No one can belt out a Christmas carol quite like Mariah Carey, who shares initials with “Merry Christmas.” So when the self-proclaimed “queen” of the holiday headed to United Center for a seasonal showdown Sunday night, Chicago came ready to celebrate.
The sold-out arena was decked and stuffed with scores of revelers dressed in their best ballgowns, sequined frocks, Santa hats and flashing light necklaces like one big citywide Christmas party. Steven “DJ Suss One” — Carey’s DJ since 2006 — helped hype up the room with a dustbin of holiday songs and club hits before she hit the stage, her voice proceeding her.
As the live band delved into a “overture” of “Sugar Plum Fairy,” accompanied by two pint-sized ballerinas tiptoeing along to the song, Carey’s dolphin high notes came through the speakers as she ascended from underneath the stage through a cut in the center. The entrance was dramatic and theatrical and totally on brand for the pop chanteuse who filled the following hour-and-a-half with Christmas spirit for sure, but a whole lot of her diva spirit, too.
Not only did Carey require a male companion to walk her backstage for five outfit changes, she also had her “glam squad” come out to powder her face and brush her hair twice during the show (“I have to go through the drama to look nice for you,” she told the crowd). When the stage lights went out during the first song, Carey zeroed in on the moment with snarky commentary that made you wonder if someone was getting fired that night. But none of it could compare to Carey wearing an ostentatious golden halo crown, coming off looking like the Virgin Mary while singing “Silent Night.”
Joined by a talented four-piece band led by her musical director Daniel Moore and three backup singers, Carey opened the family-friendly Christmas concert with “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing / Gloria (In Excelsis Deo),” fitting for her perfect-pitch voice, which sounded nothing short of angelic. At 54, Carey’s gifted voice is still pristine, and she showed it off, peppering her unbelievable high notes into nearly every song, even when it wasn’t necessary to have the filler.
The night’s set list was the perfect retail-store soundtrack of ubiquitous holiday hits, including covers of classics like Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” There was also a faithful take on “Joy to the World” in which Carey was joined by a robed choir whose tender voices were the epitome of peace. The singer also ran through more of her originals from her R&B pop Christmas albums including 1994’s “Merry Christmas” and 2010’s “Merry Christmas II You.”
The tour — dubbed “Merry Christmas One And All!” — is an expanded continuation of Carey’s similar short holiday run in 2022, later adapted into a highly rated TV special that ran on CBS. Much like that production, the concert was filled with music as well as skilled choreography from a dancing squad that included some very young talents and a rotating mix of holiday motifs from snowglobe backdrops for the secular songs to a star of Bethlehem for the more reverent numbers.
There was also a good portion of the set devoted to her non-Christmas classics, including a rushed medley of hits including “Always Be My Baby,” “Dreamlover” and “Emotions” as well as full takes on “We Belong Together” and “Hero” that were reminders of what brought Carey to the top of the pop pile in the ’90s.
While some of the segues between the show’s acts were a bit sloppy and poorly timed, especially the pauses waiting for Carey’s numerous outfit changes, the interludes gave way to showcasing some other talents including her own children. Son Moroccan “Roc” Cannon offered a rap breakdown during the outro of “Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)” while daughter Monroe Cannon helped lead a cover of The Waitress’ “Christmas Wrapping” and, later, joined her mother for a duet of Carey’s original “Jesus Born on This Day.”
Home videos featuring Carey and the twins celebrating the holidays through the years also played on screens before the ultimate show moment, a blitzed-out finale of her estimated $3-million-a-year-making “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” complete with a downpour of fake “snow” confetti. No matter how forced the song is upon us for 30-plus days every year, there’s no denying its massive pop appeal, and hearing it live deserves a spot on that Christmas wish list.
