Céline : The Courage Tour

The Magic of Céline 

 

Did you know that Céline Dion won the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest, in which she represented Switzerland?  Me neither! My first exposure to the Canadian superstar was as the female voice behind Disney's song about a "tale as old as time", Beauty and the Beast, which earned her her first Grammy award.  However, it was her powerful cover of the Jennifer Rush hit, Power of Love, that prompted me to buy her album The Colour of My Love (I still remember buying it from CNA in Vincent Park, a mall in my hometown) turned me into fan.  I went on to do an Afrikaans mondeling (oral) about her in my final year of high school, which my Afrikaans teacher said was my best.  Her next album, Falling Into You (1996), increased her popularity across the world and is my personal favourite. Then came My Heart Will Go On, arguably one of the most successful movie theme songs of all time, and one which won 4 Grammy awards: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television.

Céline has experienced her share of highs and lows throughout her career.   Professionally, she has received accolades and awards, enjoyed critical and chart success and her Vegas residency was one of the city's hottest tickets for a staggering 16 years.  Her personal life has also been a bit of a rollercoaster, with highs like her fairytale wedding to her manager and love of her life, René Angélil, and the birth of her sons and lows such as the deaths of her beloved husband and brother.  Despite everything,  she has always shown tremendous resilience, grace and courage, which is appropriately the title of her latest album.

I experienced the magic that is Céline Dion when she brought the Courage Tour to Albany, NY.  She took to the stage, sporting her new , blonde, shoulder-length bob, in a striking red sequin gown and matching red (and very high) heels; in fact, she stumbled as she took her first steps toward that front of the stage and came close to falling, which she later dismissed with a series of jokes (in true Céline fashion) about crowd surfing.  Throughout the show there were four costume changes, each one more stunning than the last: a pair of black high-waisted cigarette pants and white blouse with dramatic billowing sleeves, a nude and black-laced dress with a flattering slit up the side, a silver bell-bottomed jumpsuit (a nod to the disco era as well as Elvis' Vegas days) and finally a gown of cascading lavender tulle by Zac Posen for her encore (which she performed while drones circled around her, emulating stars or fireflies).

She was her quirky self throughout the show, making jokes and interacting with the audience, and covered more than thirty years of iconic songs.  I was not prepared for the full power of her voice which took my breath away and yes, brought a tear to my eye at times.  It's hard to believe that her doctors recently had her on vocal rest.  The beautiful black and white video interludes also highlighted Céline's newfound status as a fashion icon.  The evening was simply magnifique from start to finish.

The setlist was as follows:

It's All Coming Back to Me Now
That's The Way It Is
I'm Alive
If You Asked Me To
The Power of Love
Love Can Move Mountains
Beauty and the Beast
The Prayer
You're the Voice (John Farnham cover)
Tous les blues sont écrits pour toi
To Love You More
Courage
All by Myself
Imperfections
The Prayer
Because You Loved Me
Let's Dance / Another One Bites The Dust / Kiss / River Deep, Mountain High / Lady Marmalade

Encore
My Heart Will Go On
Imagine