Remember how I said I was traveling this week? For those of you that saw any of my social media posts this weekend then you already know where I went and some of what I did. For those of you that didn’t get a chance to see any of those posts or even just a portion of them, I’ll try to fill you in.
My ticket for Olivia Newton-John at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, TX on March 23, 2018
I went to San Antonio, Texas to see Olivia Newton-John in concert. It was one of the last dates of performances listed at her website as well as Ticket Master and Live Nation at the time I looked. I dithered for a bit deciding if I wanted to go to San Antonio, the next to last date, or Lake Charles, the last date listed. The Lake Charles performance was in a casino venue and San Antonio was in a theater called the Majestic Theatre. I had never been to either place so both would be an adventure. It came down to the fact that I knew there was a lot to see in San Antonio so it would be worth it to spend the weekend. All I knew about Lake Charles was that the concert was at a casino and I’m not much of a gambler or casino person. So. San Antonio.
Plaque outside of the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, TX telling about it.
As I was looking up what to do and see in San Antonio, besides the Alamo, I found out that the Majestic Theatre is a historic theatre and considered one of the sites to see in San Antonio. That was a nice little bonus to this trip. I was liking this choice even more.
I don’t like hassling parking for concerts even at home so I tried to find a place to stay that would be close enough to the theatre that I could walk and not have to hassle a parking garage or any other parking. There are several hotels right around there, probably because the it’s only a block or two off the Riverwalk and walking distance to the Alamo. So I chose a place on the Riverwalk and a couple of blocks from the Majestic Theatre.
The marquee of the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, TX announcing the show for Olivia Newton-John
I don’t like cutting things to close when I travel for events so I flew in Thursday for a Friday night concert. I used Thursday to check out the Riverwalk and find some good Mexican food. And I walked over to the theatre and got a shot of the marquee out front.
The day of the concert I had to wander past the theatre to see if the buses were there yet. They weren’t at first so I wandered over to the box office. There was this line so I walked up to find out what was going on.
They were waiting in line for Corynation tickets. When I walked by the box office the night before I saw something about Corynation but didn’t have a clue what it was. So I asked. It’s a play put on as part of Fiesta that covers the significant events in San Antonio during the previous year. I spent about an hour talking with these ladies about San Antonio and things in general until they were finally able to get their tickets. They were great fun and while I didn’t get their names, they did allow me to snap a picture of their smiling faces and charming personalities.
A really great group of ladies I met in front of the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, TX. They were waiting in line for Corynation tickets. They were really fun to talk to.
As I was visiting with the ladies in front of the theatre the tour buses pulled up out back. I strolled by and tried to look in the back stage area without being obvious but saw nothing so on my way I went. I wandered around the block again later figuring they might be doing the sound check and I might be able to hear something but it was all closed up by then and if they were doing a sound check then that place was well insulated. I stopped and spoke with someone who works for the Majestic and he was telling me a little about the place. Like, that the constellation on the ceiling is the same as the one in the sky on opening night. Also, he said it seats about 2400 people. Its sister theatre on the same block seats about 800. But 2400 people? Really? Wow, this was going to be a nice intimate setting. It’s also beautiful inside and has great acoustics.
The view of the stage as I walked into the theatre at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, TX
When I came back later for the show that same person I spoke with earlier was there working valet. He recognized me and welcomed me back. It was a little before the doors were due to open and he said he heard them rehearsing in there and it sounded great.
Around this time some one else who works there happened by and after a couple of questions she asked about my seat so I showed her my ticket. She said I had an excellent seat because even though it was row E on that side there was no row A. I had a fourth row
seat. This didn’t register completely until I started walking to my seat and getting closer, and closer, and closer to the stage. Holy Cow! I really had a fourth row seat.
The view of the stage from my seat. No zoom used. This is how it looked to the naked eye. Majestic Theatre, San Antonio, TX March 23, 2018
She came over to check on me and then managed to do what was in her power to add a little to the evening. It was not in her power to get me an autograph or back stage, but she did add something extra to the experience. I saw her as I was leaving the theatre and thanked her. As I was looking back at the stage she tells me, ‘she’s not coming back out or I would have told you.’
I could give you a review of the concert and probably a complete set list even but this is already getting to be a long post so, I will try to keep it brief and still hit some of the things that stuck out for me.
We were asked before she came out not to take pictures at her request. And I will say, I think most people respected that. The few that didn’t were very quickly asked to put the phone away. As much as I would have liked to have snapped a shot, I didn’t out of respect. So, all my picture of the stage and theatre are from before the show. You can see pictures of her on the Majestic Theatre’s FaceBook page. There are some good shots.
As far as Olivia Newton-John’s performance? The woman can sing a guitar solo. No really. She sang along with the guitar solo in the song ‘Physical’. After 30 years or so of singing the song it’s not remarkable that she would know it. To me, it’s remarkable that she can, and does, sing it. There is a ‘grown up’ arrangement/version of the song ‘Physical’. I’ve heard it and I prefer it. It’s the version I was hoping she would play. And for a few bars it looked like that’s what they were going to do. Until she announced that she wasn’t ready to be grown up yet. So they switched to the regular version. I was a little disappointed, I admit, and then I realized she was singing the guitar solo. After doing jumping jacks. Yeah.
Her guitarist for the night was Andy Timmons which was cool because I’ve seen where he’s done a few things with her in the past. (Check the liner notes on her 2 CD for starters.) I’ll be looking him up soon as he’s apparently got quite a bit of his own thing going on as well.
I loved the choices of songs for the set list. She did the ones you would expect from Grease and Xanadu, as well as ‘Physical’ and a medley of some of her earlier songs. She did a song from the CD she released, and was supposed to tour for, just before her original bout with breast cancer. She sang a couple of the environmental songs she wrote. Really lovely songs. She did briefly discuss her most recent dealing with breast cancer. I think it was in introducing the song ‘Live On’. This is the point where I think we brought her close to tears. The support, and out pouring you could hear from the audience was incredible. It had a completely different sound and vibe than all the other cheering of the night. This was genuine affection at the word that she’s doing well. Afterwards, I met a man who came with his mother who is also a breast cancer survivor.
Another view inside the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, TX. This would have been visible from the stage when the lights were up. It’s a small taste of some really incredible decor in the theatre.
Olivia Newton-John was fabulous. She was funny, engaging, she sounded great and seemed to be happy to be there. There were several times in between songs where they brought up the house lights so she could see everyone. The crowd knew the words to most of the songs and there were a few that she probably could have stopped singing and they would have finished them for her. It was something cool to get to hear. At the end she sang her thanks and gratitude by closing with the songs ‘Grace and Gratitude’ and ‘I Honestly Love You’. And then, she and Andy Timmons came out with acoustic guitar and encored with ‘The Long And Winding Road’.
It was a gorgeous concert. Simple, no flash, fun, and just a great experience. And, were it possible I would do it again, a hundred times.
And that was just Friday. Already I was glad I had chosen to go to San Antonio. It was turning out to be a really great trip. And I still had two more days in San Antonio. Give me a day or so and I’ll fill you in on the rest of the trip.