she once said. "But even if I had a pop voice, I would have gone with classical because it's different from what many other children do, because with classical you're able to show emotion in it."

McCallum Theatre presents Jackie Evancho tonight, November 16, at 8:00pm.  Tickets are $129, $89, $69 and $49 and are available online at www.mccallumtheatre.com or by calling the McCallum Theatre Box Office at (760) 340-2787.   



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