Theater Review – January 24, 2025

IN LOCAL DEBUT TITUSS BURGESS DISAPPOINTS IN SCOTTSDALE CONCERT

Tituss Burgess In Concert
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater
Scottsdale AZ

By Chris Curcio
Theater Critic

Broadway, television, and film star Tituss Burgess made his local debut performance in a disappointing concert at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.  The show was not disappointing because of the talented performer who sings well and swaggers around the stage but because the disjointed show and sloppy performance didn’t showcase Burgess positively.

The performer arrived on stage after his musical ensemble played a splashy and very loud introduction. The musicians were more casually attired than is usual for a Scottsdale Center show. Then Burgess bounded on stage in sporty green plaid pants and a dark, very blah top.  Not a performer the crowd wanted to watch.  He sashayed around the stage in a random and rambling fashion as he told the small audience of less than half a theater that he didn’t have any catchy stories to tell because he “doesn’t like them.”

He went quickly through a collection of pop tunes and though he played lengthy runs in two Broadway musicals – “Moulin Rouge” and “Little Mermaid” – he never sang from either of his hit shows. His only theater songs came from a Gershwin “Porgy and Bess” medley.

He even left the stage to his musicians because he said that he had “to go to the bathroom.”  What performer gives that lame excuse as opposed to just leaving the stage after introducing his musicians?

After a welcome intermission, Burgess ran around the theater seeking audience questions which he hurriedly answered with slyly sarcastic comments.  Audiences came to hear Burgess sing and not to answer trivial questions.

Many observations occurred during his sloppy and ill-conceived performance.  First, the tiny audience immediately started exiting the theater in noticeable numbers right from the concert’s beginning, a trend that continued throughout his mercifully short appearance.  His miserable performance didn’t have a positive impact.  I would certainly not go out of my way to ever see him again in either a concert or musical performance.  Frequently, Burgess appeared bored and one wonders if he even really wanted to appear here. The draggy performance would turn away any Burgess neophyte.

Lastly, I’m not even sure Burgess was at all energized to appear.  Boredom smacked all over the performance. Perhaps witnessing Burgess in a big Broadway musical might make a more positive impression but his Scottsdale Center performance did NOT achieve this goal.  Most performers attempt to entertain dynamically.  Never happened at Burgess’ Scottsdale performance.

Fortunately, Tituss Burgess will probably never again perform on a local stage.  Let’s hope he decides at some point in the future that he wants to share his talents with audiences in a positive manner.

Grade: D