So I wasn’t too excited about going to see a stop on The Masked Singer National Tour 2022. My significant other, however, likes the television series where celebrities hide their identities beneath elaborate costumes, sing popular songs, and challenge the hosts (also a team of celebrities) to guess who they are. She got the tickets to the show at the Bon Secures Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C. so off we went.
This wasn’t a taping of an episode of the television series. Nick Cannon wasn’t the master of ceremonies and comedian Ken Jeong and singer Robin Thicke weren’t there to sit on the judges’ panel. That could explain why there was a surplus of empty seats available. We knew that going in so our expectations were set accordingly.
Natasha Bedingfield, a hit singer and songwriter, hosted the event. She had competed on Season 6 of show televised last year as Pepper, the red chili variety. Natasha has a strong voice and a personality big enough to fill an arena.
Characters from previous seasons of the show included a dancing robot, a big baby, a queen of hearts, and a guy with an oversized microphone for a head. The live performance featured the wedding of a space alien and a taco that crooned Sinatra tunes. I’m not sure that such a union is legal in many states today.
With the exception of Natasha, the song selections ranging from Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” to The Doors’ “People are Strange” were lip-synched by the characters as they performed their choreographed routines.
A local celebrity was introduced at the beginning dressed as a boom box and clues were given out during the show. She performed a serviceable rendition of Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like a Woman.” Audience members were invited to record their guesses on Instagram, but there wasn’t any announcement that anybody nailed this masked singer’s identity. She was revealed to be a Greenville broadcaster from the local Fox affiliate, which broadcasts the show.
Incorporating a good light show and special effects, I was impressed that they could create such a colorful spectacle on the live stage. I was also surprised by how entertaining the evening was for the crowd that consisted of a number of families with small children.
I won’t say that the show made me a super fan of The Masked Singer, but it has piqued my interest a little and it was an enjoyable way to spend an evening of live entertainment.