Celine Dion
British Summer Time, Hyde Park, London
★★★★
As she emerged from the back of the stage and surveyed the 80,000 people in London’s Hyde Park who had come to see her, it didn’t seem like Celine Dion was missing Las Vegas. The Canadian singer, a commercial juggernaut who has sold over 250 million albums, recently wrapped up her second Vegas residency, a stint that lasted for over eight years.
It was a period of extreme change for Dion, whose husband and manager, René Angélil, lost his battle with throat cancer in 2016. Her career subsequently saw something of a resurgence, the loss cracking open the shell of a woman who had always been eccentric but whose true nature had never been forced centre stage.
During her Friday night headline performance at British Summer Time, the opening show in what is a week-long series of concerts that will see the likes of Barbra Streisand, Lionel Richie and Stevie Wonder grace the stage, this individuality was on full display.
Flanked by a group of musicians who felt more like a mini-orchestra than a band, Dion opened the show with the absurdly brilliant “The Power of Love”, a power ballad that set the tone for the rest of the evening. Dressed in a blue jumpsuit with huge pouffy sleeves, from the audience she resembled a marionette, her head bobbing like a camp Thunderbird.
Given the early curfew of gigs at Hyde Park, Dion seemed to whiz through her some of biggest hits. Songs like “Because You Loved Me”, which she actually stopped midway to have a cosy chat with the audience – “I normally don’t interrupt the show,” she said, “but those who know me know I love to sing but I also love to talk – and “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now” were abridged, verses skipped and song lengths clipped. It was a shame, really, as less significant moments, like a Prince medley and new songs “Ashes” and “Flying On My Own”, saw the propulsive energy dip a little, while the crowd pleasers were cut short.
Still, this transgression is entirely forgivable. During a rousing and surprisingly earnest rendition of John Farnham’s “You’re The Voice”, her outfit changed for a green gown complete with billowing chiffon wrap, she commands the audience with her unparalleled voice. There’s no doubt about it: Celine Dion has the range.
Read more: Kylie Minogue at Glastonbury 2019, review: a triumphant and radiant performance
Any on-stage kookiness, while fun (in the same way it is when your mum has had too much sherry at Christmas), is secondary compared to that voice. After nearly four decades in music, it is still able to tell the stories of songs like “My Heart Will Go On” and “All By Myself” with unwavering conviction.
But it was “Think Twice” that proved Dion’s might as a performer. Whether it was deliberately timed or not, the song played out as the sky turned hues of wondrous red, Dion lending it every vocal acrobatic in her arsenal, delivering spine-chillingly controlled runs at its close. Standing there in the setting sun she looked positively regal. Free from the confines of Las Vegas, it felt like a queen finally coming home.
