One of the advantages of having a December birthday is that if your husband blows your birthday present, he has Christmas to make up for it.
On the morning of December 25, 2007, I anxiously opened a well-wrapped box, knowing that it really was a gift for two occasions.
And what was inside? Tickets for Celine Dion in Sacramento, October 2008! Let me clarify....Yes, the same Celine known for her dramatic on-stage antics and sappy love songs. But she's a BIG star and I was excited all the same. I had always wanted to see her Vegas show and even tentatively planned to go once with my friend from college and another time with my sister-in-law. But neither trip panned out. And now Bette Midler is the one performing at Caesar's Palace.
So last fall, I finally got to cash in my present as Dan went with me to Arco Arena to hear the ultimate pop-culture prima donna herself--LIVE. I was a little worried as we drove into the parking lot. First of all, I was sure we were the only ones there under the age of 40. And the women. There were seas and seas of women. Poor Dan, what a trooper.
But when the lights dimmed and the music started, the surprises began. We wondered, "What would be her opener? A song from her newer album, possibly the track Taking Chances, also the name of the tour? An upbeat number? A power ballad? She has so many to choose from." Ah... a solid, but not completely obvious choice, I Drove All Night.
Within minutes of her show, I was already impressed. It didn't take long for me to think, "What is more difficult? To scale through that upper-register key change with such ease or strut with such confidence in heels that tall and a dress that short?" And to think that I wore my conservative shoes in case the walk to the car was far.
The fashion of Celine is just as exciting as her voice. By the fifth number or so, I really wanted to jump into some stilettos, fly down to Las Vegas and hit the shops on the strip with my sister- in- law, JUST BECAUSE. I guess the blend of her Vegas glam, fashionista style and unique personality woven into her multiple outfit changes just did that too me. Overall, the costuming was stunning and not insanely over the top. Not too glitzy, not too dull. For the most part tasteful, not tacky. (Sorry, I couldn't find all the great pics to prove it). At least my concert going wardrobe did include my one accessory from London and the largest pair of earrings I own.
Adding to the visuals were her dancers. Though not her full entourage from A New Day, but a talented group of people nonetheless. They added a nice dimension to the show as they displayed new interpretations of some of her popular songs. Like in I'm Alive, which was musically played and performed with an African flavor (bongo drums and the like), the dancers featured modern movements and costumes to create the look, but still with style. This is a very different sound and look that you get from the original music video/radio version of the song and totally different than the sound and look that you get from the Vegas show (I've seen the DVD), but still cool. It definitely kept the fans on their toes-- not boring them, even if they had heard the song a million times before.
Also impressive was her stage. There was no backstage, but an "under stage", allowing her to perform all around to everyone and seat more in the audience. The stage was square in shape with extensions off two ends allowing her to be up close to more people. Though we were in the nosebleeds, I could see her very clearly, even when she was in the middle of the stage. I don't think I EVER ONCE looked at the big screen to watch her sing. I don't think I can say that about any other big concert I've been too.
But the most amazing thing about the whole show was simply the music. Her voice. I know I am overloading you with Celine fever at this point... but don't gag now. This is the best part. Really the woman can sing. And you can't deny that. She can sing in many styles and genres. One song set that proved this was The Power of Love quickly followed by her medley of hits--It's All Coming Back To Me Now, Because You Loved Me and To Love You More. Her stage presence really did blow me away. She's able to sing those songs with such longing and intensity it made me think, "No wonder she's so popular with this demographic. Who hasn't felt some of the emotions she describes, but find hard to convey or feel in the busyness of life and in the business of it?"
Other musical highlights: All By Myself, in which she ended the song a capella and brought the crowd to their feet in standing ovation--IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SHOW. (Seriously, how does someone with a body that small, have a voice so big that she can fill an entire arena with it all alone?) Or the soul set that she sang showing her vocal capabilities that are not often showcased in radio spin, while wearing these white wrap shoes that went all the way to her mid thigh. Though undecided on the shoes, I had to give her credit for being able to perform in them.
On the morning of December 25, 2007, I anxiously opened a well-wrapped box, knowing that it really was a gift for two occasions.
And what was inside? Tickets for Celine Dion in Sacramento, October 2008! Let me clarify....Yes, the same Celine known for her dramatic on-stage antics and sappy love songs. But she's a BIG star and I was excited all the same. I had always wanted to see her Vegas show and even tentatively planned to go once with my friend from college and another time with my sister-in-law. But neither trip panned out. And now Bette Midler is the one performing at Caesar's Palace.
So last fall, I finally got to cash in my present as Dan went with me to Arco Arena to hear the ultimate pop-culture prima donna herself--LIVE. I was a little worried as we drove into the parking lot. First of all, I was sure we were the only ones there under the age of 40. And the women. There were seas and seas of women. Poor Dan, what a trooper.
