Whitney Houston

Review: It's hard to say what is more difficult to watch: a legendary Diva not being able to cut the mustard in front of a sold out house, or the disappointment slapped across the faces of let-down fans.

Whitney Houston's only Sydney show had more lows than highs. As an old school fan, it's difficult to admit, but the truth is Houston did not seem ‘present' during most of her performance, and at times she was down-right distracted.

While Houston opened the show with two thumping R'n'B numbers from her latest album, it didn't take long before her sparkle fizzed into a dull fog. Signature ballads were delivered far from the Houston formula that made her one of the hugest female selling artists of her time, served up lukewarm, awkwardly improvised and often incomplete.  

Then there is the question of her voice. There is no doubt that it has deteriorated over time. Hitting high notes often caused Houston's voice to falter and without sounding too harsh, the ability to hit those notes is what made her a star.

A dull stage was momentarily animated when Houston's athletic dancers back flipped and crumped their way across it which seemed to inspire Houston to tap into the 20-something year old artist who brought us hits like 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody'. She almost appeared a little grudging at times, particularly after a rant about the trappings of fame and how much she dislikes being pestered by fans while she is trying to eat dinner. Not something an audience really wants to hear. An encore saw her deliver a solid version of her latest single 'Million Dollar Bill', which was immediately let down the following number 'I'm Every Woman', which Houston didn't bother to sing, leaving that job to the band and backing singers. Thanks, Whitters.

Some fans left the concert early, possibly to avoid the traffic home from Acer Arena. I opted to check into a cushy room at the nearby Novotel, reminisce about the Whitney I once loved and digest the entire experience over a buffet breakfast. Andy Georgiou