Nélida Nassar   8.25.2026

Cynthia Erivo gave a stunning one-off concert at Tanglewood on August 21, 2026 accompanied by the Boston Pops Orchestra and pianist and music director Mark G. Meadows. After a prelude of Broadway theater energy featuring the jazz and sparkling wit of Leonard Bernstein’s Overture to Candide, under the baton of Anthony Parnther, Erivo warmly welcomed her thousands of fans with these words: “Hello Tanglewood! Tonight, we might laugh, we might cry, but we will do this together. I will be with you. You will be with me. And we’ll have a great night!” Born in the U.K. to Nigerian parents, the actress, singer, songwriter and filmmaker, has become a star of both musical theater and cinema in the span of just ten years. Well known for her work on Broadway and the London stage, she performs songs from musicals and soul music, as well as her own original compositions.

Her voice is one of today’s purest and most beautiful. At different moments during the show, she was able to bring the audience to absolute silence so it could capture her mezza-voce’s softest nuances. Her eclectic recital with the Boston Pops Orchestra consisted of a skillful mix of classic, mostly American songs of the 1960s, including soul (Aretha Franklin’s “Ain’t No Way”); pop/rock (Prince’s “Purple Rain”); blue-eyed soul (Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U”); a blend of blues, jazz-rock and soul (Al Kooper’s “I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know”); indie rock and folk rock, with elements of alternative pop and neo-psychedelic (Burt Bacharach’s “Alfie”), as well as musical comedy repertoire (Barbra Streisand’s “Don’t Rain on My Parade”) from Funny Girl.

Throughout the concert, she displayed an authentic and relaxed presence, rather than adopting the attitude of an unapproachable diva, and won the audience over with her charm, humor, and down-to-earth nature. On stage she performed barefoot, sometimes singing seated on a stool, sometimes leaving it to walk the aisles and greet her public — all the while blending soulful cabaret with high vocal drama and delivering a powerhouse performance. Her ability to command the stage and electrify the crowd was astonishing.

Some of Erivo’s fans who flocked to her concert at the Koussevitzky Music Shed might have caught her Tony-winning performance as Celie in “The Color Purple.” Others may have watched her portrayals of Harriet Tubman on film or Aretha Franklin on television. And then there was the potential contact high of seeing and hearing the actress who plays Elphaba in the film adaptation of Wicked. Notably absent from the setlist were the many hit songs from The Color Purple, Harriet, and Wicked. Following the intermission, the Pops honored the eclectic theme with the “Scherzo: Finale” from Florence Price’s Symphony No. 3 in C minor, which blends classical European forms with vibrant American folk and vernacular idioms.

Over the course of the evening Erivo unleashed a voice of emphatic attacks, coruscating timbres, singular styling and an uncanny ability to hot-wire singer, song and listener together. Whatever on-ramp got them there, the packed-house crowd was united in their ecstatic, thunderous response to the singer’s power-charged performance.

The next part of the program consisted mostly of familiar numbers: a power ballad (David Foster/Linda Thompson’s “I Have Nothing”); a Happy Ending film song (Michel Legrand/Alan Bergman/Marilyn Bergman’s “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life”); a soul tune (Carole King/Gerry Goffin/Jerry Wexler’s “Natural Woman”); and (Newley/Bricusse’s “Feeling Good”, famously covered by Nina Simone). The encore, (John Lennon/Paul McCartney’s “Let It Be,”) brought a profound sense of peace and reassurance. A positive high note to close the evening, which ended with a well-deserved standing ovation to the energetic, interactive and just overall amazing performer Erivo is. It was well worth the trip from London to the Berkshires and the overnight stay.