Wednesday 19 April 2000

Carey in command

Mariah Carey posed and pranced across the stage, determined to make sure her fans enjoyed themselves. It took forever and 11 days and 15 minutes for Mariah Carey to make her Toronto debut, but once the pop superstar took the stage at the Air Canada Centre, it seemed as if she would never leave.

Last night's performance, the final stop in the New York native's worldwide Rainbow Tour, was a meandering, 2½-hour indulgence. And the 17,000 fans at the sold-out show stuck with her through it all: every sappy appreciation of them, each giggle, all eight costume changes and every tinkle of the glass-shattering money notes that made her famous.

Slightly hoarse at times, but none the worse for the food poisoning (referred to as "a little scheduling problem") that postponed her appearance earlier this month, Carey, 30, demonstrated why she has sold more than 128 million records worldwide.

First, there are the songs - 14 No. 1 singles, more than any other female artist, and she's had a hand in writing and producing most of them. She enthralled the crowd with some of her most engaging ballads, including "Always Be My Baby," from "Dreamlover," and "Close My Eyes." And she had them on their feet for the danceable uptempo tunes like "Emotion," "Heartbreaker," and the 1995 hit "Fantasy," on which she fused her hiphop relations with an appearance by Old Dirty Bastard.

Then there's that sugary sweet image that defies belief. While other pop divas have come under fire for poor attitudes, choice of mates and drug allegations, Carey continues to hover above the fray. Yet she delights in poking fun at her Cinderella image.

The show included a face-off with her British, raven-haired alter ego Bianca, who first appeared in the video for "Heartbreaker," from her ninth album of the same name. Of course, you know who won, but the audience was genuinely entertained by the potentially cheesy skit.

Opening act Da Brat, whose own segment was lazy and disjointed, came out to deliver a funky, crowd pleasing rap during the tune, cementing the notion that her foul-mouth is best in small doses.

Less impressive was the beauty pageant routine for which Carey came out in tiara and fuschia evening gown, playing up her princess image. Backed by a five-piece band, she posed and pranced across the stage - Carey doesn't really dance, given the ever-present stilletos - seeming to enjoy herself and determined to make sure her fans did as well.

"My whole purpose and point with this tour is to have fun and make sure my fans have a good time," she said. At one point she invited more than a dozen of them on stage to share champagne and choclate kisses. She tossed out stuffed animals and parts of her wardrobe, noting the tour is over and she doesn't need them anymore. The show was recorded for a TV special.

(The Toronto Star)



COMMENTS
There are not yet comments to this article.

Only registrated members can post a comment.
© MCArchives 1998-2024 (26 years!)
NEWS
MESSAGEBOARD