Carey playing the diva: she's pitch-perfect
Mariah Carey is a self-proclaimed diva, and Saturday night she played right into the role. Rather than hide from the obvious, the 40-year-old singing sensation basked in self-absorption and dramatic gestures during her 90-minute performance at Citi Wang Theatre.
There were breaks to sip "water" out of a champagne glass, frequent discussions about the lack of fans (the machines designed to cool her off, not the admirers) and a pause to call out hired hands to reapply makeup. Her outfits - form-fitting, glittery dresses in gold, silver and black - were sights to behold, if you could stand the glare.
Carey appeared from the rafters on a swing, wearing a massive gold gown that required an escort to help her walk. (Not to worry, said escort stripped her down and promptly transformed the gown into a short dress during opener "Shake It Off".) "I know it's over the top," Carey purred. "It's diva. That's what they call me."
A self-aware Carey thanked the packed crowd for "tolerating her diva-isms", and while those diva-isms clearly added to the ambience, at times they felt like distractions; Mimi was at her best when the voice was top priority. Carey alternately revealed brilliance and self-consciousness when approaching her songs: "My All", the gospel-inspired "Fly Like a Bird" and early career hit "Emotions" were all powerhouse stunners, boasting the mix of smoky tones, soulful trills and high-octave whistles that have become her trademark.
Other times, the statuesque songstress seemed to be holding back, carefully reining herself in so as not to falter; she appeared to lip-sync during the climax of "The Impossible", the song she wrote for hubby Nick Cannon, as well as sections of the sassy "Up Out My Face" and the entirety of "Angels Cry".
As those song choices reveal, the night featured several tracks off her latest album, "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel", among them hit single "Obsessed" and "It's a Wrap", one of the night's best vocal efforts. But her older material wasn't forgotten. For a change of pace, Carey included the hip-hop flavor of "Honey", a slightly remixed "It's Like That" and the midtempo come-on of "Touch My Body", punctuated by a few well-timed shakes and squiggles.
"Make It Happen" served as a wardrobe-change interlude, with her band and dancers on stalling duty until Carey emerged for the song's climax. Carey closed the show on her best note, putting vocal acrobatics in the spotlight on the career comeback-inducer "We Belong Together" and inspirational ballad "Hero". Lest we forget, the diva can sing. (Boston Herald)
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