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31 January 2004, Saturday. The Straits Times (Singapore)
An Evening with Dionne Warwick
Suntec City
Thursday
Prima Dionne
Review by Loh Keng Fatt
 It was a PR act only a
diva could pull off. The audience patiently listened as Dionne Warwick
used her stage time to plug her singer-actor son and even a souvenir book.
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, 63
were only too contented to hear her our when she used the occasion to promote
her best interests.
Son Davit Elliot, 34, imposingly smart in tuxedo with chirpy showmanship -
"after all, I learnt from the best" - was the chief beneficiary.
Just when the crowd thought Warwick, dressed in white blouse and short, pasar
malam-style, was opening the show, she sprang a surprise and turned over the
mike to the rising sing-actor for four swing-jazzy numbers.
Warwick, who came back in a shimmery blouse and black pants, also "shamelessly",
in her own words, plugged her future projects, including a souvenir book,
complete with pictures with celebrity friends.
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 thin.
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 show
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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