Diva's age invisible in farewell concert
By JANE STEVENSON -- Toronto Sun

Never let it be said that Cher doesn't know how to say goodbye. Launching her farewell tour last night at the Air Canada Centre -- after spending the week rehearsing in town at Maple Leaf Gardens -- the 56-year-old pop diva made the grandest of entrances descending from the ceiling on top of a golden chandelier.

"I've never been 30 feet in the air," the blonde-wigged Cher joked afterwards. "Well, maybe after sex a couple of times."

Her highwire arrival was preceded by old black-and-white home movies of her followed by various video images of her different looks over the years to herald the retrospective show about to unfold.

But it was clear ultra-glamorous mode is what her fans like best and she didn't disappoint the sold-out crowd last night who snapped up tickets in one day.

She was initially dressed in a white fur-trimmed, diamond-encrusted, hooded coat to sing the opening song, U2's I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, the same tune she used to begin her 1999-2000 Believe tour. But she eventually stripped down to a navel-bearing and beaded I Dream of Jeannie outfit for two new tunes, (This Is) A Song For The Lonely and A Different Kind Of Love Song from her latest album, Living Proof.

A red jewelled top hat and matching tails with a whip and an Indian princess costume --the latter featuring her riding a mechanical elephant -- quickly followed and the Cher circus was fully under way.

Over the course of an hour and 45 minutes, there were clothes and wigs from every decade from the '60s to today but of the dozen costumes, two tied for the most memorable.

There was the Mohawk-meets-Maori ensemble with a large head-dress that she donned for Bang Bang and the barely-there black spandex body suit with fishnet that exposed her backside tattoos during If I Could Turn Back Time. How perfect was it too that someone threw a white sailor hat on stage to her during that latter number, recalling the infamous aircraft carrier video for the song?

Helping Cher out in the adrenaline department was her incredible stage dominated by two staircases, large amber-coloured lights, and five video screens, not to mention the eight-piece band and eight dancers/gymnasts.

The sheer spectacle of it all would have been laughable if it hadn't worked so well, particularly the old movie and TV clips that were shown -- from The Sonny &Cher Show, performances with Tina Turner, David Bowie and Elton John.

The legendary diva, who took a question early in the show, was asked if this really was her final roadtrip.

"I'm old for this -- all right?" she responded. "This kind of thing can kick a girl's ass of 25!"

You never would have known it.

Meanwhile, '80s holdover Cyndi Lauper slowly opened the evening but eventually gained momentum with an inspired version of True Colors -- featuring Lauper draped in a gay pride rainbow flag trimmed in feathers -- and the ballad All Through The Night.

A bouncy performer sporting bleached-blonde, short hair offset by a black suit and bright-pink tuxedo shirt, Lauper certainly proved more than capable of warming up the crowd.

She wandered into the audience on more than one occasion and the best bit had to be when -- during Girls Just Wanna Have Fun -- she sang directly into a cellphone that a fan had stretched out to her.

SUN RATING

**** 1/2 (out of five)