Kylie 'Showgirl' stops by Singapore

Camilla Adindamaulani ,  Contributor ,  Singapore   |  Sat, 11/29/2008 11:32 AM  |  Entertainment

For a 40-year-old gal, and a breast-cancer survivor, Kylie Minogue looks in her prime.

The pop princess prompted women to go for breast screening when she publicly revealed her battle with the cancer in 2005 -- and looking at her post-recovery and at the kind of dresses she wore during her Singapore performance on Tuesday, Nov. 25, she has inspired more women (including myself) to take regular exercise.

The svelte Australian singer rocked the Singapore Indoor Stadium on the Asian leg of her "Kylie X 2008" tour for two hours and through six costume changes.

The steep ticket price, ranging from S$100 to $550, attracted a more mature audience -- from those in their mid-20s, to 40-somethings, drag queens included.

The performance, which was scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m., was delayed for one hour before Kylie made her grand entrance in a long, black Star Wars-inspired princess gown.

Belting out "Speakerphone" for the opening number, she then turned up the heat with a single from her 2001 Fever album, "Can't Get You Out My Head". Together with 10 dancers in tight black costumes and helmets, Kylie busted out her famous dance moves from the track's video clip.

Another hit single from the same album, "In Your Eyes" followed.

Kylie dropped her 80's girl-next-door image (and her "goody two-shoes" then boyfriend, Jason Donovan) for a smoldering sexy look in the 90s (and bad-boy Michael Hutchence from INXS). For the second sequence of her performance, she brought out this raunchier side in a tiny cheerleader's costume, complete with white hot pants and pink jersey. Five male dancers dressed in football costumes lifted her in the air for a cheerleader split pose during "Heart Beat Rock", and on to perform "Wow" and "Shocked".

A screening of her male dancers' photos in swimsuits, applauded by the female and gay audience members alike, ushered in the third theme; showgirls and sailors.

Draped in a glittering blue gown, Kylie did a rendition of "Copa Cabana", with her dancers reconstructing on stage the story of Lola, Tony and Rico.

The tempo of her songs arrangements was slower that the album but that didn't stop people from dancing the night away. In the same tight fitting blue gown, Kylie continued with "Spinning Around" and sang "I Believe in You", flirtatiously, accompanied by keyboard.

In her fourth outfit, she sashayed down the stage in a military-themed red silk dress while addressing the audience with her perky voice. A group of "lady boys" dressed as show girls were only too happy when Kylie spotted them and exclaimed, "I've got competition".

Her concert in Singapore was much-anticipated by her fans after her 2005 "Showgirl" tour was canceled due to her breast cancer treatment.

The "Kylie X 2008" tour is an enormous US$16 million production that kicked off in Paris in May this year. The combination of lavish stage details, including the glossy black marble-like stage floor, massive 10-meter LCD screen in the stage background, and costumes designed by Jean Paul Gaultier, change the mood settings from outer space to the Victorian era.

Five pairs of dancers performing waltz choreography with the screening of an image of a 18th century dance hall set the stage for the fifth sequence, where Kylie appeared in a Victorian Prince costume.

Singing a cover of Pandora's "On a Night Like This", she then stripped off her long tail suit to reveal her petite figure in white hugging pants and a fitted top.

The audience also had the chance to reminisce her older hits, such as "Step Back in Time" and "Better the Devil You Know", from her 1990 album Rhythm of Love.

A shower of golden confetti came down before she performed her last song, "Lucky".

Judging from her stamina and hectic tour schedule, and the number of chart toppers that she keeps producing, Kylie's career is still on a roll. Big time. The showgirl from Down Under provides a great example of how "life begins at 40".

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.