Three Amigos

On the anniversary of their last show with the Pops Orchestra, Queensland’s Three Tenors, Adam Lopez, Nathan Kneen and Gregory Moore, were back for more of the same to the delight of a capacity audience. Singing solos, duets and trios made famous by the original three tenors (Domingo/Carreras/Pavarotti), plus putting their own spin on some recent tenor standards, and with the orchestra in top form, it was a fitting finale concert to a year of outstanding work by the Pops.

The three guys made a musical meal of “La Donna e Mobile” and “Funiculi Finicula”, sang the heart out of Miss Saigon’s “Bue Doi” and encored with a rafter-raising “Nessun Dorma”. Kneen’s solo turn on “Stars” (Les Misérables) showed off his gorgeous pipes, Lopez scored with a pop-opera take on “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” (The Sound of Music), whilst Moore was in his element with the Celtic “My Land”. Last year the trio pulled laughs dressed in kimonos doing G&S’s “Three Little Maids”; this year they were Andrews Sisters with blonde wigs and khaki uniforms swinging “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”.

Lopez and his mother Maria Costa on castanets added loads of fun to “La boda de luis Alonso”, the zarzuela standard, and with the concert ending saluting Peter Allen, it gave an excuse to don South American costumes and swish the hips to “I Go To Rio”.

The Voices of Birralee added vocal strength to the concerted numbers throughout, whilst QUT dancers added sparkle to the Andrew Sisters and Peter Allen medleys.

Patrick Pickett was a genial host and kept his ingratiating jokes to a minimum this year, whilst the finale sent the applause meter into overdrive. The Pops know their audience and they delivered!

Peter Pinne