Andrea Bocelli is set to star in yet another Christmas musical special for CBS this holiday season. Fans of the legendary Italian tenor who showed up to the Kia Forum in Inglewood on Sunday got a spectacular sneak preview of the proceedings, along with captivating cameos from Jennifer Hudson, Il Volo, David Foster, and a virtual Dua Lipa, among other guest appearances. The 66-year-old singer was on the fourth stop of his ten-night tour celebrating his 30-year career in music, and if he proved anything, it was that he has plenty of gas left in the tank, as well as a plethora of talented friends to partake in his journey.
The two-and-a-half hour evening began with a video montage recounting his impressive resume. From his 17 solo albums and numerous operas to scores of awards and epic live performances, Bocelli has fashioned a peerless, multilingual repertoire for himself over the years—and, more importantly, one deserving of a world-class voice such as his.
Those prodigious pipes of Bocelli’s were on full display from the very beginning. With the Cal State Fullerton choir and an orchestra at his back, he opened with a lilting rendition of “La donna e mobile”, from Giuseppe Verdi’s classic opera Rigoletto. He promptly took a turn toward the dramatic with more Verdi classics, including “Di quella pira” from Il Trovatore and “La mia letizia infondere” from I Lombardi.
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The first act, in fact, was comprised entirely of operatic classics, though Bocelli hardly handled them all alone. On “Tace il labbro” from the Italian version of The Merry Widow, he was joined by soprano Cadie Bryan, who also nailed a soaring solo on “Je veux vivre” from Romeo et Juliette. Baritone Edward Parks assisted Bocelli on “Au fond du temple Saint” from George Bizet’s Le pecheurs de perles, but only after pointing out “Figaro” after “Figaro” after “Figaro” on “Largo al Factotum” from Gioachino Rossini’s The Barber of Seville. Both singers joined Bocelli together on “Non m’inganno…ella scende” from Il Trovatore, before he and Bryan closed out the first part with a duet to the unmistakable “Brindisi” from La Traviata.
After a 20-minute intermission, Bocelli returned to the stage for the holiday-and-pop portion of the show. With network television cameras recording all around, the maestro played the part of a joyous and gracious host to a slew of guests across a more pop-focused song list.
He got the show going again while playing piano as his wife, Veronica, and 12-year-old daughter, Virginia, joined him on “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”. The family affair would continue later on, with Virginia assisting her father on “Away in a Manger” and “Silver Bells” and Veronica combining with her husband on an Italian version of “Silent Night”.
In between those heartwarming Bocelli family gatherings, Andrea brought a pair of pop stars onto the stage, in distinct forms. First came Jennifer Hudson, who assumed the spotlight on her own as she belted out “Auld Lang Syne”. The EGOT winner went on to faithfully deliver Celine Dion’s part on “The Prayer” alongside Bocelli, with famed producer David Foster on piano.
After a solo rendition of “Oh Holy Night” in both Italian and French, Bocelli drew support from a virtual Dua Lipa as an accompaniment on their original duet, “If Only”, from the 2018 album Si.
As much as those appearances spoke to Bocelli’s global impact and star power, the second half of the second set shed far more light on how he came to rank among the most recognizable voices on Earth.
On the heels of “Adeste Fideles” (the Italian version of “O Come, All Ye Faithful”), he welcomed his old friend Zucchero Fornaciari to the stage. The famed Italian singer-songwriter and musician had a decisive hand in discovering Bocelli during the 1990s. It was only fitting, then, that Zucchero would be a part of this momentous tour. The 69-year-old seized the microphone for a cover of The Korgis’ “Everybody’s Got to Learn Sometime” prior to pairing with Andrea on “Cosi Celeste” and “Miserere”.
The run of additional Italian artists continued with the trio Il Volo, who got their own feature with “Nelle Tue Mani” ahead of a quintet performance next to Bocelli on the classic “O Sole Mio”. Former American Idol contestant Pia Toscano served as Andrea’s duet partner on “Vivo per lei” and “Canto Della Terra” to close out the second set.
Of course, Bocelli wasn’t going to leave his Southern California fans hanging without a proper encore. To that end, he certainly didn’t disappoint. He brought Cadie back out for “Con te partiro” and sent the sold-out crowd home with his signature rendition of “Nessun dorma” from Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot.
All of those performances ought to make for a compelling TV special for Bocelli’s admirers to enjoy this Christmas. But many of them won’t have to wait even that long to bask in his singing splendor, if they so choose. He will wrap up this run of shows with appearances in Rosemont, IL, Boston, and Uncasville, CT en route to two nights at Madison Square Garden in New York City and one in his adopted American hometown of Miami.
Should Bocelli’s biggest American fans fail to make it to any of those performances, there are plenty more scheduled across the U.S. in 2025. After spending New Years Eve in Abu Dhabi and playing a pair of shows in Latvia next month, he will be back stateside for February dates in Nebraska, Tennessee, Florida, and Georgia. Find tickets here or try the secondary market.
Check out fan-shot videos courtesy of barry king and a gallery of photos below.
Andrea Bocelli Introduces Jennifer Hudson At Kia Forum 12/8/24
Andrea Bocelli With Jennifer Hudson & David Foster – “The Prayer” – 12/8/24
