Written by Caballero Oscuro 

After nearly vanishing into obscurity after a series of misadventures a few years ago, Mariah Carey returned to prominence with the surprising success of her latest album and tour, The Adventures of Mimi. More than just a concert video, the new tour DVD showcases an artist at the height of her powers and chronicles the amazing rapport she builds with her audience. Filmed in front of a capacity arena crowd in Anaheim, CA, the DVD captures Carey’s greatest hits, both old and new, and features a few familiar old friends as well.

Unlike most modern-day pop stars, Carey has always been more focused on her vocal performance than her choreography. She’s a songbird by nature, not a dancer, so it’s no surprise to find her returning to her traditional stage presence of basically just strolling back and forth with nary a thought of incorporating the latest dance moves. She has a crew of backup dancers at times to add some physical sizzle, but she always keeps the focus fully on her vocals, not stage antics.

That’s not to say there’s nothing to look at, in fact her outfits in this production are likely the most revealing gear she’s ever sported in concert. Starting with a black bra top and briefs barely covered by a see-through floor-length flowing negligee of some sort, she’s game to show off her body throughout the production to the delight of her screaming fans. All the skin seems a bit incongruous during a couple of somber ballads, but I’m not complaining.

Dipping way back into her catalog to her cover of the Jackson Five’s “I’ll Be There”, Carey brings original partner Trey Lorenz back to center stage to assist. He’s stayed on the Carey payroll as her touring backup singer throughout the years, so his duet is no surprise, but it’s still gratifying to see the original pairing together again. The other notable trip down memory lane finds Boyz II Men joining Carey for their old smash, “One Sweet Day”. Aside from those two exceptions, the rest of the concert is all Mariah, and she never fails to impress with her strong vocals.