Mariah Carey: The Elusive Chanteuse Show
There were earlier gripes about inconvenient seat reassignments due to issues with the grass at the Singapore National Stadium, which is going through a bad patch (the stage was moved off the pitch, so the seating in the stadium had to be rearranged); but that didn't put off the fans - all 12,000 of them - who braved the heat and humidity, showing up last night for Mariah Carey's The Elusive Chanteuse Show.
The question on everyone's mind was whether the multi-Grammy Award winner would be able to deliver a live stellar performance with her distinct five-octave vocal range after receiving much flak from disappointed concertgoers in Japan and South Korea, who reported Carey had been unable to hit her high notes and even forgot song lyrics at her concerts there. (The tour wended its way through China before arriving in South-east Asia - it will wrap up in Australia.)
The two-hour concert started on time, opening with a salvo of chart toppers such as Fantasy and Touch My Body. Cheers of delight roared through the stadium when Carey launched into crowd favourite Emotions, taking an early opportunity to showcase her flawless high octaves - and possibly reminding us that just like any regular person, even the most talented performers do have their occasional bad day.
The singer disappeared offstage for three costume changes, each about 10 minutes long, but fans were kept misdirected with flashy performances by Carey's talented back-up vocalists, spot-on musicians and nimble dancers. Though the recently divorced 44-year-old seemed a little breathless at times, with her voice being a little pitchy during her rendition of the Jackson 5's I'll be There, it was clear that the best-selling female artiste still owned the stage.
Elated fans sang along and danced while waving light sticks and LED placards, professing their love and admiration for the music icon. Even tennis superstar Serena Williams, currently in Singapore for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals, was spotted in the crowd, singing along to Carey's emotionally charged hit, Hero.
Just before the sold-out concert came to a close, Carey's four-year-old twins made a lovely surprise cameo - although detractors would probably call it a cheap shot to manipulate the audiences emotions - sending a message to all gathered that despite the recent personal upheaval (she separated from her husband of six years, Nick Cannon), our elusive chanteuse was going to be okay. (Today Online)
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