On the heels of a North American tour that celebrated the 20th anniversary of his eponymous debut album, celebrated singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright will share his classic hits as well as new material with Northeast Pennsylvania.
The Grammy winner hits the stage at Wyoming Seminary’s Kirby Center for Creative Arts in Kingston at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
During a phone interview from New York City, Wainwright — whose repertoire includes eight studio albums, three live albums, a trio of concert DVDs and a pair of operas he composed — said his NEPA show will reflect a broader scope of his work, including what’s to come, compared to his most recent tour, which focused more on the last two decades and his original, signature songs.
“When I get to Pennsylvania, I will have really dove into my first two albums and reflection on that. A lot of the songs I wrote back then I still sing today; there’s some real stalwart favorites,” he said. “I’m fairly proud of myself for being able to concoct some recipes that still taste good after 20 years.
“A lot of the songs that go along with the show now are new songs. I’m also in the studio working on a new album with the great producer Mitchell Froom. There’s a fair bit of new material to be presented as well as some of the classics. It’s a bit of what’s happening and what will happen.”
A proficient pianist known for his soulful vocals, Wainwright’s sources of inspiration on records have varied, from “Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall,” an album that paid tribute to Judy Garland, to songs that tell epic stories about opera heroines to the cabaret-style elements of many of his other romps and piano rags.
Guests at his local show can expect to hear a range of these influences, he said, and may experience performances that also reflect the news of the day.
“I’ll be coming as myself, to do my night job, which is to be a troubadour that travels the world pushing my wares,” Wainwright said. “I tend to relate to the temperature in the room as a traveling musician. I like to be current and reactive to what’s going on at that moment.
“For me, above being someone who’s socially conscious and feels the need to express themselves politically, I’m very, very grateful (that) at the end of the day, I’m just trying to make people happy with music.”
Wainwright added that music can be used not only to uplift listeners but also to shine a spotlight on the ugliness of humanity for the purpose of educating and enlightening people on global struggles all can relate to.
“I do sing all over the world and in different environments, and while I do think it’s important to bring a message, I also think it’s effective to dip the arrow in love,” Wainwright said. “It’s important to stop and reflect on the beauty of the world and positive aspects, but also to use that to turn a light to the dark.”
Contact the writer: pwilding@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100, ext. 5369