By: Janice Malone
Experience the incredible talent of R&B vocalist and three-time GRAMMY® nominee, and Broadway star performer Ryan Shaw, as he takes the stage at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, on Father’s Day Weekend of June 15, with the award-winning Nashville Symphony. Experience soulful powerhouse orchestrations and mighty vocals in an evening of mega R&B hits from the likes of Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, Prince, Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Miracles, Bill Withers, Issac Hayes, Blood, Sweat & Tears, and Ryan Shaw original songs as well. The evening will also feature keyboardist Ray Angry (recording artist, member of The Roots, and recent music director for Queen Latifah, Joss Stone and Lauryn Hill), drummer Derrick Wright (in Adele’s band, formerly with Toni Braxton and Talia), bassist Al Carty (currently in Rob Thomas’ band, former music director for Alicia Keys), and guitarist Nir Felder (recording artist and multi-award winning musician who’s played with many top artists).
Here, Ryan takes on 5 Questions about his upcoming Nashville concert and notable highlights from his career.
TRIBUNE: I know that you’re accustomed to performing on Broadway. But do you get extra excited when you perform with symphony orchestras?
SHAW: Yes, I do! I did my first symphony concert in 2017/2018. My manager and I put together my solo show together, which debuted with the Newport News Symphony in Virginia last year. But for the Nashville market, it’s titled ‘Legends of R & B’ because that name seems to resonate more with the area fan base.
TRIBUNE: Is this your first time performing in Nashville?
SHAW: No, this is my second time. I’ve performed in Nashville before. Some people may remember or attended the concert Nat King Cole at 100 (2022), with the Nashville Symphony. I was a part of that show, along with several other well-known performers.
TRIBUNE: I love it when pop music and R&B music blend with symphonies. It’s just so cool.
SHAW: It’s beautiful because you don’t have to work as hard because there’s so much sound, that’s carrying you as a singer. In this show, we have such a variety of top legends, from Jackie Wilson to Sam Cooke to Michael Jackson, Prince, etc. It’s a pretty long list. And then we even get into some of the masters of R & B songwriting.
TRIBUNE: You made your Broadway debut as the original Stevie Wonder character in the smash hit Motown the Musical. Did you ever get to meet Stevie in person?
SHAW: Yes, I did! We had two opening nights. Stevie came to both openings. The first time he showed up, I didn’t know he was there. So, I did my big Stevie Wonder number at the end of the show, as usual. Afterward, I went to the dressing room of the actor who played Barry Gordy in the show. When I walked in, the real Barry Gordy and Stevie Wonder were sitting there on the couch. Wow!
TRIBUNE: So, did you faint or what happened?
SHAW: No, I didn’t faint (laughs). They introduced me to him, and then Stevie Wonder goes, ‘Hey, man, you were great. I was rooting for you the whole time during the show.’ So, there’s this vocal riff that I sing during his classic song Sign, Sealed Delivered, which can be heard on the show’s Broadway cast album. So, Stevie sings my riff right back to me and says: ‘I like that riff!’ And I was like, holy **** Stevie Wonder likes my vocal riff, and he’s singing it back to me. it was crazy! So that was my first meeting with Stevie Wonder, and he gave me his blessing. After that, I was never again nervous about portraying Stevie Wonder because he directly gave me his blessing.
