An Evening With Diana Ross
Diana Ross gives a show like none you'll ever see. After a forty-five minute delay, most probably to allow time for the audience to make its way into Atlanta’s Chastain Amphitheater and get seated, the band took its place onstage, the three background singers took their spots, and an amazing slideshow appeared onscreen. Clips of Diana from various bubbles in time from her career all led up to the moment when Miss Ross herself rose on a platform from center stage and launched into her 1979 hit "The Boss." The audience went wild. Suddenly no one minded the delay at the beginning.
Looking stunning in a glittering black gown, Diana Ross could do no wrong. From the second she took to the stage the crowd was on its feet instantly. She had the audience in the palm of her hand right from the start and she never let go. After "The Boss" she did a rousing rendition of "More Today Than Yesterday" before beginning a lengthy and satisfying set of Supremes' hits that included "Reflections," "My World Is Empty Without You," "You Can't Hurry Love," "Stop! In The Name of Love," and "Love Child."
For almost an hour and forty-five minutes, Diana seared the near sold out amphitheater with the biggest hits of her nearly fifty year career. A career that has included fifty-nine albums, eight #1 singles, a six year stint as lead singer of The Supremes (the most successful American vocal group in rock music history,) starring in blockbuster motion pictures like "Mahogany" and "Lady Sings The Blues" (for which she was nominated for an Oscar) and playing before millions and millions of adoring fans on every continent on the planet. This lady has done it all and at age sixty-six, if her June 4 extravaganza in Atlanta is any indication, she is far from being finished with what she does best.
One of the highest points of the evening was when she brought down the house lights and delivered a breathtaking performance of her 1973 #1 hit "Touch Me In The Morning." She didn't let the contagious energy stop for even a second as she sang "Love Hangover," which segued effortlessly into "Take Me Higher." A sultry version of "The Look of Love" was a crowd pleaser, as was the gorgeous ballad "It's Hard For Me To Say." "Endless Love" gave everyone a dose of the glory that is Diana Ross with ease and "I Will Survive" was perhaps the most infectious audience engager of the evening. Each song brought wonderful memories from everyone in attendance, including Miss Ross herself, as she wended her way toward a frenzied conclusion.
"Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)" led right into her all time anthem "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and the crowd was on its feet in sheer delight as she left the stage. Minutes later she returned for the first of two encores. Dedicating her current tour to the memory of her one time protégé and friend Michael Jackson, she gave the audience a genuinely heartfelt rendition of her 1985 #1 "Missing You," and this set the stage for a teary-eyed inducing tribute with "You Are Not Alone." She then sang "I Love You" before again leaving the stage, only to once more return for her final encore; her signature song "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand.)" When the show finally ground to its breathless conclusion, not a soul in the audience could remain seated. Cheers, wild and loud, called for "MORE!" but the magic was over and Diana Ross was gone...for now.
No less than six costume changes took place during the show. From the beautiful black gown in which she first appeared to a sizzling red number to a gorgeous purple gown that was slit up the left leg, and then into a glamorous and breathtaking gold lame outfit that made her shimmer under the lights like the star she truly is. Diana Ross knows what her audience wants from her, and she doesn't let them down.
"An Evening With Diana Ross" was indeed an evening of glorious and jubilant ecstasy for an audience that couldn't get enough. And it proved without a shadow of a doubt that Diana Ross is, and will always remain, The Boss.
I mean, this is DIANA ROSS we're talking about!
Looking stunning in a glittering black gown, Diana Ross could do no wrong. From the second she took to the stage the crowd was on its feet instantly. She had the audience in the palm of her hand right from the start and she never let go. After "The Boss" she did a rousing rendition of "More Today Than Yesterday" before beginning a lengthy and satisfying set of Supremes' hits that included "Reflections," "My World Is Empty Without You," "You Can't Hurry Love," "Stop! In The Name of Love," and "Love Child."
For almost an hour and forty-five minutes, Diana seared the near sold out amphitheater with the biggest hits of her nearly fifty year career. A career that has included fifty-nine albums, eight #1 singles, a six year stint as lead singer of The Supremes (the most successful American vocal group in rock music history,) starring in blockbuster motion pictures like "Mahogany" and "Lady Sings The Blues" (for which she was nominated for an Oscar) and playing before millions and millions of adoring fans on every continent on the planet. This lady has done it all and at age sixty-six, if her June 4 extravaganza in Atlanta is any indication, she is far from being finished with what she does best.
One of the highest points of the evening was when she brought down the house lights and delivered a breathtaking performance of her 1973 #1 hit "Touch Me In The Morning." She didn't let the contagious energy stop for even a second as she sang "Love Hangover," which segued effortlessly into "Take Me Higher." A sultry version of "The Look of Love" was a crowd pleaser, as was the gorgeous ballad "It's Hard For Me To Say." "Endless Love" gave everyone a dose of the glory that is Diana Ross with ease and "I Will Survive" was perhaps the most infectious audience engager of the evening. Each song brought wonderful memories from everyone in attendance, including Miss Ross herself, as she wended her way toward a frenzied conclusion.
"Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)" led right into her all time anthem "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and the crowd was on its feet in sheer delight as she left the stage. Minutes later she returned for the first of two encores. Dedicating her current tour to the memory of her one time protégé and friend Michael Jackson, she gave the audience a genuinely heartfelt rendition of her 1985 #1 "Missing You," and this set the stage for a teary-eyed inducing tribute with "You Are Not Alone." She then sang "I Love You" before again leaving the stage, only to once more return for her final encore; her signature song "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand.)" When the show finally ground to its breathless conclusion, not a soul in the audience could remain seated. Cheers, wild and loud, called for "MORE!" but the magic was over and Diana Ross was gone...for now.
No less than six costume changes took place during the show. From the beautiful black gown in which she first appeared to a sizzling red number to a gorgeous purple gown that was slit up the left leg, and then into a glamorous and breathtaking gold lame outfit that made her shimmer under the lights like the star she truly is. Diana Ross knows what her audience wants from her, and she doesn't let them down.
"An Evening With Diana Ross" was indeed an evening of glorious and jubilant ecstasy for an audience that couldn't get enough. And it proved without a shadow of a doubt that Diana Ross is, and will always remain, The Boss.
I mean, this is DIANA ROSS we're talking about!
posted by Carey Parrish | 9:41 AM
2 Comments:
I love this review. I have been following Diana Ross around the country!! I love her. I feel 17 with money!
Mary, read it and weep.
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