Mariah Carey's concert at Radio City Music Hall was truly phenomenal. It was my first and I arrived there with my mom to meet other attendees and spoke to some lambs as well. Many were dressed in Honey B. Fly shirts or their own lamb attire.  Everyone was so excited and couldn't wait to go in. Prior to the guests entering the hall, Mariah arrived through the back entrance in a maroon-colored gown, glittery shoes and shades in the midst of adoring fans & photographers, who wanted to catch a glimpse of the diva herself.  As usual, she beamed us her magnificent smile and quickly waved at us as she made her way inside.

Finally, we were able to enter the hall. However, a lot of cameras, including mine, were confiscated, which I thought was very unfair because everyone wants to relive and capture Mariah at her best. Therefore, I, as well as others, had to depend on our memories of the concert, which I definitely will do. In the lobby, there were a lot of Mariah items on sale (calendars, programs, t-shirts, shorts, hats, etc.). Plus, champagne was served in tall, slender wine glasses. Now thats what I call class. J

We were then ushered to our seats. The whole layout of the hall was truly beautiful. The lighting was soft and dimmed. The curtains looked rich and authentic and there was a background of what looked like a gigantic satin scarf with the pictures of circus animals surrounding a charm bracelet.  This certainly correlated with the theme of her concert - a circus-like environment (colorful, fun and upbeat). I recall her saying once that she chose that theme because it reflected her life. The opening act comedian, Jvonne Pearson, was funny. Plus, he allowed a lucky lamb and former American Idol try-out, named Vanessa, an aspiring singer since the tender age of 9, to sing Mariah's Dreamlover on stage. She did a great job! Who ever would have thought a halogen lamp, which Vanessa made-believed as a microphone while a child, would eventually turn into the real thing and be sung into as part of the opening act for a Mariah carey concert?! Randy Jackson waved hi to me and later gave me my mom an autograph. That was too cool! Then about 15 minutes later, the lights dimmed and the crowd went wild! A portrait of Mariah was displayed on stage.

Looking In (Intro) was played followed by Da Brat, who came out and sang her own rap part from the Heartbreaker (Remix). Dancers were on stage doing their thing as well. Then Mariah, from the back of the audience, walked through the center aisle in a sparkled, glittery 2-piece outfit singing Heartbreaker. Through The Rain was her next song, which brought tears to my eyes. Whenever I hear that song, it motivates and inspires me to never give up on my dreams and to keep moving forward.  And to hear her sing it live was like the icing on the cake for me. It just made my day - and night! J My All was her next song, followed by the My All (Club Mix) with the dancers only.  A marionette show then introduced Clown, which I really enjoyed. In that number, she wore a gold-shimmered gown as she sat on a circus prop.

She then announced the song that many lambs, including me, chose specifically to include in New York's set list. It was Can't Take That Away. She expressed how happy she was that it was chosen because it is one of her favorites. Again, with my emotional self, I became teary-eyed. Like Through The Rain, Can't Take That Away is all about perseverance and inner strength. I sang it, as well as the others, along with her.

Then it grew dark in the hall as they showed a video clip of Honey, which led to her coming out in a cute, blue, oriental-style mini-dress. This was followed by a video clip of I Know What You Want, with Mariah coming out in a different ensemble - transparent orange visor, Harley-Davidson motorcycle shirt, and denim jeans shorts. Subtle Invitation, one of my favorite Charmbracelet album songs, was the next song she sang. Dressed in a silver mini dress she was lowered down to the stage while sitting on a white curtain. She landed safely on a black piano with pink butterfly adornments on it. I thought that was cool! As she sang, there was a silhouette of the horn players behind her, which was pretty neat and creative as well. She then sang My Saving Grace, a very gospelesque song that brought emotion to me and others around me as well. As she sang it, a video montage was shown with her successes throughout the years.

Her way of introducing the band and her back up singers made me feel as though I were in a jazz club as she scatted away. The way that she did it was so sultry, light and classy. All of them displayed their great talent as band members played various notes and the singers showcased their outstanding voices. Trey Lorenz ('Big Nasty') took to the stage with Mariah as they sang I'll Be There. That was great considering the songs extraordinary success on the pop charts. After their duet, Trey took center stage and sang Friend Of Mine. I love the song because the words are very meaningful as it reflects friendship.

Now Mariahs back in a maroon dress as she sings Bringin' On The Heartbreak, which showcased her vocal range and talent in making the Def Leppard song her own. Everyone was out of their seats. She sang Fantasy (Remix) after its accompanying music video was shown. She then sang Always Be My Baby, which she said was a dedication to her lambs, which made everyone cheer. While she sang, huge beach balls were thrown to the audience.

Make It Happen, the song that Mariah says is her life story and about reaching for your dreams, was then sung. Everyone got to their feet and became so involved in it. After that, she lined up with everyone on stage and took bow. A few minutes later, she came back in a stunning low neck-lined cream-colored dress adorned with feathers and diamonds and sang Vision Of Love, the song that first catapulted her music career.  While singing Hero, Mariah came down to the audience and received so many gifts, hugs and love from her fans.  Then, to close the show, Butterfly (Outro) was played in the background as Mariah departed off stage. Her portrait remained onstage with the ringmaster's hat and 'The End' was displayed on the widescreen above, making it look as though we were watching an old movie. All what we needed was some popcorn.

Although I wish it were longer, I really enjoyed the sold-out concert. It was an intimate evening indeed as she really got close to her fans. I believe Radio City Music Hall was just the right place. Although I wasnt face-to-face with her and didnt have the opportunity of being part of the Meet & Greet, I still came out feeling like she sang just for me. Her connection with her fans is truly outstanding and the whole thing was totally awesome!  Mariahs looked and sounded amazing.  Having had the opportunity of meeting some of the Mariah Carey and Honey B. Fly message board members that I communicate with from time to time, I'd definitely say my night ended on an extra special high note, which I'll relive again and again.

Outside of Radio City Music Hall, we all started to feel the presence of Hurricane Isabel after the concert. Thankfully, we all made it Through The Rain and The Wind. This reminds me of my favorite Mariah quote: "After every storm-if you look hard enough-a rainbow appears." And it surely did. J