Thursday night at 6:30 p.m., Athens locals were permitted to do the unthinkable: talk about Bruno. Not only was the fictional seer discussed, but all ages sang about him, enjoying the rich sounds of Colombian folk styles like vallenato and bambuco through the award-winning Disney movie, “Encanto.”
“Encanto: The Sing-Along Film Concert” was hosted by Ohio Performing Arts in Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium for all ages to come and enjoy the movie and its soundtrack. The concert is a cross-national tour where “Encanto” lovers can sing along with their favorite songs from the movie. General tickets were $20, senior tickets were $18 and children/student tickets were $15.
“Encanto” is a 2021 animated film that centers around the Madrigal family, an extraordinary family who lives in a Colombian village. The magic of their home, the Encanto, blessed every member with a gift except for the protagonist, Mirabel. Mirabel ends up being what saves the Encanto, ensuring the family can continue to serve its community.
The movie’s soundtrack contains eight original songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. It was an immediate commercial success, topping the Billboard 200 chart for nine weeks.
During the concert, the movie was projected behind a live band, Banda de la Casita, that performed the entire soundtrack, including popular songs such as “Surface Pressure,” “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” and “Dos Oruguitas.” Audience members were encouraged to sing along by the host of the concert, Veronica Tierra.
Tierra has been with the show for three years and said the movie means a lot to her.
“I’m Colombian, so I think it’s the first time I see someone that’s close to a princess I feel like I can connect with,” she said. “I think it’s really cool how in the music a lot of the kids get to learn a lot about our culture.”
In her signature princess voice, Tierra sang a lot of the female lead songs, dancing along to the lively music and keeping the crowd engaged while doing so.
The crowd was filled with a lot of Mirabels and Isabellas with the occasional Bruno or Camillo. Some of the younger attendees could not hold in their delight for being there, standing up and dancing along with the music. Throughout the performance, many noises could be heard including, but not limited to, the occasional sob, chatter and lots and lots of giggles.
The magic of the movie was felt by all, regardless of age. In attendance were Megan Westervelt and her husband Josue Arteaga. Westervelt said a big reason for coming to the concert was an opportunity to have a toddler-free date night and enjoy a movie the two of them love.
“It was really fun to come out,” she said. “I think the opportunity to (see) the live band was a big one for us.”
Arteaga is originally from Ecuador, and he said the movie was a nice reminder of home.
“It’s very close to home,” he said. “It’s mainly Columbia-based, but there are a lot of similarities.”
Banda de la Casita certainly kept the energy up, with members passionately playing their instruments and adding their own touches to the hit soundtrack.
A variety of instruments were featured including an accordion, maracas and bongos. Tierra said most of the band members are from Colombia, making them excited to share their culture and music with Athens.
One of the most special moments was when Ronald Polo, who played the bongos and maracas for most of the concert, got up to perform “Dos Oruguitas.” The song, sung entirely in Spanish, tells the story of the life and death of Pedro Madrigal, Mirabel’s grandfather. The song is quite emotional, and Polo’s impressive vibrato matched the song’s meaning and significance perfectly. Even the youngest of attendees sat still, enraptured with the talent on display.
The concert was wrapped up in possibly the most fitting way: a huge dance party for all. The entire band took center stage as it played, “Colombia, Mi Encanto.” The crowd was encouraged to stand up and clap along with the music, thanking the performers for a memorable night.
Tierra said the closing number is a highlight of the show.
“It’s kind of like a mini party,” she said. “My favorite part is just telling everybody to get up and inviting them to dance with us. Everyone’s just enjoying the music.”
After the final round of applause, the audience walked out of MemAud, humming their favorite songs and lightly dancing, feeling enchanted by “Encanto.”
