Olivia Newton-John is eternal.
The iconic performer was on display in all her musical and physical glory Sunday during a sold out show at The Sharon.
At 68 – blonde, trim and stunning—Newton-John can still cast the reflection of Sandy, the virginal-sexpot from “Grease.” She flashed slinky aerobic moves while singing “Physical,” and played a tempting disco queen on “Magic.” She possessed the alluring look of an urban cowgirl on the song “Let Me Be There.”
And she can still deliver a ballad like “I Honestly Love You” that touches the heart.
But the real highlight of this 75-minute concert came during an encore, with a riveting performance of “Over the Rainbow.”
The song will forever belong to Judy Garland but on this night, Newton-John put her own, emotional stamp on the standard.
Newton-John seems so perfect and ageless, it’s hard to believe that she coped with adversity.
“Everybody has challenges,” Newton-John said from the stage. “My biggest challenge was breast cancer in 1992. I had a rough time and I returned to live on my farm in Australia.
“One night, I had a terrible anxiety attack. I woke up in the middle of the night and I got out of bed and sat at my little electric piano. I wrote a song that summed up how I felt about beating cancer or anything else.”
The song is “Not Gonna Give Into It,” and it has become a cancer-survivor’s anthem, with the lyric, “In the end, it’s all up to me.”
Newton-John sang the song with a Latin beat and combative passion. You had the feeling that nothing can stop this determined woman.
Newton-John took the crowd on a musical tour of her career that spans a half-century.
“Hello Villages,” she said at the start of the show. “How lovely it is to be here. I’m going to be showing some videos and singing my old songs; I hope you remember them.”
She cruised through her pop hits and the pace picked up when Newton-John turned to a lively country set. It started out with “Have You Ever Been Mellow” and “Let Me Be There.”
“My career began as a country singer,” John said. “I’m very grateful to country music.” She launched into a rollicking version of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” that nearly turned into a boot-scootin’ boogie. Newton-John donned a long, fringed rose-colored jacket and sequined cowboy hat as she pranced about the stage.
Then she said, “It’s time to get physical. I need dancing feet and clapping hands.” Newton-John ripped into the rocking number “Physical” with abandon.
She turned serious with a couple of environmental numbers. Newton-John has long been an advocate of wildlife and sea life protection, and preserving the rain forest. The concert took on an almost-spiritual atmosphere as she sang “The Promise (The Dolphin Song)” and “Don’t Cut Me Down.”
Next it was time to get greased.
“I don’t know how many of you know that next year will be the 40th anniversary of ‘Grease,” Newton-John said of the 1978 movie she starred in with John Travolta.
She wore a black-leather jacket with the name ‘Olivia’ on the back. Backup singer Steve Real played the Travolta part also sporting a leather jacket as they sang “We Go Together” and “Summer Nights.”
Newton-John took center stage for a tender, and exquisite “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” that sounded straight out of 1978.
Then Newton-John, her three backup singers and her band of two guitars; drums and piano, teamed up for a rousing “Grease” medley.
By the end of the concert, Newton-John was in a reflective mood.
“I’m grateful for so many things in my life,” she said. “One of the things I’m grateful for is that I can still sing, and that you still want to come out to see me. This song expresses the way I feel.”
Once again, she showed depth on the ballad, “Grace and Gratitude.” It was another, deeply powerful and spiritual moment.
She followed that with “I Honestly Love You,” and left the stage. The lights stayed dark and Newton-John, wearing a black gown, returned with her music director and pianist Dane Bryant.
“My daughter (singer/actress Chloe Lattanzi) grew up loving this song,” Newton-John said before singing, “Over the Rainbow.”
“This song has always meant so much to me,” Newton-John said. “I wanted to share it.”
She stood on the side of the stage, accompanied only by Bryant at the piano. Then, Newton-John created a shared moment that embraced far more than just a song.
“Over the Rainbow” is about faith, home, and hope for a better tomorrow — so is Oliva Newton-John.
