By Andrew Poretz . . . .

The New York Pops closed its season back in March with a spectacular finish (see HERE). In the equivalent of a post-season bowl game, the Pops returned for its annual Gala Concert, celebrating its 42nd birthday.. Theater Pizzazz was invited to the concert.

The Gala honored Diane Warren, a prolific and award-winning hit songwriter whose career spans nearly half a century. Warren has written for a diverse range of artists across genres, including such stars as Bette Midler, LeAnn Rimes, Celine Dion and Michael Bolton. She has also collaborated with many songwriters, including Elton John, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga. Warren’s songwriting style blends raw emotional power with a somewhat formulaic commercial appeal, with unforgettable, catchy hooks. While Warren holds an honorary Academy Award, she has had an astounding 16 nominations with no wins, making her the Susan Lucci of the Oscars.

Unlike the regular season Pops concerts, there was no song list in the program, and several anticipated performers fell ill in the 48 hours prior to showtime. [I must confess: as more of a “jazz standards guy,” many songs and performers were previously unknown to me.]

The concert was a veritable parade of Broadway stars, including as Micaela Diamond (The Cher Show, Parade), Shoshana Bean (Hell’s Kitchen), singer/songwriters as Storm Large and Mykal Kilgore, and recording superstars like Taylor Dane and LeAnn Rimes.

After the 78-piece orchestra performed Maestro Steven Reineke’s marvelous overture of Warren songs, he introduced Warren, along with her legendary producer, Clive Davis, both seated in a box above stage left. Reineke rattled off an impressive list of Warren’s many accomplishments before bringing out his first guest.

Reineke introduced Micaela Diamond to sing one of Cher’s biggest hits, “If I Could Turn Back Time.” Diamond, with a long mane of curly blonde hair, wore a dazzling dress, and was backed by a “girl group” of supporting vocalists Stephanie Fisher, Melodie Ray, and Charlyn E.M. Willis. Diamond worked the stage. She has a distinctive singing style that made her rendition warmer than Cher’s.

Apparently, Michael Bolton was originally going to appear, but had to bow out due to illness. In his stead was the great Storm Large, a favorite of this reviewer. She statuesque beauty killed it on Bolton’s 1989 hit, “How Can We Be Lovers,” enhanced by a sizzling electric guitar solo by Dillon Kondor.

Shoshana Bean slowed things down with “Because You Loved Me,” a big hit for Celine Dion. Bean wore a tight, leopard-print bottom with a matching “donut” around her midsection, and a black top. Her powerful, expressive interpretation garnered the first standing ovation of the evening.

Beninese-French singer Angélique Kidjosang, wearing New York Mets orange and blue, performed the rhythmic “Sunlight to My Soul,” which had a very “Graceland” vibe to it. The audience clapped along to this one.

Sophia Carson performed what Reineke described as a powerful, emotionally charged ballad, “Applause,” which Carson introduced in the film Tell It Like a Woman. While Carson’s voice is soulful and beautiful, the lyrics were unintelligible. (My companion asked in what language she was singing.)

The singer originally scheduled to sing “The Journey” became ill two days earlier. Reineke reached out to soul singer Ryan Shaw, who was literally “still on the tarmac” at JFK when Reineke called. Shaw had never sung this song, but he learned it, did a single rehearsal, and then stopped the show with it. Dressed somewhat royally, with a long mane of blond curls, Shaw owned this number. His powerful, sure vocals on the back end warranted a sustained standing ovation.

The Pops is known for their support of music education for young people. Thanks to strong sponsorship, some 800 students had free seats in the balcony, while 22 student musicians “sat in” with the orchestra. Singer Mykal Kilgore, with some 40 kids from “Camp Broadway,” in a a sparkly turquoise jumpsuit, performed a fun, energetic “Rhythm of the Night.” The kids, having the time of their lives, were dressed in bright pastels.

Taylor Dane, a huge star of the late 1980s and early 1990s, performed her 1989 hit, “Love Will Lead You Back.” She profusely thanked Warren and Clive Davis from the stage. Dane looked fabulous and sounded terrific.

Singer Hailey Kilgore was scheduled to sing Beyoncé’s hit “I Was Here”, but called in sick a half hour before showtime. Backup vocalist Charlyn E.M. Willis had her “Shirley MacLaine moment,” taking Kilgore’s place as the lead singer, with no rehearsal, now with only two backup vocalists. Willis was tentative at first, but really came alive in the second half of the number to deliver a stellar performance. Willis earned her big standing ovation.

Reineke announced, “I can’t tell you how happy I am to say this next sentence,” and introduced the evening’s biggest star, LeAnn Rimes, to sing her hit, “How Do I Live,” which Rimes recorded when she was only 14.

Actress and singer Ariana DeBose (The Donna Smmer Musical; the film remake of West Side Story) performed Toni Braxton’s huge hit, “Un-Break My Heart.”

It was surprising to learn that Aerosmith’s only number-one single was “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” which they recorded for the 1998 film, Armageddon. Replacing singer Michael Trotter, Jr., who fell ill, Mykal Kildore returned, now in a black suit with a white and black robe, in the New York Pops tradition of changing outfits between appearances. His voice is soaring and multi-octave, and rather exciting. It was the concert’s biggest highlight.

In a thrilling finale, Reineke introduced Warren on stage and all the stars to perform “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.” The show kids then ran down the parquet aisles to join in.

The stars and benefactors went off to the Gala reception and dance at the Mandarin Oriental in Columbus Circle, overlooking Central Park. Time to start saving up for next year!

For more information about the New York Pops, visit https://newyorkpops.org/.

Photos: Richard Termine