Olivia Newton-John and the Sydney Symphony: Live at the Sydney Opera House (2008)

From "If Not for You" to "Physical," from Grease to Xanadu, from her successful battle against breast cancer to her support of numerous environmental causes, Olivia Newton-John has had a long, fruitful, and impressive career, as Live at the Sydney Opera House, a good-looking, great-sounding, beautifully performed concert recorded in 2006, will testify. Born in 1948, Newton-John is one of those singers who these days would be known as a diva, were it not for the fact that her musical style and overall manner are too self-effacing for so presumptuous a term. And while her voice is a bit less pristine these days than when she came on the scene with a series of country-flavored singles in the '70s, what little she's lost in purity is balanced by an increase in soul; she'll never be Etta James, but once she warms up, she hits the high notes with ease and sings with considerable power and confidence. What's more, though she's usually categorized as an adult contemporary artist, in the course of this career-spanning, 27-song set (backed by a first-rate band and the full Sydney Symphony Orchestra), she reveals herself to be at ease with a variety of styles, ranging from the aforementioned country ("Let Me Be There," "Please Mr. Please," and a rousing version of Dolly Parton's "Jolene") through soft pop ("I Honestly Love You," "Have You Never Been Mellow"), the movie hits (two from Xanadu and three from Grease), an electronically re-created duet with the late Peter Allen ("Tenterfield Saddler"), and even a creditable go at the torch standard "Cry Me a River." There are no DVD bonus features, but between-songs bits find Newton-John, daughter Chloe Lattanzi, and members of the band providing a tourist's eye view of Sydney. --Sam Graham Amazon.com

Stronger Than Before

For any Olivia fan who has followed her career since the early 70s, this is a "must have." Other reviewers of this item seem to be surprised that Olivia is older than she was in the early 80s. If I can age as well as she has, then I want what she's taking!

Of course Olivia must cover the old hits in a DVD of this type, and she does. "Physical" receives a much needed age appropriate twist with a samba version. However, I found the highlights of the concert to be the songs she has recorded since the pinnacle of her popularity, including "Tenterfield Saddler", "Serenity, " "Stronger Than Before," and "Cry Me a River." (Her performance of the latter makes me long for a jazz-influenced Olivia CD.). I was amazed that her performance of "I Honestly Love You," a song I'm sure she has performed thousands of times, was as fresh as if she were singing it for the very first time.

I highly recommend the DVD and its "bookmarking" of a long and full career. Those seeking an early 80s Olivia may be disappointed, but in the real world, people, and performers, in my humble opinion, are much more interesting when the change and grow. June 16, 2008

The Latest Olivia Newton-John video

It's about time Olivia put out a new video. This is awesome. She has aged extremely well and can still sing as we remember. Many of the old songs as well as a few newer ones are mixed in. Her occasional narrative between songs about her Sydney memories is also enjoyable. The video and sound quality are excellent. This is a must have for any serious ONJ fan. April 21, 2008

FANTASTIC

DVD IS VERY WELL DONE. ALMOST ALL HER HITS ARE HERE AND SOUND WONDERFUL WITH THE SYMPHONY. THE LITTLE SNIPETS IN BETWEEN SONGS GET A LITTLE ANOYING AND INTERUPT THE FLOW, BUT OVERALL AN EXCELLENT PRODUCTION. April 21, 2008

Looks and sounds great.

This concert is a keeper. Olivia has amassed a wonderful collection of songs through her career. In this concert she is backed by her band, an orchestra, and three excellent vocalists. Just sit back and enjoy. April 12, 2008

Olivia Still Asks If You've Ever Been Mellow, and the Answer Is Indeed Yes

I have to admit it's taken me years to warm up to Olivia Newton-John as I originally wrote her off as the most pre-packaged of pop singers with her breathy voice and her Breck-girl prettiness. However, there is no denying her longevity in such an unforgiving business. When I saw the stage version of Xanadu on Broadway in December, it was as much a tribute to her as it was to the surreal travesty the movie is. It's been nearly four decades since her first stateside success, a twangy cover of Bob Dylan's "If Not for You", which she performs here as the lead-off to a sit-down medley of her country hits. Capturing her at the Sydney Opera House in March 2006, this concert DVD gives testament to her enduring career, and at a slightly cosmetically altered 57, her slightly throatier voice may have lost some of the higher notes but still maintains the pop sheen she's always had.

Olivia's set is pretty extensive with 27 songs over the course of its 127-minute running time, long by most concert standards although there is filler in the form of random home-movie video clips of her trip to Sydney. Obviously, she has a wealth of musical material from which to cull, so it's a tribute to her that her repertoire is so varied. Most of the songs remain true to the original arrangements, although a few have been dramatically changed like the anachronistically samba-sized version of "Physical". The only times where Olivia falters is on the songs that require her early-years tremolo like the opener, "Have You Never Been Mellow?", where you can hear the strain. Otherwise, she is quite relaxed, perhaps too much so as her sometimes intimate delivery appears at odds with the cavernous opera house.

As her fans would demand, Olivia and her back-up singers cover the soundtracks of Grease and Xanadu pretty thoroughly, and their good spirits are infectious even if the approach is a bit karaoke (especially with the feather boas). She is candid with her early 1990's bout with breast cancer on the upbeat "Not Gonna Give In to It" and even does a Natalie Cole-style duet with a video of the late Peter Allen on his poignant ballad, "Tenterfield Saddler". Her patter can come across as a bit canned. However, unlike Cher or Celine Dion, who fill their shows with extravagant costume changes, gymnastic dancers and smoky special effects, Olivia relies almost solely on her sincere delivery, which may make this concert a bit of a stretch for non-fans. There is a big-screen behind her to remind people of her career highlights, but it's shown rather incidentally. The 2008 DVD could have provided more extras, but it would be difficult to begrudge a pop princess who doesn't look ready to descend her throne. March 24, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...