As a music lover, reviewer and long time fan of Dionne Warwick, I had pretty high expectations for this show.
Ms Dionne Warwick even at the age of 84, exceeded all of them. Staged at Melbourne's Hamer Hall (16 January), she came out wearing the most sparkling suit you have ever seen, seated herself in front of the piano and sang her heart out.The most favoured singer of composers Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Dionne sang a medley of her songs, taking us all the way to San Jose and back.
Born in 1940, at the height of the Jim Crow era in the United States, she has pretty much been through it all, including being nearly arrested on her tour with Sam Cooke back in the day.
It's a wonder to see her in her later years, still strong of voice and OMG. . . those amazing cheek bones. What a woman!
She opened with the best medley ever including 'Do You Know The Way To San Jose', 'Walk On By', 'You'll Never Get To Heaven (If You Break My Heart)', 'I'll Never Fall In Love Again' and, of course, 'I Say A Little Prayer'.
Along the way there she told significant tales of her very storied past with warmth and good humour. A surprisingly poignant version of 'Alfie' had a rapt audience nearly in tears.
Dionne's voice is still strong and can hit the high notes, but she has very cleverly arranged the songs to suit her vocal range now. She closed the night with 'That's What Friends Are For', which she recorded with Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder and Elton John to assist with AIDS research.
Dionne Warwick was amazing; and she was totally authentic. She didn't phone it in. She's still here and she wants to be. Vibrant as ever, she wants to hear that applause and adoration – and she deserves every bit of it.
- written by Karen Conrad
