Review from 1976. An Evening With Diana Ross

[Albator]

Just to remind us the prejudice Diana Ross endured for years by those, blacks or whites, claiming she wasn't pure black enough, or that her voice was not big enough. Those are things we still heard for Withney, but for Beyonce, Rihanna, I think we're done with that.
Certainly Diana is not a big voiced singer, but her spirit, her aura is much bigger than any voice.

September 30, 1976
Independent from Long Beach, California
Diana was ready for L.A. Dynamic Diana did it with dynamite at the Amhanson Tuesday night kicking off a two-week run in Los Angeles. Diana Ross, cool, sexy, suave and foxy, has style. Even before she walked out on stage, the energy level in the usually sedate Ahmanson Theater was crackling. On the road with the show for the past six months, Diana Ross has been trashed in the media for forgetting "her roots." For the very same show for which New York's Village Voice labeled her the "last of the white black girls," Los Angeles heaped on the ovations. Leading off with "Do You Know," the show was presented like a movie script with the various depicting parts of her life. It was dear from the start that she knew exactly where she was going. Charisma got here there. At the beginning of her two-hour gig, two mimes enrolled part of her white dress [[there were seven costume changes during the first half of the show) and used it as a screen to flash parts of her life. With even-thing she offered, the audience "Love Hangover," a current disco hit from her latest Motown album, got them moving and shaking. "On your feet, " she ordered. And they did dressed in their fancy tux jackets with frilly shirts and their long gowns with Frye boots and very smart jackets. Diana beamed. Dug in her heels and turned in one of the best performances of her career. Later, she told interviewers that she "was ready" for Los Angeles. Diana Ross has grown up. We knew she had class and talent, but we didn’t know she was capable of conjuring up brew-moving moods. . , While the second half of the show presented the obligatory "Motown Review of Supreme biggies," it was clearly the first hour that worked magic for Diana. Moving in and out of the personas of Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters -- the "Dark Divas" with ease and ability, Diana was all flair and excitement Unlike her Amphitheater performances in the summer of 1974, Diana had her all signs of nervousness under control. Her ability to work an audience was flawless. She gathered up her 15 years of experience and turned them loose.

[PeaceNHarmony]

Just to remind us the prejudice Diana Ross endured for years by those, blacks or whites, claiming she wasn't pure black enough, or that her voice was not big enough. Those are things we still heard for Withney, but for Beyonce, Rihanna, I think we're done with that.
Certainly Diana is not a big voiced singer, but her spirit, her aura is much bigger than any voice.

September 30, 1976
Independent from Long Beach, California
Diana was ready for L.A. Dynamic Diana did it with dynamite at the Amhanson Tuesday night kicking off a two-week run in Los Angeles. Diana Ross, cool, sexy, suave and foxy, has style. Even before she walked out on stage, the energy level in the usually sedate Ahmanson Theater was crackling. On the road with the show for the past six months, Diana Ross has been trashed in the media for forgetting "her roots." For the very same show for which New York's Village Voice labeled her the "last of the white black girls," Los Angeles heaped on the ovations. Leading off with "Do You Know," the show was presented like a movie script with the various depicting parts of her life. It was dear from the start that she knew exactly where she was going. Charisma got here there. At the beginning of her two-hour gig, two mimes enrolled part of her white dress [[there were seven costume changes during the first half of the show) and used it as a screen to flash parts of her life. With even-thing she offered, the audience "Love Hangover," a current disco hit from her latest Motown album, got them moving and shaking. "On your feet, " she ordered. And they did dressed in their fancy tux jackets with frilly shirts and their long gowns with Frye boots and very smart jackets. Diana beamed. Dug in her heels and turned in one of the best performances of her career. Later, she told interviewers that she "was ready" for Los Angeles. Diana Ross has grown up. We knew she had class and talent, but we didn’t know she was capable of conjuring up brew-moving moods. . , While the second half of the show presented the obligatory "Motown Review of Supreme biggies," it was clearly the first hour that worked magic for Diana. Moving in and out of the personas of Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters -- the "Dark Divas" with ease and ability, Diana was all flair and excitement Unlike her Amphitheater performances in the summer of 1974, Diana had her all signs of nervousness under control. Her ability to work an audience was flawless. She gathered up her 15 years of experience and turned them loose.

I saw this show at the Palace Theatre in NYC; it was, and remains, one of the best shows ever, a precursor to the 'production concerts' that are de rigieur nows-a-days. And 41 years later, as witnessed by 11,000+ sell-out fans in NYC last week, the lady's still got it! And remember, Billie Holiday did not have a 'big voice' either; many can bellow; few can ​sing.

[reese]

I saw this show in February 1977. It was the first secular concert that I ever went to and I thought it was the best thing I'd ever seen. That is, until I saw Diana in 1979. :-)

[Albator]

a precursor to the 'production concerts' that are de rigieur nows-a-days

That' very true, but who really started those kind of concert.
Bette Midler, Liza Minnelli, Ann Margret????????

[reese]

That' very true, but who really started those kind of concert.
Bette Midler, Liza Minnelli, Ann Margret????????

When I saw the show, one of the local papers said Diana's show was the latest in the line of one-woman shows done by Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Shirley Maclaine, and I think, Marlene Dietrich.

[PeaceNHarmony]

I saw this show in February 1977. It was the first secular concert that I ever went to and I thought it was the best thing I'd ever seen. That is, until I saw Diana in 1979. :-)

HA! I can concur - I [[along with almost 6,000 other cheering fans) nearly had a heart attack during the ANMHE voice-over and the through-the-screen reveal!

[sansradio]

When I saw the show, one of the local papers said Diana's show was the latest in the line of one-woman shows done by Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Shirley Maclaine, and I think, Marlene Dietrich.

I would definitely add Josephine Baker to that pantheon.

[captainjames]

I remember this concert so well. Diana was in rare form and the best of the best.

[jobeterob]

This is when the "New York Loves Diana" af showed up in Billboard