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| - I give this show four stars because I have to reserve five stars for what I would have given it if I had seen the same show in 1982. For a woman who is pushing 70, Olivia looks and sounds damn good. But her voice has lost just a bit of the power and sweetness that it had in the 70's. And, obviously, she is no longer the sex kitten that drove boys crazy in Grease or in her Let's Get Physical video. Fortunately, though, all of that is on film, and is played on large screens behind Olivia during her performance.
I was in high school and college during the 70's, so Olivia was a big part of the soundtrack of my youth. Those who were not there at the time probably don't appreciate how big she was. Think Taylor Swift and Katy Perry rolled up into an Aussie package. Ten #1 hits, including seven in a row. A country superstar and a pop diva. And while she wasn't there for her acting skills, Grease and Xanadu were very popular and remain (at least) cult classics. And she could even dance well enough, in those days, to share the screen with Gene Kelly and John Travolta. The dancing, alas, is also gone from her repertoire.
So I had somewhat mixed feelings as the curtain went down on Olivia's show. I'm very glad that I finally had the chance to see her in person (front row, no less!). But I was wistful for the missed opportunity to see her in her prime. That really would have been something.
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