But when the lights dimmed and the music started, the surprises began. We wondered, "What would be her opener? A song from her newer album, possibly the track Taking Chances, also the name of the tour? An upbeat number? A power ballad? She has so many to choose from." Ah... a solid, but not completely obvious choice, I Drove All Night.
Within minutes of her show, I was already impressed. It didn't take long for me to think, "What is more difficult? To scale through that upper-register key change with such ease or strut with such confidence in heels that tall and a dress that short?" And to think that I wore my conservative shoes in case the walk to the car was far.The fashion of Celine is just as exciting as her voice. By the fifth number or so, I really wanted to jump into some stilettos, fly down to Las Vegas and hit the shops on the strip with my sister- in- law, JUST BECAUSE. I guess the blend of her Vegas glam, fashionista style and unique personality woven into her multiple outfit changes just did that too me. Overall, the costuming was stunning and not insanely over the top. Not too glitzy, not too dull. For the most part tasteful, not tacky. (Sorry, I couldn't find all the great pics to prove it). At least my concert going wardrobe did include my one accessory from London and the largest pair of earrings I own.
Adding to the visuals were her dancers. Though not her full entourage from A New Day, but a talented group of people nonetheless. They added a nice dimension to the show as they displayed new interpretations of some of her popular songs. Like in I'm Alive, which was musically played and performed with an African flavor (bongo drums and the like), the dancers featured modern movements and costumes to create the look, but still with style. This is a very different sound and look that you get from the original music video/radio version of the song and totally different than the sound and look that you get from the Vegas show (I've seen the DVD), but still cool. It definitely kept the fans on their toes-- not boring them, even if they had heard the song a million times before.
Also impressive was her stage. There was no backstage, but an "under stage", allowing her to perform all around to everyone and seat more in the audience. The stage was square in shape with extensions off two ends allowing her to be up close to more people. Though we were in the nosebleeds, I could see her very clearly, even when she was in the middle of the stage. I don't think I EVER ONCE looked at the big screen to watch her sing. I don't think I can say that about any other big concert I've been too.
But the most amazing thing about the whole show was simply the music. Her voice. I know I am overloading you with Celine fever at this point... but don't gag now. This is the best part. Really the woman can sing. And you can't deny that. She can sing in many styles and genres. One song set that proved this was The Power of Love quickly followed by her medley of hits--It's All Coming Back To Me Now, Because You Loved Me and To Love You More. Her stage presence really did blow me away. She's able to sing those songs with such longing and intensity it made me think, "No wonder she's so popular with this demographic. Who hasn't felt some of the emotions she describes, but find hard to convey or feel in the busyness of life and in the business of it?"
Other musical highlights: All By Myself, in which she ended the song a capella and brought the crowd to their feet in standing ovation--IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SHOW. (Seriously, how does someone with a body that small, have a voice so big that she can fill an entire arena with it all alone?) Or the soul set that she sang showing her vocal capabilities that are not often showcased in radio spin, while wearing these white wrap shoes that went all the way to her mid thigh. Though undecided on the shoes, I had to give her credit for being able to perform in them.
But my absolute, favorite song sung was River Deep, Mountain High. I love the energy of the song, but even more how in command of the stage she was while singing it. She had the runway model confidence down, twirling her microphone and smiling all the while singing it with all she's got. Not like the roughness of Tina (the original), but she owned it--in her own way.
I suppose that I can't critique a Celine concert, without mentioning (I know some of you are cringing right now) the Titanic song. Yes, the very overplayed My Heart Will Go On. Of course she ended her encore with it and the song was well sung and typically performed, but what I really liked was the visual way it was presented. They took the lights down to bare minimum-- she was wearing black and then they used candles and small lights to create this never-ending starry look across the stage and audience. It was actually really simple and had a timeless feel to it. Probably more how the message of the song was intended before it and the movie became so popular.
After the show, she dropped down to her "under stage" and ***SPOILER ALERT*** she greeted some of her fans seated on the floor while walking out to leave the building. I found this to be a pleasant surprise-- I've seen quite a few concerts and never seen anyone that could fill an arena actually entertain their fans after the show.
On the drive home, we were playing the Celine songs we have-- you know to extend the evening before real life responsibilities came back to hit us-- and it had me wondering, "Why don't I own a Greatest Hits CD of hers?" I'll give you one guess what I got for my birthday this past year. :)
1 comment:
She's such a great entertainer! We paid mucho dinero to see her a week before her last Vegas performance only to have the $20 DVD of the exact same concert come out 2 weeks later! The program at the concert cost more than that! It was awesome though and well worth the 2 anniversaries and birthday presents I gave up for it!
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