Todrick Hall, Minneapolis, Varsity Theater, Concert, Review, Live, Show
First off, apologies for the delay on this post. My body decided that seven days straight of work and concerts was enough and decided to bless me with both the flu and strep throat this morning. So, that being said, if any of this post doesn’t make sense, I will be blaming it on the copious amounts of medication they put me on.
Last night was a show I was definitely looking forward to. I knew that it was going to be completely different from what I usually see and fit perfectly with my bipolar theme of the week. Todrick Hall is singer, dancer, actor, director, drag queen, choreographer… I mean, do I really need to keep going with this list? The amount of things this thirty-three year old has accomplished is truly astonishing and something I more the respect. Whether he’s out there put out one of his notorious YouTube parody videos or out performing on Broadway, Todrick puts all of his heart into everything little thing he does making him a true inspiration.
Sunday night’s show at The Varsity Theater was part of his 2018 America: The Forbidden Tour which was in support of his newest album Forbidden which came out earlier this year. Honestly, I had never really heard Todrick’s original music was I was excited to see what it would be like. As the lights went down, the modest crowd inched as close as they could to the stage. Cue the dancers. Four beautiful dancers took the stage wearing outfits with flashing lights and cameras all over them as if signifying the paparazzi. Within a couple of bars of music and incredible dancing, the crowd started screaming and out came Todrick Hall in an understated outfit that looked a bit like a black and white striped jail outfit. Okay, not exactly the extravagance I had been expecting but, when he opened his mouth and started singing, I was instantly reminded that this guy is more than just a fashion icon… he’s a brilliant singer with an amazing voice.
Todrick and his dancers pumped through song after song after sound. They music have performed nearly twenty or thirty songs by the time it was all said and done. I loved the way that during Todrick and his dancer’s costume changes, music would still be ringing through the speakers. I watched in awe as his dancers acted out certain songs or just straight up danced their butts off during these breaks. Each time Todrick came out, he would be in a new outfit. Some were absolutely spectacular including this poofy white and back dress with the biggest statement shoulders I had ever seen. Others were more low key like the gym outfit he came out wearing towards the end of the set. Regardless of what Todrick and his dancers were wearing, there was a sense of high fashion that I knew I was going to get from him and was truly excited to see live.
Todrick’s set was full of energy. Not just from him and his dancers, but also from the excited crowd. Although people were respecting everyone’s personal space, there wasn’t a single audience member standing still. Some people were singing long, some just bobbing along to the beat, but all of them had a smile on their face which, how could you not. Not only was Todrick’s smile infectious, so were the smiles on the dancers. You could clearly see that everyone on stage was thrilled to be doing what they are doing which added an absolutely perfect element to this already complete show.
Last night was part Disney, part strip tease from the dancers, part musical and a whole lot of talent. I was captivated throughout the entire show and was always wondering what would come next. Although I could feel the tickle in my throat that is always the sure sign of strep, I stayed put until the bitter end with a smile on my face.
Sunday night’s show was just the icing on the cake for what had been a truly amazing string of concerts. Don’t get stuck in a rut by going to see the same thing night after night. I promise you that life is more interesting when you go to different shows that you thought you’d never go see full of music you never thought you would listen to. Now excuse me while I take a couple of night off to recover!
