By Lisa DiCarlucci

Singing to a sold out house at Nassau Coliseum this past Thursday, it was clear that Celine Dion has not lost her thunder. At age 40, she still sings, dances and entertains with the best of ’em while still forever maintaining the aura of diva.

The only unfortunate part of Dion’s “Taking Chances” tour was her opening act. Gordie Brown, an entertainer hailing from Las Vegas, was a disappointment to a much-hyped-up crowd. He was cheesy, his jokes were overdone and his level of performance was so far below that of Dion that it completely killed the enthusiasm of the audience.

Any excitement that was lost in the opening act however was gained back and then exceeded upon Dion’s grand entrance. Once she took the stage, the Coliseum exploded with applause and screaming from an audience that ranged between nine to 90-year-olds. The show opened with her popular song “I Drove All Night” and the energy was infectious from that point on.

Highlights of the show were without a doubt the old favorites. Dion’s performance of “Because You Loved Me” brought most of the crowd to tears. It was incredibly moving because she has such passion in her voice and truly commits to the song. “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” received the best response from the crowd, proving to be the favorite Dion ballad.

The most remarkable thing about the whole concert was the high caliber of entertainment. You would never have known that Dion has sung these songs and done this same choreography hundreds of times. Even after such a long accomplished career she still performs with the same enthusiasm and heart as if it were her first time. The great level of modesty she expressed several times throughout the evening compliments these traits even more.

The show was incredibly involved with at least six costume changes, several of which that included shoes that even the most graceful 20-something would topple over in. As a whole, the aesthetic of the show was flashy and youthful but also very creative. The back-up dancers were extremely talented and really worked the whole stage to their advantage, always complementing Dion without overpowering her.

The grand finale of the show was a performance of “My Heart Will Go On,” the theme song from “Titanic.” A lighting technique was used to give the illusion of the stage being candle-lit. Dion sang the song dramatically dressed in black from head to toe. A song that is typically overplayed on radio and television was given new life when heard live.

If nothing else, the Celine Dion “Taking Chances” tour proves that she’s still got it. She is looking and performing better than ever and is able to maintain an attitude of humbleness that is so rare.

(musicweek.com)