Here it is, in their own words…
Planet Maurie Photo ©2010
Taking our Roy Thomson Hall concert virginity away was none other then Diana Ross! She is undoubtedly one of the Motown greats and to see her right here in Toronto was amazing! I love her countless smash hits to begin with, but adding a full orchestra to her concert experience was incredible! Both Matthew and I went to the concert not really knowing what was in store, but we were absolutely blown away by the experience. Our seats were great!! And it didn’t take long before we were on our feet, caught up in the infectious beats and her classic hits.
Planet Maurie Photo ©2010
One thing that makes Diana stand out among other artists I’ve seen in concert is the fact that she makes eye contact with you as you dance! She smiles at you – it really makes you feel like you’re part of the show. In fact, between two songs, she said “While you’re staring at me, I’m staring back at you… I see ALL your beautiful smiles!“ I have to say though, that one of the highlights for me, was halfway through the show Diana kicked off a back-to-back set of upbeat favorites starting with “I’m Coming Out”. I don’t think I’ve danced like that in a long time.
During her set, there was no doubt that Diana saw us, as she stood in front of Matthew and I and smiled.
I thought there was no way it could get cooler; she then pointed at us and signaled us to come on stage! WHAT!? REALLY?! So, not missing a beat we climbed up on stage and shook what our mama’s gave us!
I couldn’t believe it, we were actually on stage with Diana Ross! She was laughing and had a great time with us. It was unbelievable! She gave us a hug and we went back to our seats. It’s a moment we will never forget.
Thanks Diana, you’re so awesome! and thanks to Roy Thomson Hall for being the perfect venue to see this live act.
Maurie Sherman & Matthew Almeida
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Hey there Maurie & Matthew;
I’m the guy with the chin hair that talked to you briefly in the lobby to say congratulations! I flew in from Vancouver to see the concert thanks to my good friend, Eric Pressman, who was the President of the Canadian Supremes Fan Club from 1966 to 1968. Eric and I saw Diana Ross perform at the Expo Theatre in Montreal with the Supremes during two of her six shows there, 43 (!!!) years ago. You can imagine what a thrill it was to see Diana again with Eric and to see her looking so good and sounding fantastic. Here is my review of that magic evening.
RETURN OF THE BOSS!
By twist of luck, this reviewer caught a glimpse of Diana Ross backstage, or more accurately, her legendary massive trademark mane of hair, long before the curtain dropped at her May 31st Toronto appearance at Roy Thomson Hall.
Sitting on the left stage balcony which was actually situated above and behind the white curtain, I was able to have a bird’s eye view of the musicians doing their countdown on stage as the intro music was blaring. Miss Ross was clearly visible at the bottom of the elevator shaft of her stairway prop giving her coiffure a last second fluffing. A glimpse of her arm encased in a lime green feathery creation foreshadowed the flamboyant entrance she was about to treat her fans to.
As the elevator rose and the words “Are You Ready?” were beamed on the huge teletron behind her, the white curtain fell onto the stage and two stagehands quickly removed it as La Ross sailed down the stairs, bobbing to the throbbing beat of “The Boss.”
The last time Ross hit the concert tour trail she skimped on live backing musicians, some reviewers commenting on sax solos when no such instrument was visible on stage. For this current tour de force, Diana Ross was backed by a hotshot 17 piece ensemble who obviously were having fun on stage. Their enthusiasm motivated Ross to dig deep and give her all, and what an aural trip down memory lane it was.
Five Supremes number one hits were given the full treatment with “Love Child” morphing into an updated latin arrangement, giving this signature song a new and dynamic excitement. The five piece string section gave Ross’ solo career ballads the dramatic sweep the original seventies recordings had.
With no less than six costume changes that flowed seamlessly into the musical journey, Ross provided eye candy to compliment the ear candy she treated her fans to. Looking decades younger than her 66 years, Diana Ross hasn’t sounded in such good voice in live concert in recent memory. During her 27 song set, which along the way eased on down the road with a nod to her fellow Motown alumni, singing “It’s Hard For Me To Say Goodbye”, a stop along the way to acknowledge Billie Holiday, her Chic inspired Disco era dance hits and a sincere tribute to fallen pal, Michael Jackson combing her classic recording, “Missing You”, with his “You Are Not Alone.” Ross still possesses the chops to prove she why she has become a musical legend, and a constantly changing backdrop photo montage of her over the years with the Supremes and clips from her music videos acted as a primer for new fans not familiar with her five decade spanning career.
Roy Thomson Hall’s acoustics are best suited for orchestral performances and at times, Ross’ backing band seemed to overpower her vocals. Aretha Franklin, who also performed in the same venue recently, suffered the same fate. Ross’ fans in the upper nosebleeds initially seemed the most enthusiastic and she graciously acknowledged them. Thankfully for Ross, the sound mix issue were quickly resolved and the audience in front of the stage came alive as the evening progressed.
While perhaps not possessing the best voice in pop music, Diana Ross is one of the most distinctive musical icons of her generation, and if provided with worthwhile material, still has the potential to ignite the air waves and burn up the pop charts one more time. She certainly has the stage presence and energy to show the current crop of Divas in waiting why she still reigns Supreme!
So happy for both of you. Now you know why I love her so!
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