CIARA
If you’ve been to many rap shows at Allentown’s Crocodile Rock Cafe, you know the headliners usually grace the audience with their presence some time around 1 a.m.
Not chart-topping, body-rocking superstar Ciara, who last Saturday put on one of the best performances I have seen yet at Croc Rock.
CeCe hit the stage about 11:15 p.m., and for 45 minutes, she gave the crowd of about 750 in the 1,000 capacity venue high-energy songs, sexy dance moves, flawless vocals and a top-flight light show.
Ciara would have none of that yelling into a microphone while pacing across the stage so common at at Croc Rock hip-hop shows.
Wearing a headset style of microphone reminiscent of Janet Jackson in the 1980s, Ciara effortlessly breezed through high-octane choreography without missing a note, or a step — as did her back-up singers and dancers, whose bare midriffs exposed taut abs of steel.
The dance steps were incredible, in sync not only with the music and each pelvic thrust or body-bending twist but perfectly timed to periodic bursts of light from behind the stage.
The “First Lady of Crunk & B” performed staples from her debut album “Goodies.”
An already-hyped audience got hyped up even more during “1, 2 Step” and went absolutely wild at the outset of “Get Up.”
The crunk kept coming right to the very end, with Ciara winding down her set with a rendition of her latest single, “Promise,” from her upcoming album “Evolution,” due Dec. 11.
Those packed in front of the stage seemed to enjoy every minute of Ciara’s first Allentown concert. I know I certainly did.
Dalondo Moultrie
LEHIGH VALLEY CHAMBER ORCHESTRA WITH JI-YONG
Prodigies on the piano (as well as on violin) abound these days, but few demonstrate as much freshness and sensitivity as well as intelligent playing as 15-year-old Ji-Yong, who performed Beethoven’s 3rd piano concerto with the Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra Saturday evening in Allentown’s Symphony Hall.
At age 10, he was the youngest pianist ever to win the coveted New York Philharmonic Young Artists competition, and his local performance fully warranted the spontaneous standing ovation (all too often granted locally) that a deeply-moved audience gave him. His transfigured expression, which one sees on much older artists, and slight appearance belied his exuberance and thoughtful, mature playing.
The orchestra, under the able direction of Donald Spieth, fully matched Ji-Yong’s pace and precision. “The Domain of Arnheim” by Lowell Liebermann (born in 1961), which the orchestra premiered locally in January 1993, proved equally pleasing. A 17-minute tone poem based on a Poe story, the dreamy, accessible work reminded one at times of Bernard Hermann’s film scores, the slow cellos at the start soon joined by harp and the other strings, a rhythmic beat by timpani, and solid playing by trumpets and other brass. Indeed, the only weak spot seemed to be a hesitant entry by violas at one point. It’s a rich, resonant work fully warranting other hearings.
Mozart’s symphony no. 35, the “Haffner,” featured just three weeks ago by Orpheus at Lafayette College, was a vigorous interpretation that fully matched Orpheus’ conductorless performance, especially in a magnificent second movement.
In all, this was a superb concert.
Paul Schlueter
MY LITTLE PONY
The “My Little Pony” franchise of toy products and TV shows, CDs and movies has delighted preschool-age girls, and younger, since 1983.
But “My Little Pony Live! The World’s Biggest Tea Party” show, on stage at Lehigh University’s Stabler Arena through Sunday, is the first attempt to bring Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Minty and the others alive. And the sight of the four-legged favorites together is impressive.
On their visit to Ponyville, the little ones will marvel at the lights, the colors, the special effects, and, especially, the music.
VEE Corporation, which has produced the stage shows of Sesame Street, Dragon Tales and Bear in the Big Blue House, knows how to keep kids amused.
Upon arrival, the kids are given a paper cutout of a tea cup, a prop that is used throughout the show.
Ultimately, parents can become distracted, wondering about things like how a two-legged person can fit into the costume of a four-legged animal.
The storyline is a little hard for the little ones to follow. But they don’t have to. They can just enjoy the bright lights and songs like the classic “I’m A Little Tea Pot” or “Disco Dash.”
At opening night performance Thursday, the little ones liked to nudge as close to the stage as possible, forcing parents out of their seats to corral them.
The show is about perfect in length — 45 minutes, followed by a 15-minute intermission and a 30-minute finale. The intermission allows just enough time for the kids to get their parents to buy them “My Little Pony” collectibles.
“My Little Pony, ” 6 p.m. today, 1 and 4 p.m. Sunday, Stabler Arena, Lehigh University, 124 Goodman Drive, Bethlehem. Tickets: $14-$22. 610-758-6611, www.ticketmaster.com
Keith Groller
