Singers Showcase: One Sweet Day—The Music of Mariah Carey
Singers Showcase: One Sweet Day—The Music of Mariah Carey poster
Image courtesy of Berklee College of Music
Revel in an immersive evening of live entertainment presented by an outstanding global cast of Berklee students, as they celebrate American singer-songwriter, record producer, actress, and humanitarian Mariah Carey—one of the most iconic, gifted, influential, and best-selling music artists of all time.
Showcasing the craft and artistry of over 80 Berklee students, the concert features vocalists, instrumentalists, arrangers, conductors, dancers, choreographers, VJs and visual designers, and track producers, who have each earned their coveted spot from hundreds of student auditions. Sharing their eclectic blend of styles and cultures, the interdisciplinary cast will explore, reinterpret, and breathe new life into Carey’s beloved repertoire alongside some special musical guests.
Prepare to experience lush musical arrangements alongside an intimate acoustic set in the vein of Carey’s stunning MTV Unplugged live performance and accompanying EP (1992), which helped silence critics who speculated that her talent only translated in the studio.
The concert will include an exciting collaboration with the Dance Division at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, featuring the creations of world-class guest faculty choreographers Anthony Burrell and Raul Cruz. Burrell is Mariah Carey’s former creative director, choreographer, and dancer consultant, working with the icon for the #1 to Infinity Las Vegas residency, All I Want for Christmas Is You at the Beacon Theatre, NYC, the Sweet Sweet Fantasy Tour, and many more performances. Specializing in hip-hop and commercial dance composition and performance, Cruz has worked with pop artists Thea Austin of the Eurodance hit “Rhythm Is a Dancer,” Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas, and boy band Frequency 5, whose concerts have aired on MTV in the United States and Asia.
Juxtaposing singles and song remixes with creative medleys, the setlist will include “Vision of Love,” “Emotions,” “Dreamlover,” “Hero,” “Fantasy,” “One Sweet Day,” “Always Be My Baby,” “Heartbreaker,” “My All,” “Honey,” “Without You,” “We Belong Together,” “Endless Love,” “I’ll Be There,” “When You Believe,” “Make It Happen,” “Love Takes Time” “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” “yes, and?,” “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now),” and “Anytime You Need a Friend,” to name a few.
After receiving voice lessons from her mother, a former opera singer and vocal coach, at the tender age of 4, Carey continued to cultivate her technique and phenomenal five-octave vocal range, inspired by some of her idols, including the legendary gospel group the Clark Sisters, and soul singer Minnie Riperton. In writing and producing for her own voice, Carey became an experimental and savvy architect of sound, honing a signature melismatic singing style; resonant belt and controlled mix; the ethereal use of the whistle register; and a highly intricate background vocal layering approach on her recordings.
In addition to inspiring generations of vocalists, including legendary divas Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera, and Ariana Grande, Carey has written, produced, and performed some of the biggest hits of the 20th and 21st centuries, including 19 no. 1 hits (18 self-penned) on the Billboard’s Hot 100—the highest of any solo artist—and second only to the Beatles for the most no. 1 songs in the chart’s history. Over an incredible career spanning more than three decades, Carey’s powerful influence on pop and R&B vocal styling, songwriting, and production is undeniable. With her innovative body of work forging a tradition of genre crossover that infuses elements of soul, gospel, quiet storm, new jack swing, and hip-hop, she was also one of the first major artists to popularize rappers performing featured verses in mainstream songs.
In the ’90s, Carey and fellow legendary singers Celine Dion ‘21H and the late Whitney Houston, were fondly dubbed “the Vocal Trinity”—a trio of soulful powerhouse pop divas who dominated the charts. Marrying their supreme technique, musicality, and remarkable vocal ranges with dazzling multisyllabic melismas and raw emotional intensity, their immeasurable influence and enduring cultural relevance continues to impact contemporary music and generations of aspiring artists.
Currently on the last stretch of her fifth Las Vegas residency, the Celebration of Mimi, Carey has released 15 studio albums and sold more than 200 million albums worldwide. She has also received innumerous prestigious accolades, including an induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, an Academy Award, five Grammy Awards, 34 Grammy nominations, 20 Billboard Music Awards, a Billboard Icon Award, 10 American Music Awards, an Ivor Novello Special International Award, a Tony Award nomination, a GLAAD Ally Award, and earlier this year, the Global Impact Award, bestowed by the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective for being a “Black music creator whose dedication to the art form has greatly influenced the industry and whose legacy of service inspires countless individuals worldwide.” The concert is produced by Maureen McMullan P.D. ‘09.
Please note: Mariah Carey will not be performing or appearing at this show. This is a tribute concert, featuring talented Berklee students performing her music.