Boyz II Men return to Symphony Hall

By K eith O ’C onnor Special to The Republican

A popular favorite with area audiences, Boyz II Men will return to Springfield for another MGM Springfield-sponsored concert at Springfield Symphony Hall on Friday.

The show is a rescheduled appearance after the postponement of their Feb. 18 concert. It will be their fourth return performance to the MGM Springfield stage.

Showtime is 8 p.m.

Boyz II Men - today’s lineup featuring Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris, and Shawn Stockman - redefined popular R&B with their smooth sounds and perfect harmonies. The group’s four Grammy Awards are just part of their success story. They have also won nine American Music Awards, nine Soul Train Awards, three Billboard Awards, and a 2011 MOBO Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. Boyz II Men also were gifted with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, as well and a Casino Entertainment Award for their acclaimed residency at the Mirage Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, which launched in 2013.

It all began for Boyz II Men when they were boys in high school at the Philadelphia High School for the Performing Arts, where Nathan Morris and Marc Nelson started singing together. They later formed a group called Unique Attraction with Wanya Morris and Shawn Stockman and began performing at local talent shows and events. They eventually changed their name to Boyz II Men after listening to the New Edition’s 1988 song “Boys To Men.” But there is also an irony to the story.

In 1989, the quartet met Michael Bivins at a concert, who had been a member of New Edition, and gave him an impromptu audition. He later signed on as their manager and the group signed their first record deal with Motown and released their debut album “Cooleyhighharmony” in 1989. The album — their first of many with their latest in 2022 being a Walmart exclusive called “Twenty” featuring

10 newly recorded tracks and

10 updated versions of their classic tunes — earned them their first Grammy and top 5 singles “Motownphilly” and “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday.”

For those hoping to hear their favorite Boyz II Men songs, setist.fm noted their average concert setlist includes “Motownphilly,” “On Bended Knee,” “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday,” “4 Seasons of Loneliness,” “A Change Is Gonna Come/Are You Gonna Go My Way?/ American Woman/Locked Out of Heaven,” a cover of

2023Summer Concert /Classic CarShow

“Come Together” by The Beatles, “Wonderful Tonight,” “Open Arms,” “Water Runs Dry,” “I’ll Make Love to You,” “One Sweet,” and “End of the Road.”

Tickets, ranging in price from $49 to $99 and higher for preferred or official platinum seating, can be purchased online at mgmspringfield.com.