Groban has always been a fan of Broadway, and with the album Stages, he made his dream a reality. The album features a variety of musical hits from the big stage that Groban has always wanted to sing. He said, “Theater and musical theater have always been in my heart. These are songs I’ve wanted to sing since I was in high school.” One of the songs he covers on the album is “All I Ask of You,” which required a special songstress to be his Christine, and he chose Kelly Clarkson to join him for the duet.
The Stages Live event was a treat for fans who were able to see their favorite covers from Groban come to life. During the performance, he explained to the audience, “When we were making this record and I was going to record this song, I knew that this duet had to be recorded in a very, very special way. And, it had to be recorded with a very special singer…” Referring to Kelly, of course. Moments later, Clarkson walked out into the spotlight wearing a gorgeous black dress. She too is a fan of Broadway, and as it turns out, The Phantom of the Opera was the first musical she ever saw.
The duet “All I Ask of You” is a love song between characters Raoul and Christine Daaé. Kelly admits to the audience that she had always wanted to play Christine, and because of Groban, she finally got her chance. Groban’s incredible singing ability quickly demonstrated why he has won the hearts of so many, with faces in the crowd lighting up as they listened to him perform. Then Clarkson took over with a voice that spread chills across the room, quickly proving she too has a talent for singing musical theater.
Groban and Clarkson are both very accomplished American vocalists and songwriters. Clarkson began her career by winning the very first season of American Idol back in 2002, securing her a recording contract with RCA and launching her successful music career. Groban has also achieved remarkable success in the music industry, with his first 4 solo albums achieving multi-platinum certifications – he exploded into the limelight. In 2007, he was the number one-selling artist in the United States, with over 22.3 million records sold. As of 2022, he has sold well over 25 million records worldwide.
