Live Review: Once Upon a Time with Josh Groban
9 March 2026 at the Perth River Side Theatre, Western Australia.
Review by Sheldon Ang
Photography by Sheldon Ang Photography
They say we make our own luck, but in Josh Groban’s case, it was a series of serendipitous moments combined with a well‑controlled upper‑range baritone.
“David E. Kelley, who created the show Ally McBeal, asked David Foster, who was working on an album, if I was available, and of course I was very available,” Groban recalled. “He said, ‘OK, I love his voice, so I’m gonna write for him a 30‑second snippet to sing at this wedding…’ The characters, Robert Downey Jr. and Ally McBeal were going to get married, and it was going to be the biggest season finale on television at that time. And you know, one of the greatest actors of any generation… at that time, he was going through some hard things. He wasn’t able to show up on set, so they had to rewrite everything. David Kelley reached out to me and said, ‘Hey, can you act?’ He wrote this character who had this strange, big voice, and I sang two songs on that show… the song that had the biggest impact on my career. I’m going to sing this song, and to those who told me this song means so much to them because they’ve lost someone. This is for you.”
To Where You Are.
The piano tingles in solitude. Within those moments, memories spark from 20 years ago. The calm tenor brings the spirit, perhaps watching us from up above, as we tell her to fly to a distant star. It is such a moment we would give up everything for another, for that special person.
The orchestra in the background enters gently, with long sustained pads. The violin bows undulate, syncing with the moment as his voice rises toward the chorus. It was the moment many had waited a long time for.
We tell them to fly again as his vocals soar to the heavens, oozing palpable sincerity. He may have written this song at a very young age, as he said, but Josh Groban’s sincerity at that point in time touched all five senses, melting our emotions and visceral instincts into the deepest connection – one that is meant to hurt. Yet with the oozing poignancy, melancholy, and solitude, somehow it was still a beautiful moment, despite death being the main storyline. The lingering presence felt spiritual. It felt real. The yearning to be with the lost one is there, yet we also felt hope and comfort in those moments due to their virtual presence – thanks to the dynamic range of Josh Groban’s vocals. His voice moves from intimate to open; the controlled vibrato and resonance strike straight through the soul.
This writer could describe To Where You Are in even more detail over a three‑minute review, but Josh Groban has carried this song with grit throughout his performances.
The five‑time Grammy‑nominated singer, with two Emmy nominations and one Tony Award nomination, was made for showbiz, having graduated in Los Angeles from acting studies in 1999.
Even so, he was destined for live performance after a series of serendipitous events, first as a rehearsal singer at just 16 years old, later standing in for Andrea Bocelli while rehearsing The Prayer with Céline Dion for the 1999 Grammy Awards, through the influential force of David Foster. He was then invited onto The Rosie O’Donnell Show, and the snowball kept rolling, eventually landing him an appearance on Ally McBeal. As one event led to another, he was offered a contract with Warner Bros. Records under Foster’s division.
At 8pm, Josh Groban graced the stage with You Are Loved (Don’t Give Up), followed by Frank Sinatra’s The World We Knew (Over and Over), and Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley’s Pure Imagination.
Already, it was a night of covers, as we’d expect from a classical, baritone, pop crossover artist. The rich resonance, paired with superb breath support, explains his popularity among mainstream listeners.
He invited a choir to the stage during Granted while playing the piano, which led into The Wandering Kind, a piano masterpiece showcasing his brilliance on the ebony and ivory. It started with soft wonderment, the harmonies shifting more frequently and climaxing with full resonance. It was a track without vocals, yet the journey was deeply fulfilling.
One notable cover was Angels by Robbie Williams, where Groban shared that the Brit pop star himself gave him a bouquet of flowers when he first recorded the cover. Certainly, hearing Angels sung in baritone with a full string orchestra wasn’t on the 2026 bingo card. It transformed Robbie’s playful, pop‑grit original into something else entirely. What we got was a V12 supercharged rendition with grunt, replacing the turbocharged speedster – both beautiful in their own way.
Following that, Groban performed a drum solo – a moment that surprised many. The crowd appreciated the eclectic performance, and there was nothing incongruent about the shift. Josh Groban is, after all, a musician. He then let others shine, allowing a guitar solo to take centre stage during the next performance.
Josh also performed in two other languages. Alla luce del sole, an original piece sung entirely in Italian – literally meaning in the light of the sun was followed by a cover of Céline Dion’s Just Walk Away. Groban explained in Spanish that the phrase carries a stronger connotation, closer to “go away from me,” with a four‑letter word implied. He sang with such emotion that even non‑speakers understood the poignancy and sadness.
When Tarryn Stokes, the winner of The Voice 2023, was invited to the stage, this photographer‑writer expected All I Ask of You. Much to his surprise, it was a beautiful solo titled Nobody, followed by a duet with Groban on Both Sides, Now – a Joni Mitchell cover.
Perhaps the second biggest moment came during You Raised Me Up at the encore, sparked by Pascal Whiting, the concert master of the night, by performing a solo. Time stood still, as she elegantly weaved her baton and slid onto the string as time stood still in those moments.
Sheldon Ang Media would like to thank Frontier Touring and Josh Groban for the accreditation
About the writer/photographer: The founder of Perth-based Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) has been accredited to more than 200 of the hottest acts including Taylor Swift (ERAS Tour in Sydney), Coldplay (Perth), AD/DC, Metallica, KISS, RHCP, P!NK and Suzi Quatro (pictured) with reviews shared by the likes of Belinda Carlisle, Roxette, Tina Arena, UB40, Delta Goodrem, and Tina Arena on social media. He has interviewed the late Ace Frehley (KISS), John Steel (The Animals), Frank Ferrer (Guns N Roses), Phil X (Bon Jovi), Andrew Farris (INXS) plus over 100 artists. He’s also a contributor on Triple M Radio as a music journalist
