Aaron Tveit

Aaron Tveit • August 25, 2025 • Scera Schell Outdoor Theatre

Reviewed and Photographed by Kevin Rolfe

Over the last few years, we have had a great run of Broadway Stars in concert here in Utah.  We’ve had amazing vocalists such as Jeremy Jordan, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jessica Vosk, Ben Platt,  Kara Lindsay, Kristin Chenoweth, Bernadette Peters, and, of course, just last month, Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara. Utah loves musical theater and its stars.  Anticipation was as high as I’ve ever seen it for Tony Award-winner Aaron Tveit.  He performed a sold-out show at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre in Orem with the Utah Valley Orchestra.

I walked into the SCERA Shell about fifteen minutes before showtime.  To say the venue was packed is an understatement.  Not only was the venue full, but as I made my way to the box office, I saw quite a few groups sitting on blankets on the grass outside the venue just to get to hear Aaron Tveit sing his songs.  There was a buzz.  I love being able to feel the excitement of people at a show.  I could tell that many Tveit fans had been there for a while to get a good spot in the general admission area.  If I weren’t excited for the show to start (I was!), this audience would have definitely gotten me there.

After a few bits of business, sponsor announcements, and giveaways, the time had come for Aaron Tveit to take the stage.  As he walked on stage, the audience roared.  To tone of the roar made it known quickly that Aaron Tveit’s female fans were out in full force. He started the show with “Fly Me To The Moon.” Quickly, the Utah Valley Symphony showed us that they were up to the task of accompanying a major talent like Tveit.  

Aaron thanked the audience and told them, “Thank you so much.  I’m so excited to be here with you tonight.   Thank you for coming out to this beautiful, gorgeous venue here at the Scera Shell.”  Tveit thanked the symphony. He mentioned that he will often perform with just a piano. So being on stage with so many talented musicians was very special.  He shared that while he was putting together the setlist, he wanted to be sure to include songs that he could perform with an orchestra.  Tveit told us that he was invited to sing at a concert in London celebrating the music of Rodgers and Hammerstein. He then performed “Younger Than Springtime” from R & H’s first Broadway musical, “South Pacific.” 

The audience was captivated.  This is one of those songs that has been performed many, many times by many, many performers.  But I don’t know that many have ever been performed as good as what we heard in Orem.

The amazing thing about watching a trained vocalist is seeing how effortless they make it all seem.  They hit the high notes with what appears to be no strain.  Aaron was no exception.  The way he performed had such an easy-going feel to it. While at the same time, an intensity to draw in the audience. There were several times I would stop to think, “Am I really in Orem, Utah, watching this huge theater star perform?” 

If you happen to be unfamiliar with  Aaron Tveit’s work, let me tell you a little about him. He’s one of the biggest Broadway actors of the day.  He’s performed in smash hits like “Hairspray”, “Sweeney Todd”, “Wicked”, and the production where he won his Tony Award, “Moulin Rouge.”  Any of those shows ring any bells?  He’s about to star in the revival of “Chess” alongside Lea Michelle.  I have to admit I was hoping that we’d hear something from “Chess.”  I do understand that the production is holding off on permitting those songs to be performed outside of the show.

The crowd once again went crazy when Tveit mentioned his participation in the musical, “Moulin Rouge.”  He decided to combine the movie version with the stage version of the song, “Roxanne.”  What a brilliant idea.  This performance was masterful.  People were on the edge of their seats and blankets.  The Utah Valley Orchestra performed this so well, and Tveit was at the top of his game during this song.  It was made very clear why he won his Tony for this role.  I love it when actors sing songs from the musicals we know them from.  I didn’t get to see him in the production, so this glimpse into that was something I was very much looking forward to.  

Tveit performed “Joanna” from “Sweeney Todd.” This was a beautiful performance of a song that he did not sing when he played the title role in this production.  It was a song that fit his voice perfectly and a role he joked that he might have played in his younger days.  

Perhaps the biggest highlight of the evening for me was when Aaron performed what he called, “I think the greatest musical theater song ever written. I don’t say that lightly.  I think it’s so complex and simple at the same time.  As I’ve gotten older, every time I sing it, it seems to mean something different.” The set closed with “Being Alive” from the Sondheim musical, “Company.”  I’ve never heard this song performed like this.  I absolutely loved it.  

The night could not end without Aaron Tveit returning to the stage to perform “Your Song” from “Moulin Rouge.”  As he opened the number with “My gift is my song…” the audience went crazy. It came as no surprise that phones came out and hundreds of people got their own footage of this amazing performance.

It was a wonderful experience getting to see Aaron Tveit in concert.  I hope to see him in Chess later this year.  But if I don’t, I think his experience performing in Orem at the Scera Shell will bring him back to Utah very soon.