Interviews

Published on October 18th, 2019 | by Darren Paltrowitz

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Vanessa Williams On Her December 2019 Gigs At Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino & More

A regularly-award-nominated recording artist, actress, Broadway star, film producer and fashion designer, Vanessa Williams scored her first international hit over 30 years ago with the 1988 studio album The Right Stuff. Still working regularly and at a top-notch level, Williams has plenty of upcoming live performances scheduled, including a pair of shows taking place on December 4th and 5th at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino’s Bear’s Den Showroom in Niagara Falls, New York. Williams will also be performing as part of the Seneca Niagara Tree Lighting Ceremony on December 4th.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Ms. Williams by phone on October 7, 2019 about her Niagara Falls shows and plenty more. Highlights from our conversation have been transcribed below, while the full audio of the chat is embedded for your listening pleasure. Tour dates and more information about Vanessa Williams can be found online by visiting www.vanessawilliams.com.

On what to expect from her December 4th and 5th shows at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino:

Vanessa Williams: It’s kind of focused on all parts [of my career]. I start with big hits… from 1988, all the way to ’95. Then I do a Broadway section and go through some of the roles I played on Broadway. I do some uptempos scattered here and there from my albums, and tell some stories in between about my career.

My band has been with me 22 years already, so I can throw something at them if I feel the need to change things up or depending on how the audience is. I can adjust my setlist according to venue, the audience, when I do symphony dates… If it’s an older crowd I might do more standards. If it’s a more R&B, urban crowd I might do more uptempo R&B hits. It’s a well-rounded show with a little bit of everything.

The fans that only know me from television are gonna be surprised, I guess, because this is me singing my own music. There are a lot of young people, because of Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives, that have discovered me as an actress and they will be introduced to my stage and recording hits.

On her last words for the kids:

Vanessa Williams: I’ll be there the 4th and the 5th [of December]. The biggest compliment I hear, or the most frequent compliment I hear, is “Wow, you sound just like your records.” I guess that means I’m singing on my records and you will hear my voice. There are no tricks live.

You will enjoy my tremendously-talented band who are amazing. Everyone who is in band is their own artist and they have their own albums and [are] producers and writers, so it’s a really talented bunch. We love each other and are a big family. So I hope they’ll feel the love and I hope they’ll enjoy the hits and I hope they’ll be moved.


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About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."


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