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Concert Review - Diana Ross and The Supremes - Return To Love Tour
Concert Review
Air Canada Centre - July 4, 2000
The Diana Ross / Supremes Return To Love tour came to Toronto Tuesday, and delivered a show that was both an utter success and an absolute fiasco. The tour was announced late in 1999, and was rumoured to feature Ross, Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong. Unfortunately, negotiations with these two former Supremes broke down, and Ross ended up touring with Lynda Laurence and Scherrie Payne, who were members of the Supremes after Diana left. And then there were the ticket prices, which were exorbitant. While the public might be willing to shell out the big bucks to see the Supremes, they weren't in a big hurry to buy tickets for this ersatz version.
The show began with Ross, Payne and Laurence atop an illuminated flight of stairs, in dresses that were a strange hybrid of ball gown and disco ball. Oh, yes, there was also a band. And an orchestra. And a small herd of dancers. With the onstage population at somewhere near 65, the ticket prices suddenly seemed so much more... reasonable. They opened the show with a crystal-clear version of "Reflections", delivered impeccably by Ross and her brand new old band. Next up were "My World Is Empty Without You", "Come See About Me", "Back In My Arms Again", and the set-of-love, featuring "Where Did Our Love Go?", "Baby Love", "Stop In The Name Of Love" and "You Can't Hurry Love". The audience managed to remain seated for the first four songs, but the relentless onslaught of fabulous Motown hits revved the initially cool crowd into a joyous, dancing mass. The army of musicians did a terrific job of capturing the beauty and power of the mighty Motown sound, and the vocalists gave a performance that was compelling and soulful. Ross seemed ecstatic and gave a powerful yet loose performance, laughing to herself on the few occasions when she flubbed the words. Leaving the stage for the first of many costume changes, Diana gave Laurence and Payne a chance to wow the audience with a pair of latter-day Supremes tunes. Diana appeared next in an outfit that seemed to feature the pelt of Sesame Street's Big Bird and belted out "I'm Coming Out", "Upside Down" and the theme to "Mahogany". The rest of the concert included a collection of Supremes favourites mixed with Motown classics like "(Reach Out) I'll Be There" and "Money". A breathtaking version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" was easily the highlight of the set's second half. Despite the poor attendance, the lofty ticket prices and the odd lineup, the show somehow managed to exhilarate the initially staid audience. Diana and her new friends had a ball, and so did we.
The Diana Ross / Supremes Return To Love tour came to Toronto Tuesday, and delivered a show that was both an utter success and an absolute fiasco. The tour was announced late in 1999, and was rumoured to feature Ross, Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong. Unfortunately, negotiations with these two former Supremes broke down, and Ross ended up touring with Lynda Laurence and Scherrie Payne, who were members of the Supremes after Diana left. And then there were the ticket prices, which were exorbitant. While the public might be willing to shell out the big bucks to see the Supremes, they weren't in a big hurry to buy tickets for this ersatz version.
The show began with Ross, Payne and Laurence atop an illuminated flight of stairs, in dresses that were a strange hybrid of ball gown and disco ball. Oh, yes, there was also a band. And an orchestra. And a small herd of dancers. With the onstage population at somewhere near 65, the ticket prices suddenly seemed so much more... reasonable. They opened the show with a crystal-clear version of "Reflections", delivered impeccably by Ross and her brand new old band. Next up were "My World Is Empty Without You", "Come See About Me", "Back In My Arms Again", and the set-of-love, featuring "Where Did Our Love Go?", "Baby Love", "Stop In The Name Of Love" and "You Can't Hurry Love". The audience managed to remain seated for the first four songs, but the relentless onslaught of fabulous Motown hits revved the initially cool crowd into a joyous, dancing mass. The army of musicians did a terrific job of capturing the beauty and power of the mighty Motown sound, and the vocalists gave a performance that was compelling and soulful. Ross seemed ecstatic and gave a powerful yet loose performance, laughing to herself on the few occasions when she flubbed the words. Leaving the stage for the first of many costume changes, Diana gave Laurence and Payne a chance to wow the audience with a pair of latter-day Supremes tunes. Diana appeared next in an outfit that seemed to feature the pelt of Sesame Street's Big Bird and belted out "I'm Coming Out", "Upside Down" and the theme to "Mahogany". The rest of the concert included a collection of Supremes favourites mixed with Motown classics like "(Reach Out) I'll Be There" and "Money". A breathtaking version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" was easily the highlight of the set's second half. Despite the poor attendance, the lofty ticket prices and the odd lineup, the show somehow managed to exhilarate the initially staid audience. Diana and her new friends had a ball, and so did we.
