KEY POINTS:
There was a moment during Paul Potts' Britain's Got Talent audition when the audience erupted into spontaneous applause. They stopped again soon enough, to hear the rest of the Welsh tenor's Nessun Dorma rendition.
Potts was introduced that day as a salesman from the Carphone Warehouse, and judge Piers Morgan couldn't hide his doubts when the unassuming-looking auditionee announced he was there to "sing opera".
But within a few notes, judges and audience knew they were hearing something special.
It's easy to be cynical in this era of manufactured talent, and opera buffs will be quick to say Potts is not the real deal, but the crowd in Auckland's Aotea Centre last night would probably beg to differ.
There's no doubt Potts can sing, but I have to concur with the opera buffs - his appeal is not that he has outstanding ability, but that his rags-to-riches story appeals to people.
He probably couldn't sing an entire opera or hold his own as the lead in a musical, but he performs songs from the various genres well enough in a recital.
Last night's concert showcased some of that versatility, but suffered from a sense of overproduction.
Favourites from his first album, including Everybody Hurts and Schubert's Ave Maria, were well received but it was difficult to give Potts full attention sometimes, so distracting was the background multimedia show.
Birds, flowers, hearts and underwater cities graced the screen, although their relevance to the texts being sung were tenuous at best.
Potts' banter with the audience also didn't help. His efforts to link the various songs together through personal reminiscences were noble, but the one-liners were often cliched.
However, the 2 1/2-hour show had magic moments, particularly a medley of Mario Lanza songs from The Student Prince, where Potts was in his element.
The passion that captured the world's imagination was also obvious in Time to Say Goodbye and Caruso, though unfortunately that passion caused him to push sharp in places.
New Zealand soprano Elizabeth Marvelly held her own in two solo sets, but the choice of Brindisi as a duet between her and Potts was ill-advised.
Both struggled with its technicality, and Potts' solo lines were somewhat more legato than is normally expected of Verdi's drinking song.
But it must be remembered that Potts is the product of a reality television programme, and embarked on this career only nine months ago.
Bearing that in mind, his stage presence and rapport with the audience can only be seen as a minor triumph.
Who: Paul Potts.
Where: ASB Theatre.
Reviewed by: Eveline Jenkin.
