Diana Ross Shines at Citi Wang Theatre

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Live Review: Diana Ross Shines at Citi Wang Theatre
SEPTEMBER 20, 2015BY PAUL ROBICHEAU


Diana Ross summons memories of classic Motown hits with the Supremes, glamorous outfits, and her iconic persona as one of pop music’s premier divas. But the 71-year-old Ross certainly didn’t bring any diva’s attitude to the Citi Wang Theatre on Saturday. On the contrary, the beaming singer -- who looked and sounded fabulous, regardless of age -- proved warm and generous to both the audience and her sublime backing musicians.

“I love when they turn the house lights up and I see your faces,” Ross told her diverse fans. “You have no idea what that means to me.” And she genuinely came across as a seasoned stage professional who’s also happy and thankful for her long, successful career.

Sure, the spotlight was on Ross, who went through several costume changes of sequins, feathers and ruffles -- in a few colors, with matching hand-fans to cool herself down in style. Yet the show wasn’t all about her, as lights shined into a sea of people dancing, singing along, and capturing the moment on camera phones.

From opening pride anthem “I’m Coming Out” to a rousing finale of the Gloria Gaynor standard “I Will Survive” [[with standout solo turns across her tightly arranged five-man band and three backup singers), Ross threw an inclusive, hit-filled party.

She kicked in early with a stretch of the Supremes' ’60s gems [[“My World is Empty Without You,” “Baby Love,” “Stop, in the Name of Love” and “Love Child”). She dipped into jazzy blues phrasing for Billie Holiday nugget “Don’t Explain” [[without vocal backups, which she never relied on anyway). When an audience member hopped onstage to dance to “Upside Down,” Ross not only rolled with it, she hugged him, then invited a guy up from the other side to test his moves. She heightened the sing-alongs with “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” and she got all hands swaying to “Reach Out and Touch [[Somebody’s Hand) to complete the communal love-in.

The night’s only downside was how quickly it all happened. Like clockwork, Ross hit the stage within moments of the show’s 8 p.m. starting time and in less than 80 minutes, it was all over. Some fans might have preferred more of her early hits instead of “Ease on Down the Road” [[from musical The Wiz) or covers like “Why Do Fools Fall in Love.” Yet there was really no wasted time and no going through the motions. The Boston crowd was summarily thrilled and fulfilled, as Diana Ross came and conquered -- with heart, soul and precision.

ARTIST LINK: DIANA ROSS
CONCERT REVIEW: DIANA ROSS @ CITI WANG THEATRE, BOSTON
September 29, 2015 10:45 am
BROWSE ALL DIANA ROSS TICKETS
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“What do you all want to hear?” Motown legend Diana Ross asked her fans while taking the stage for the final encore of her latest live performance, at Boston’s gleaming Citi Wang Theatre.

What would a fan of Ms. Ross possibly ask for? A Supremes medley? One from her disco-diva era? A trip through “Lady Sings The Blues,” or any of her hit-heavy Hollywood-starring soundtrack catalog?

The crowd yelled out their favorites — and with an ear cupped to the screaming fans to take it all in, Ross then leaped back into action with the classic she always pulls out at this time in the show: “Reach Out And Touch [[Somebody’s Hand).”

It felt absolutely appropriate.

Diana Ross performing live in 2008

Diana Ross has been touring with the same set-list for nearly four years now. Opening the show with “I’m Coming Out” and then moving straight into “More Today Than Yesterday,” a glorious cover version of the early 70s single by Spiral Starecase,” she kept the audience at Citi Wang mesmerized all night long, busting out one hit after another.

She didn’t even give the fans a chance to applaud or cheer or stop their feet at the end of each number — her band just burst into the intro for the next Motown classic.

“My World Is Empty Without You” seemed one of the night’s biggest stunners, with Ross taking the vocals down a notch from the Supremes’ legendary studio version.

Of course, fans would have gone home happy if Diana had crooned Supremes hits all night long. Instead, the Boston gig brought out only six from her famed time in the band: “My World Is Empty Without You,” “Come See About Me,” “Stop! In The Name Of Love,” “Baby Love,” “Love Child,” and “You Can’t Hurry Love.”

Focusing more on her solo side — supremely-hummable tunes such as the “Theme From Mahogany [[Do You Know Where You’re Going To?)” and “Touch Me In The Morning” — Ross also cruised through other tunes from the Motown era, bouncing out “The Look Of Love” and then dropped backward in time to go jazzy with Billy Holiday’s famed smoky torch tune, “Don’t Explain.”

It’s been 50 years since the debut of Ross as a pop performer, and for many of those decades Diana Ross dominated the radio airwaves, both as a solo performer and in The Supremes. She finished her Boston show on top of the world, with a staggering version of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and an encore [[and encore-reprise) of the Gloria Gaynor chestnut, “I Will Survive.”

After five decades the same words, of course, could be said of Diana Ross. She’s a survivor.

Here is the full set-list for Diana Ross’s show at the Citi Wang Theatre in Boston:

I’M COMING OUT
MORE TODAY THAN YESTERDAY
MY WORLD IS EMPTY WITHOUT YOU
COME SEE ABOUT ME
BABY LOVE
STOP! IN THE NAME OF LOVE
YOU CAN’T HURRY LOVE
LOVE CHILD
THE BOSS
IT’S MY HOUSE
UPSIDE DOWN
LOVE HANGOVER
TAKE ME HIGHER
EASE ON DOWN THE ROAD
DON’T EXPLAIN
WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE?
THEME FROM MAHOGANY [[DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU’RE GOING TO?)
AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH
I WILL SURVIVE

It was a really good show. Although I've seen it for the past few years now, I never leave less than impressed.