TORONTO - A big voice definitely equalled a big production last night as pop diva Christina Aguilera brought her ultra-glam Back to Basics tour to the Air Canada Centre.
"I want you to escape, I want you to relax, I want you to use your imagination," said the tiny, platinum blond 27-year-old singer.
Her comments followed a spectacular opening number, Ain't No Other Man, which saw Aguilera and six dancers performing on a white staircase in white costumes backed by a big band.
Did I mention everything was big and glamorous?
Currently touring in support of her vintage soul-blues-and-jazz-drenched double album Back to Basics, Aguilera -- who has sold 25 million albums -- obviously decided to go for it, production-and-costume-wise, on this particular trek.
Just 20 minutes into her 90-minute show, she had already made four out of what was to be 10 outfit changes.
It says something about Aguilera, who emerged during the teen-driven pop scene of the late '90s, that she was never overwhelemd by the 20 or so dancers and musicians who joined her on stage.
Helping her in this were some pretty eye-popping costumes, including black lace chaps she wore over a white mini-dress for the new song, Still Dirrty, to remind the crowd she hasn't completely given up her controversial "X-tina" persona that dominated her last album, 2002's Stripped.
Aguilera later returned atop a carousel horse during a circus-inspired segment -- which included fire-juggling, stilt-walking and trapeze work by her dancers -- to sing the original Dirrty while four female dancers writhed around on stripper poles.
The circus bit also saw a male audience volunteer tied to a knife-throwing backdrop while Aguilera and four female dancers appeared with sequined riding crops to tickle him during Nasty Naughty Boy.
The set list was mainly made up of Back to Basics material, which meant glamorous period-piece costumes (the standout piece being a Liberace-style white-feather-trimmed gold floor-length coat), videos, and dancing.
Song highlights proved to be Ain't No Other Man, the ballads, Hurt and Beautiful, the Moulin Rouge-soundtrack cover of Lady Marmalade, and the triumphant show-ending Fighter, complete with white confetti.
Aguilera was also at her best while singing and dancing on top of a piano during Makes Me Wanna Pray, a reworked old-school reggae version of her old hit, What a Girl Wants, and the sailor-inspired Candyman.
It wasn't all happy make-believe, however, as Aguilera talked about the domestic violence she witnessed growing up during her introduction to the emotionally moving Oh, Mother.
The song ended with the phrase: "I love you, Mom," on the video behind her.
Opening last night for Aguilera, who returns to play the ACC on April 23, was the L.A. burlesque-troupe-turned-platinum pop act Pussycat Dolls.
"Are you ready for a little freaky fun?" screamed lead singer Nicole Scherzinger after the six-member singing-and-dancing group first appeared astride an elevated catwalk.
Turned out it was a little of both -- freaky and fun -- as the eye-catching Scherzinger and her scantily clad bandmates led the crowd through a dance-heavy, 35-minute set of tunes from their 2005 debut, PCD, which has sold a staggering six million copies worldwide.
Their breakthrough hit, Don't Cha -- as in "Don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me? Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me?" -- was saved for the very end as the Dolls opened the show with the equally provocative Buttons, which was followed by subsequent hits I Don't Need a Man and Stickwitu.
