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Although Friday the 13th might be an unlucky date for some, it’s certainly not for music lovers at the Newton Theatre in Newton, NJ this Friday, December 13, 2019. These lucky listeners are happily waiting inside the cozy Newton Theatre auditorium for a uplifting concert of holiday music from teenage vocal phenom Jackie Evancho. Jackie Evancho is a classical crossover singer who gained wide recognition at an early age. The second of four children, Jackie, 19, was born in Pittsburgh to Lisa and Michael Evancho. After seeing the film version of Phantom of the Opera as a young child, Jackie began to sing the musical’s songs at home. Her parents didn’t realize her voice was unusual, however, until she competed in her first talent competition just before her eighth birthday and took second place. Jackie began taking voice lessons and singing at events, churches, and nursing homes in Pennsylvania, and was even cast in the title role of her school’s musical version of Little Red Riding Hood. At the age of ten, she gained national attention with her second place finish in Season Five of America’s Got Talent. Even though she had auditioned twice for the show without success, ultimately she was accepted as a contestant.

When she appeared on the broadcast, the judges were thrilled with her performance of Puccini’s aria, “O Mio Babbino Caro”. Afterwards, questions arose as to whether her performance had been lip-synched. On the next evening’s show, Jackie sang an impromptu vocal exercise to demonstrate that the previous performance was her actual live voice. After that, judge Howie Mandel addressed the issue suggesting that what people were really saying about Evancho’s vocal prowess was that it was “too good to be true.”

Following America’s Got Talent, Evancho released a series of best-selling albums including three which were Billboard 200 Top Ten debuts. Her latest recording — 2019’s The Debut — is her eighth consecutive recording to reach #1 on the US Classical Albums Chart.

At the Newton Theatre, the stage is set with a grand piano, a drum set, and a pair of chairs and music stands for two instrumentalists. Behind the musical equipment is a large backdrop depicting the skyline of a wintertime city with large Christmas trees.

The auditorium lights dim and pianist Jorn Swart, drummer Devin Collins, violinist Aimee Brian, and cellist Loni Bach take their places on the stage.

Jackie Evancho enters to large applause. Sporting a dress which is strapless on one side but with a jacket and sleeve on the other, Evancho launches into a pair of holiday favorites, “Silver Bells” and “Christmas Waltz.”

Her light soprano voice filling the theater with holiday joy as she performs these classics accompanied by grand piano, violin, and cello, Evancho sings with feeling, looking lovely as colored lights rain down on the stage. After welcoming the crowd, Evancho tells the audience that the current season is her “favorite time of year” before launching into “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Showing her range and the depth of her vocal tone, she croons, “Christmas Eve’ll find me/Where the love light gleams/I’ll be home for Christmas/If only in my dreams,” while piano and strings swell and percussionist Devin Collins rolls cymbals with mallets to a shimmering conclusion. Evancho’s voice floats out over the audience on “White Christmas,” the lush strings resounding as audience members shout “Bravo!”

Acknowledging, “The Debut is my latest album, and it’s one where I got to use my creative side,” Evancho reveals, “I fell in love with this song from Wicked, and I knew I could do something fun with it.” Here, she performs an arrangement of “I’m Not That Girl” from Wicked which also morphs into a selection from Waitress, “She Used to Be Mine,” weaving the two numbers together as if they’re a single piece. As Evancho sings, her voice pleads telling a story of unrequited love from Wicked, but also communicates a message of change as she segues into the piece from Waitress, providing a clever and creative juxtaposition of ideas for all of the listeners in the house.