The Ten Tenors at the Phillips Center

Internationally acclaimed singing sensation The Ten Tenors sang, danced and entertained nearly a full house at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts last night (Nov. 3) as part of their Nostalgica World Tour 2009.
The Australian-bred singers, dressed in black suits, sang a variety of pieces, including some opera, a medley of Australian folk songs and American classics like the rock-‘n’-roll hit “Great Balls of Fire,” “Danny Boy” and “Stand By Me,” which had the audience clapping and singing along. Live musicians and spotlights featured the Tenors individually as each intermittently sang solos throughout the night.
Following the first few songs, tenor Stewart Morris gave a brief introductory speech in which he said, “Forget about our suits and the fact that we’re so good-looking. Pretend you’re at a Gator game and have a good time tonight.” The atmosphere was a lighthearted one as the Tenors captivated the audience with the rich tones of their harmonious blended voices, as well as their many hand gestures, facial expressions and dance moves.

It was evident they were having fun on stage. In between songs, they told jokes and encouraged audience members to participate in their performance. Scattered chuckles could be heard as one Tenor said, “Clap. Cheer. Run around naked in the room if you want.” No one got naked, but applause and cheering certainly were abundant, as the singers were well received. At one point, a couple Tenors sang a line from “We Are The Boys From Old Florida,” which gained even more applause and whistling from the crowd.

The Tenors were also sporting mustaches, or at least the beginnings of them, to which Morris explained that that was not how they normally looked, but that they were participating in Movember, a mustache-growing charity event during the month of November, created to raise money and awareness for men’s health issues, specifically prostate cancer.

—Story and photos by Sarah Hsu