Dionne's Stage Show

[face]

Bacharachians, I need your help! Has Dionne's stage show always been the relatively minimalist affair that has been documented over the years (simple set design, no fancy costumes and wardrobe changes, no dancers, no special effects, etc.)? A relative of mine claims to have seen Dionne in concert back in the 1970s, and when I asked her for more details, all she could remember was that there were multiple wardrobe changes and that it was a glamorous and great show. The first thing that came to mind was that perhaps she was confusing Dionne with Diana Ross, who is well known for her elaborate concerts. She stuck to her guns and said that it was, indeed, Dionne, and now I'm confused because I thought that Dionne's concerts were always relatively low key besides her electrifying voice, songs, and stage presence. I don't feel qualified to contradict her because I wasn't even born in those days, so I'm turning it over to you: has Dionne ever put on that kind of show?

And while we're on the subject, how has Dionne's stage show changed over the years, if at all? I've seen concerts from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s, and they all seem to follow mostly the same format (even down to the stage patter), but it would be great to hear from people with firsthand knowledge!

[Bruce Bernard Williams]

Hi face, I've attended many of her stage shows here in Oklahoma and she's NEVER done a wardrobe change. I do recall that she once donned a blonde wig for an imitation of Marlene's "Falling In Love Again" and changed to a huge, puffy Afro while performing Diana's "Baby Love" back in the mid to late 60's. I especially liked when she'd sit on a stool and would do a 20 minute, non-stop medley of her hits. I got the chance to meet her in OKC (Oct. '85) along with her personal assistant, Maude, as they were getting in the limo after the concert and I managed to get her autograph. I met her again in Dec. '94 BEFORE her concert and got another autograph causing her to hit the stage late, missing her cue. She pulled off her house shoes and put on stilletos. I took my shoes off and slipped her house shoes on and watched the entire concert from stage right. Both times she was cordial, upbeat, and ever so gracious. Aside from all that, I must agree with your description of her voice as electrifying!

[face]

Thanks Bruce! Great story. Now, I really do think that my relative is confusing Dionne and Diana. It sounds like you got to see the version of Dionne's show that was captured on the live Dionne Warwicke Story album, where she did the impressions of Pearl Bailey, Diana Ross, and Marlene Dietrich. How cool! And speaking of that blonde wig, perhaps this is what Burt and Angie were referring to in Burt's book when they were wondering if Dionne wore a blonde wig as a hostile gesture towards Angie in one of her shows that they attended. It would make sense if they saw the same show that you saw, and the time periods certainly match up. I've never seen footage or photos of Dionne from those days in a blonde wig in any context--her hair was always black. You are fortunate to have lived through the BB/HD/DW golden years!

[BachtoBacharach]

Dionne performed at the Copacabana in 1968 and part of her nightclub show was the impersonation medley where she mimicked Pearl Bailey, Diana Ross and Marlene Dietrich. It was not part of her act in other venues and was developed for her appearance at the Copa. Dionne's stage shows in the 1960s consisted of mostly what we are all familiar with. Early on, from about 1964 to about 1966, she padded her shows with show tunes, hits of others, as well as her familiar catalog of hits up until that time. She had a handful of top 40 hits by then. She frequently performed gospel numbers (sometimes with DeeDee) and often accompanied herself on the piano. After mid 1966 when the hits accumulated, she simplified her stage show to focus mostly on her catalog with current hits from others and show tunes thrown in. She hired a writer to pad her shows out with stage patter (more nightclub like which fell flat in larger venues) around 1964 but quickly abandoned that as she felt she had lost her connection with the audience...from that point on, it was all Dionne and no writer and no inane patter, jokes, etc. Her star rose dramatically when Alfie hit in mid-1967 followed closely by the Top 10 hits I Say A Little Prayer, Theme From Valley of the Dolls and Do You Know the Way to San Jose...four huge hits in a year's time. She then began to sell out large venues consistently as well as continuing in nightclubs. When she began selling out large arenas , her show became pretty formatted and remained essentially the same for years including her line "We do hope you have come prepared for what I have prepared" or the variation "....prepared for what Dionne has prepared (referring to herself in third person which annoyed some)...and the "keeping a groove moving forward...trust me I (or Dionne) will stand here and watch you..." essentially not changing that since the mid-seventies. I know of only a very few occasions where she changed gowns in the 1960s and can't remember one occasion where she changed costumes in concert from the 1970s forward although she might have on rare occasions. She didn't need those gimmicks. She was a top large venue draw during the late sixties beginning in about 1968 through about 1973 often besting even Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley and the Supremes as a concert draw. She toured about 40 weeks or more per year during her heyday.

[face]

Thanks B2B! You always have the scoop. Is it your guess, then, that the side of the Dionne Warwicke Story with her impersonations was recorded at the Copa in 1968? I've often wondered where/when each side was recorded. I'm able to make a pretty good guess at the years (1964, 1966, 1968, and 1970), but that's as far as I can go. I wonder if someone will ever release the full concerts that were pulled from for that double album.

[BachtoBacharach]

Yes it was recorded at the Copa in 1968. She appeared at the Copa for a couple of weeks and used that medley specifically in her show there...that is the only time I am aware of where she used that. I recall that Frank Sinatra, Burt Bacharach, Angie Dickinson, Shirley MacLaine and Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Mia Farrow and many others attended her shows there. The Copa was a large nightclub but still intimate compared to say the Miami Arena where several thousand could be seated which such type of nightclub shows would not translate well to that large a venue. Her nightclub show was much more intimate and she was often accompanied by a 5 man combo whereas her arena shows were often padded with a string and horn section. Her nightclub and show room appearances diminished around 1967 when she started selling out arenas and large venues. I seriously doubt that many of her concert appearances will ever be released in their entirety although several exist in the Warner archives. Not many recordings still exist of her concert appearances from the sixties although her 1960s persona is well represented by her television variety appearances. She was one of the most popular entertainers to appear on the television variety circuit both in the US and abroad. More and more of her TV appearances are seeing the light of day these days thanks to YouTube.