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PRIMA DIONNE
The Straits Times
By Loh Keng Fatt
January 31, 2004
A 40 year showbiz veteran and five time grammy award winner is allowed certain liberties. That is why the sell-out crowd of 2,500 for R&B powerhouse Dionne Warwick were only too eager to hear her out when she promoted her best interests. Son David Elliot, imposingly smart in tuxedo with chirpy showmanship - " after all, I learnt from the best" - was the chief beneficiary. Just when the crowd thought that Warwick was opening the show, she sprang a surprise and turned over the mike to the rising singer-actor for four swing-jazzy numbers. In particular she got the crowd all excited when she dropped names when talking about an upcoming duet album commemorating her fourth decade in the business. Beyonce, Pink and Mya were mentioned as were her contemporaries like Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight.
But a sassy, worldly-wise entertainer like Warwick knows not to stretch the crowd's patience too 1px. So the big-smiling artist rolled out plenty of her hits, like Don't Make Me Over, Walk On By, Do you Know The Way To San Jose and Heartbreaker. Not only was her limber vocal range still intact, but she also showed how singers can age well, displaying effortless grace and elegant sass. This was apparent when she branched out into intoxicating Brazilian music. She warned the folks that if the music did not compel them to move, then "you must be dead". No one was, and everyone got to hear her big heartwarming hit That's What Friends Are For, her last song of the evening. Elliot was back on stage to help out, mother and son took a bow, and the crowd went wild - it had been a Solid Gold performance.
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