REVIEW: The Two Tenors - Vavachi Entertainment

The Two Tenors

Presented by: Vavachi Entertainment

Venue: SunPAC

Starring: Roger Davy and Matthew Leigh

Guest Soprano: Tashana Hardy

Photography: Freddie Klein

Date Attended: 28 October 2026

Josh Groban has recorded an awful lot of music. Narrowing his catalogue down to a single concert must be the musical equivalent of packing for a month-long holiday with hand luggage only. Fortunately, The Two Tenors squeezes in a generous helping of Groban favourites (and then some), taking audiences on journey where musical worlds collide.

Roger Davy and Matthew Leigh have two distinct voices, beautifully matched. Opening with the underrated 'Anthem' from Chess, the gentlemen immediately establish their vocal credentials with gorgeous harmonies. Roger Davy's formidable upper range appears completely unbothered by the passing decades. Matthew Leigh, meanwhile, is something of a vocal chameleon, adapting his style to suit each genre. His solo passages have a velvety richness, his upper notes soar, and he slips into any harmony with precision and balance. Both have decades of performing behind them, and their voices remain in excellent shape. And they are dressed rather suavely too!

The programme is a feast for musical theatre lovers, drawing heavily from Groban's Stages album alongside pop classics, operatic favourites, and selections from classical eras and languages. Roger's unexpected rendition of 'If I Can't Love Her' from Beauty and the Beast suits his voice beautifully, while Matthew's 'Nights in White Satin' is an inspired pairing of singer and song. There's even room for an original Groban number among the familiar favourites.

Speaking of favourites, my personal pick is 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'. Roger opens the familiar ballad before Matthew introduces his soulful flavour, slipping through intricate melismas with no trouble whatsoever. Their voices eventually unite for a rousing, gospel-style finale. A terrific arrangement that celebrates the individuality of both singers. The setlist also travels between languages, with Ed Sheeran's 'Perfect' and Robbie Williams' 'Angels' incorporating both English and Italian. There's certainly no shortage of variety here!

Guest soprano Tashana Hardy is a vision in red, appearing throughout the show to add a welcome third voice to the proceedings. Tash joins the gentlemen for 'What I Did for Love' from A Chorus Line (another fave of mine, thank you!), while her duet with Matthew on 'All I Ask of You' from The Phantom of the Opera is a beautiful vocal pairing. She also takes the spotlight with a famous Puccini aria, giving the lads a momentary breather, before rejoining them for several glorious trios. For anyone who hasn't had the privilege of hearing this music performed live before, what an introduction!

With a Queensland tour planned for 2027, the use of backing tracks is understandable from a practical perspective. Still, I can't help imagining how magnificent these arrangements could sound with live piano and strings, particularly 'You Raise Me Up'. I'd also love to hear more from the gentlemen themselves between songs. With no programme to guide us, a few personal anecdotes, career highlights, or stories behind their song choices would help us get to know the performers beyond their voices. The audience responded audibly whenever Roger announced a familiar favourite, so a little more conversation could build on that enthusiasm.

The predominantly older audience was clearly having a marvellous time, and a grand trio rendition of 'Nessun dorma' brought the concert to a close with all three voices in full flight. I thoroughly enjoyed these musical detours, and would eagerly hear what else these gentlemen have tucked away in their tenor repertoire.