Some Enchanted Evening: A Celebration of Musical Theatre Past and Present. Featuring Daniel Vnukowski, piano; Julie Nesrallah, mezzo-soprano; Gino Quilico, baritone; and Stu Harrison, piano. Burlington Performing Arts Centre, November 15, 2025.
Vocal and pianistic fireworks were ablaze on Saturday night inside the Burlington Performing Arts Centre for an intimate soirée entitled Some Enchanted Evening: A Celebration of Musical Theatre Past and Present.
The two vocalists alone, both big names in the opera world, were worth the admission ticket. The cheeky Gino Quilico, from a dynasty of baritones, is renowned for his performances on the world’s biggest operatic stages like La Scala and The Metropolitan Opera. He was paired with the sassy Julie Nesrallah, whose magnetic mezzo voice is heard every weekday when she hosts Tempo on CBC Radio. They were accompanied by the excellent jazz pianist Stu Harrison.
Vocalists: Gino Quilico & Julie Nesrallah
A very engaging performer, Gino delighted audiences with a vast selection of familiar musical numbers. From older shows, there were the concert’s namesake “Some Enchanted Evening” from South Pacific, “You’ll never walk alone” from Carousel, and an interesting mashup of Showboat’s “Old Man River” with Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”
His warm and lyrical baritone is well suited to these Broadway selections. As a nod to his Italian roots, his medley of favourites like “O sole mio” and “Con te partiro,” was particularly well received, especially when he invited audience participation in singing “Arrivederci Roma.”
Julie showed natural humour in her rendition of “Nothing” from A Chorus Line. Her bright palette and powerful coloratura were in full display in My Fair Lady’s “I could have danced all night.” But, it was in the jazzy numbers from 40s and 50s movies that she truly excelled. Her “The man that got away” (A star is born) and “You’ll never know” (Hello, Frisco, Hello) were irresistibly sultry and smoky.
Gino famously played Jean Valjean in the Québec run of Les Misérables, so it was only fitting that he sang a very moving “Bring him home.” Not to be outdone, Julie’s “I dreamed a dream” from the same musical was equally compelling.
Still, I yearned to hear these singers in their natural habitat, and I was delighted when they announced they would each sing one well-known opera aria. Not surprisingly, Julie chose the most famous aria for a mezzo, the “Habanera” from Carmen, a role her personality complements perfectly. This was the evening’s only performance done without a microphone, and the richness of her mezzo voice carried well, even though the acoustics in the venue were not particularly favourable.
Although it was somewhat predictable that Gino would choose another famous baritone aria, “Largo al factotum” from The Barber of Seville, he explained that Figaro is his signature role and calling card. His diction and acting were perfect, but he inexplicably alternated between a Broadway and opera voice with glottal-sounding high notes which did not work well.
Daniel Vnuknowski
For me, the most magical performances of the evening came from Daniel Vnukowski, who played the dual role of pianist and concert host. The beloved radio host of Classical 96.3 FM brought a charismatic presence with his light-hearted humour, and serious star power in his three solo performances of musical selections from Carousel, The King and I and The Sound of Music.
For West Side Story, he engaged the audience in a fun game of finger-snapping and shouting of “Mambo!” Not the average musical overture, these pieces were arrangements with the most intricate and dramatic ornamentations. His playing was eloquent and versatile, a mix of technical brilliance and nuanced sentimentality. His electrifying performances took us on roller-coaster rides through syncopated jazz rhythms and extravagant flourishes, from rapid-fire fingering to tender pianissimo touches.
The delightful evening wrapped with a sing-along of a jazzy version of White Christmas with all the performers. It was worth the drive out to Burlington!
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