Lauren Worsham’s performance drives N.Y. Philharmonic’s revival of ‘Show Boat’, with Vanessa Williams and Norm Lewis

Thank heaven that Magnolia is in glorious full bloom in the New York Philharmonic’s Show Boat. Otherwise, conductor and director Ted Sperling’s concert staging is uninspired. But Lauren Worsham, a rising-star, silver-voiced Tony nominee for “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” breathes life into the lovestruck character of Magnolia. With beguiling clarity and depth, Worsham anchors this sprawling tale of hard knocks, racism and love gone wrong. The rest of the cast, including Vanessa Williams (Julie), Norm Lewis (Joe) and Julian Ovenden (Ravenal), need more gravity and emotional shading.