TORONTO -- Alicia Keys has the dramatic entrance thing down pat. Now if she could just follow through as impressively with the rest of her hour-and-45-minute show which visited the Air Canada Centre's Sears Theatre last night.

The 21-year-old R&B/soul sensation kicked off her concert by parading down steps in front of a fake New York brownstone apartment building, dressed in a flashy gold-lame-and-black coat and black-lace hat before settling in front of her keyboards.

But it wasn't long before she was upright again and prowling the stage to sing, Rock Wit U, from her six-time platinum debut, Songs In A Minor.

Last night -- before a crowd of 5,000, just shy of a sell-out -- marked Keys' third appearance in T.O. in 10 months after she headlined a show at Massey Hall in January and previously opened for Maxwell last October at the Sears Theatre.

Being at all three concerts, I can tell you her confidence continues to soar along with her profile.

Back in February, Keys tied Lauryn Hill's record for the most Grammys won by a female artist in one night as she picked up five trophies

Meanwhile, Songs In A Minor has sold six million copies worldwide, Newsweek proclaimed her the most influential entertainer of the year, and Rolling Stone called her "the next Queen of Soul."

Keys' response has been to stay on the road -- her winter headlining tour now followed by a summer one.

She looked very comfortable up on stage again backed by a 13-piece band, including a three-man horn section perched on an elevated platform. During the third song, How Come You Don't Call Me, Keys whipped off her hat to reveal her trademark braids and hoop earrings, and repeatedly flirted with the audience during what turned out to be an overlong version of the song.

SEXY ROMPS

Unfortunately, Keys also brought along the hokey prop of a telephone booth -- just so she could make a call only to promptly hang up when a male voice answered.

That routine, which she performed at her two previous Toronto gigs -- along with having the turntablist play tunes while a tiny dancer, her three backup singers and a human beat box performed during a costume change -- could be retired.

Instead, I vote for more of Keys just wailing away on her keyboard and singing funked-up epic songs like The Life and Troubles.

When she returned from the break, dressed in a diamond-encrusted fringe vest and straw fedora, she sang and played with genuine passion during Never Felt This Way, Butterflyz, and Caged Bird -- all alone on the stage.

Sadly, it wouldn't remain that way for long as three dancers joined her for the fun, sexy romps Mr. Man and Jane Doe.

Another costume change followed -- this time into a brown straw fedora and a sparkly leopard print, floor-length vest -- for a full-tilt run-through of her latest hit, A Woman's Worth, followed by the Doors' Light My Fire and back to her own, Girlfriend.

By the time her gospel-infused breakthrough hit, Fallin', was trotted out during the encore -- along with an enormous disco ball -- the crowd was going nuts.

JAM! Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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